Fan control method, fan model identification method, and fan control circuit

Abstract

A fan control method is to be implemented by a control circuit for controlling a fan coupled thereto. The fan control method includes configuring the control circuit to output a driving signal to the fan such that the fan rotates according to the driving signal, to detect a rotational speed of the fan and to generate a feedback signal corresponding to the rotational speed thus detected, to identify a model of the fan according to the feedback signal thus generated, and to control rotation of the fan according to the model thus identified.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fan control method that is to be implemented by a control circuit for controlling a fan coupled thereto, the fan control method comprising:
 (A) configuring the control circuit to output a driving signal to the fan such that the fan rotates according to the driving signal;   (B) configuring the control circuit to detect a rotational speed of the fan and to generate a feedback signal corresponding to the rotational speed thus detected;   (C) configuring the control circuit to identify a model of the fan according to the feedback signal generated in step (B); and   (D) configuring the control circuit to control rotation of the fan according to the model identified in step (C).   
     
     
         2 . The fan control method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in step (A), the driving signal is a pulse signal having a specific duty cycle. 
     
     
         3 . The fan control method as claimed in  claim 2 , the control circuit including a memory module which stores a plurality of fan models of fans and a plurality of rotational speeds corresponding respectively to the fan models of the fans when driven by a signal with the specific duty cycle,
 wherein, in step (C), the control circuit is configured to compare the feedback signal with the rotational speeds stored in the memory module so as to identify the model of the fan.   
     
     
         4 . The fan control method as claimed in  claim 3 , each of the plurality of the fan models corresponding to a rotational speed range which is associated with the respective one of the plurality of the rotational speeds,
 wherein, in step (C), the control circuit is configured to determine whether the feedback signal corresponds to one of the rotational speed ranges, and to identify the model of the fan as the fan model which corresponds to said one of the rotational speed ranges when it is determined that the feedback signal corresponds to said one of the rotational speed ranges.   
     
     
         5 . The fan control method as claimed in  claim 4 , the memory module storing first and second fan models, a first rotational speed range and a second rotational speed range which correspond respectively to the first and second fan models, and a first thermal control algorithm and a second thermal control algorithm which correspond respectively to the first and second rotational speed ranges,
 wherein step (C) includes the following sub-steps of:   (C-1) configuring the control circuit to determine whether the feedback signal corresponds to the first rotational speed range, wherein   when it is determined that the feedback signal corresponds to the first rotational speed range, the control circuit is configured to control rotation of the fan based on the first thermal control algorithm in step (D), and   when it is determined that the feedback signal does not correspond to the first rotational speed range, the flow proceeds to sub-step (C-2); and   (C-2) configuring the control circuit to determine whether the feedback signal corresponds to the second rotational speed range, wherein   when it is determined that the feedback signal corresponds to the second rotational speed range, the control circuit is configured to control rotation of the fan based on the second thermal control algorithm in step (D), and   when it is determined that the feedback signal does not correspond to the second rotational speed range, the control circuit is configured to provide an error notification.   
     
     
         6 . The fan control method as claimed in  claim 2 , the control circuit storing a plurality of fan models of fans and a plurality of thermal control algorithms which correspond respectively to the fan models, wherein:
 in step (C), one of the fan models is identified as the model of the fan; and   in step (D), the rotation of the fan is controlled according to one of the thermal control algorithms that corresponds to said one of the fan models identified in step (C).   
     
     
         7 . The fan control method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the specific duty cycle is a duty cycle at which two models of fans operate such that a maximum difference exists between the rotational speeds of the two models of fans. 
     
     
         8 . A fan model identification method that is to be implemented by a control circuit for identifying a model of a fan coupled thereto, the fan model identification method comprising:
 (a) configuring the control circuit to output a driving signal to the fan such that the fan rotates according to the driving signal;   (b) configuring the control circuit to detect a rotational speed of the fan and to generate a feedback signal corresponding to the rotational speed thus detected; and   (c) configuring the control circuit to identify a model of the fan according to the feedback signal generated in step (b).   
     
     
         9 . The fan model identification method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein, in step (a), the driving signal is a pulse signal having a specific duty cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The fan model identification method as claimed in  claim 9 , the control circuit including a memory module which stores a plurality of fan models of fans and a plurality of rotational speeds corresponding respectively to the fan models of the fans when driven by a signal with the specific duty cycle,
 wherein, in step (c), the control circuit is configured to compare the feedback signal with the rotational speeds stored in the memory module so as to identify the model of the fan.   
     
     
         11 . The fan model identification method as claimed in  claim 10 , each of the plurality of the fan models corresponding to a rotational speed range which is associated with the respective one of the plurality of the rotational speeds,
 wherein, in step (c), the control circuit is configured to determine whether the feedback signal corresponds to one of the rotational speed ranges, and to identify the model of the fan as the fan model which corresponds to said one of the rotational speed ranges when it is determined that the feedback signal corresponds to said one of the rotational speed ranges.   
     
     
         12 . A fan control circuit adapted for controlling a fan coupled thereto, said fan control circuit comprising:
 a pulse-width modulation (PWM) module to be coupled electrically to the fan, and configured to output a driving signal to the fan such that the fan rotates according to the driving signal;   a detection module to be coupled electrically to the fan, and configured to detect a rotational speed of the fan and to generate a feedback signal corresponding to the rotational speed thus detected; and   a control module coupled electrically to said PWM module and said detection module, and configured to identify a model of the fan according to the feedback signal generated by said detection module and to control rotation of the fan according to the model thus identified.   
     
     
         13 . The fan control circuit as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the driving signal is a pulse signal having a specific duty cycle. 
     
     
         14 . The fan control circuit as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising a memory module which is coupled electrically to said control module and which stores a plurality of fan models of fans and a plurality of rotational speeds corresponding respectively to the fan models of the fans when driven by a signal with the specific duty cycle, wherein:
 said control module is configured to compare the feedback signal with the rotational speeds stored in said memory module so as to identify the model of the fan.   
     
     
         15 . The fan control circuit as claimed in  claim 14 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of the fan models corresponds to a rotational speed range which is associated with the respective one of the plurality of the rotational speeds;   wherein said control module is configured to determine whether the feedback signal corresponds to one of the rotational speed ranges, and to identify the model of the fan as the fan model which corresponds to said one of the rotational speed ranges when it is determined that the feedback signal corresponds to said one of the rotational speed ranges.   
     
     
         16 . The fan control circuit as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a display module coupled electrically to said control module, said memory module storing first and second fan models, a first rotational speed range and a second rotational speed range which correspond respectively to the first and second fan models, and a first thermal control algorithm and a second thermal control algorithm which correspond respectively to the first and second rotational speed ranges,
 wherein said control module is configured to determine whether the feedback signal corresponds to the first rotational speed range, wherein
 when it is determined that the feedback signal corresponds to the first rotational speed range, said control module is configured to control rotation of the fan based on the first thermal control algorithm, and 
 when it is determined that the feedback signal does not correspond to the first rotational speed range, said control module is configured to determine whether the feedback signal corresponds to the second rotational speed range, wherein
 when it is determined that the feedback signal corresponds to the second rotational speed range, said control module is configured to control rotation of the fan based on the second thermal control algorithm, and 
 when it is determined that the feedback signal does not correspond to the second rotational speed range, the control module is configured to control said display module to provide an error notification. 
 
   
     
     
         17 . The fan control circuit as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising a memory module which is coupled electrically to said control module and which stores a plurality of fan models of fans and a plurality of thermal control algorithms which correspond respectively to the fan models, wherein:
 when one of the fan models is identified as the model of the fan, said control module is configured to control the rotation of the fan according to one of the thermal control algorithms that corresponds to said one of the fan models thus identified.