Method and apparatus for a thermal control system based on virtual temperature sensor

摘要

In one aspect, a data processing system includes a virtual temperature sensor to provide system temperature for different system configurations, and a controller coupled to the sensor to control operations of the data processing system according to the virtual temperature. The virtual temperature sensor typically derives the temperature of a particular configuration of the data processing system using mathematical models or one or more operating parameters of the data processing system. In one example, the mathematical models include a characterization table which provides the measured temperature data from various system configurations. These measurements are performed with temperature sensors positioned in ideal locations for different configuration, and are preprocessed to provide the virtual temperature computation. The characterization table also includes thermal characteristics, such as thermal time constant and thermal resistance, of the critical components at multiple thermal control states.

主权项

1. A first data processing system having more than one component configurations depending upon whether a peripheral component is present in the first data processing system, comprising:
a memory; an interface to receive at least one peripheral component; and a virtual temperature sensor capable of providing a first system temperature for the more than one component configurations of the first data processing system based at least on one of thermal time constant data of components of the first data processing system and system temperature data measured by one or more physical temperature sensors in each of the more than one component configurations, wherein the virtual temperature sensor calculates a predicted temperature based on whether the at least one peripheral component is installed into the interface and the virtual temperature sensor comprises a characterization table stored in the memory, the characterization table having the thermal time constant data of components of the first data processing system and system temperature data previously measured by one or more physical temperature sensors located on a second data processing system in each of the more than one component configurations, wherein the measured system temperature data on the second data processing system are processed to provide the thermal time constant data of components of the first data processing system, wherein the one or more physical temperature sensors measure temperatures other than an ambient air temperature and wherein the one or more physical temperature sensors are separate and different from a sensor for an ambient air temperature, wherein at least one of the thermal time constant data or the system temperature data measured by one or more physical temperature sensors are selected from the characterization table based at least in part on whether the at least one peripheral component is present in the first data processing system, wherein the virtual temperature sensor is configured to select at least a first one of the thermal time constant data and the system temperature data, if the at least one peripheral component is present in the first data processing system, and wherein the virtual temperature sensor is configured to select at least a second one of the thermal time constant data and the system temperature data, if the at least one peripheral component is not present in the first data processing system.