Method for preventing over-heating of a device within a data processing system

Abstract

A method for providing over-heating protection of a target device within an information processing system is disclosed. A determination is made whether or not a power status of the information processing system is set to turn on a main power of a power supply device. If the power status of the information processing system is set to turn on a main power of a power supply device, a power switch of the target device is turned on; otherwise, another determining is made whether or not the target device is set to operate based on a user's setting. If the target device is set to operate based on the user's setting, the power switch of the target device is turned on; otherwise, the power switch of the target device is turned off.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for preventing over-heating of a device within an information processing system, said method comprising:
 determining whether or not a power status of an information processing system is set to turn on a main power of a power supply device, wherein said information processing system includes a target device;   in response to a determination that said power status of said information processing system is set to turn on a main power of a power supply device, turning on a power switch of said target device;   in response to a determination that said power status of said information processing system is not set to turn on a main power of a power supply device, determining whether or not said target device is set to operate based on a user's setting;   in response to a determination that said target device is set to operate based on said user's setting, turning on said power switch of said target device; and   in response to a determination that said target device is not set to operate based on said user's setting, turning off said power switch of said target device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 determining whether or not a temperature of said target device has exceeded a predetermined critical temperature after turning on said power switch of said target device; and   in response to a determination that said temperature of said target device has exceeded a predetermined critical temperature, turning off said power switch of said target device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining whether or not said target device is set to operate based on a user's setting further includes supplying only secondary power by said power supply device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said main power is set to turn on when said power status is in an operational status S 0 , a first standby status S 1  or a second standby status S 2 , and said main power is set to turn off when said power status is in a suspend status S 3 , a hibernate status S 4  or a soft off status S 5 . 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said information processing system includes a fan for reducing temperature of said target device, and said fan is provided with a Vital Product Data (VPD) and S 3 (suspend status)/S 4 (hibernate status)/S 5 (soft off status) fan tables, wherein said method further comprising:
 in response to turning on said switch device and employing said VPD, determining whether or not said fan supports said S 3 (suspend status)/S 4 (hibernate status)/S 5 (soft off status);   in response to a determination that said fan supports said S 3 (suspend status)/S 4 (hibernate status)/S 5 (soft off status), loading said fan said S 3 (suspend status)/S 4 (hibernate status)/S 5 (soft off status) fan table and operates accordingly.