Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Benjamin Francis Walker

Gregory Nielsen

Donghwi Kim

Sneha Rajeev Sondur

Ergo Esken

Systems and methods are described for reducing high tonality sounds by controlling the speed of a fan to avoid a range of fan speeds. A target speed of the fan is determined. When the target speed is in a lower portion of the range, a signal is transmitted to the fan to operate at a speed below the range. When the target speed is an upper portion of the range, a signal is transmitted to the fan to operate at a speed above the range. When the target speed transitions from the lower portion to the upper portion, or vice versa, a signal is transmitted to the fan to progressively transition between the speed below the range and the speed above the range, or vice versa. When the target speed is outside the range, a signal is transmitted to the fan to operate at the target speed.

Fan speed control for high tonality avoidance

A thermal management system for a computing device often includes one or more internal heat pipes and conductive structures to move heat from one or more heat-generating components within the computing device to a heat exchanger. For an air-cooled device, one or more exhaust fans blow air across the heat exchanger to transfer heat from the heat exchanger to the air before it is exhausted out of the computing device. While operation of the exhaust fans may be necessary to maintain device temperature below one or more thresholds, exhaust fan operation may be optimized to maximize the user experience. The presently disclosed technology applies distinct exhaust fan speed and/or direction profiles for each of one or more exhaust fans within the computing device to maximize the user experience, particularly to reduce or avoid blowing hot air at the user's hand.

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Benjamin Francis Walker