System and method for limiting battery charging during storage and shipping states

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10063083-B2
Application number	US-201615297378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2016
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

An information handling system operating a BMU controller may include a rechargeable battery, a BMU controller to determine battery charge percentage value, a memory device for storage of an internal data record indicating a first power-on setting, and the controller operatively coupled to the memory memory device and the rechargeable battery. The controller executing machine-readable executable code instructions to determine that the main memory contains no internal data record indicating a first power-on event and to limit the voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that percentage value of the charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a set percentage value charge limit during storage and shipment of the information handling system. The controller also receiving machine-readable executable code instructions operable to record an internal data record in the memory device indicating a first power-on event when the processor and main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state and upon storing the internal data record indicating a first power-on setting to remove the set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system operating a BMU controller comprising:
a rechargeable battery;
a BMU controller to determine battery charge percentage value;
a memory device for storage of a first internal data record indicating a first power-on event; and
the controller operatively coupled to the memory device and the rechargeable battery;
the controller executing machine-readable executable code instructions to determine the memory device contains no first internal data record indicating the first power-on event, and to limit voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a first set percentage value charge limit; and
the controller receiving machine-readable executable code instructions operable to record the first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on event when a processor and a main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state.

2. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 1 , further comprising:
the processor and the main memory of the information handling system being powered on from an off state and the controller receiving the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event;
the controller executing the machine-readable executable code instructions to remove the first set percentage value charge limit such that the processor allows the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity in response to determining the memory device contains the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event.

3. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 2 further comprising:
the controller executing code instructions to remove the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event from the memory device and to remove the first set percentage value charge limit such that the rechargeable battery may charge to its full capacity;
the controller receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system;
the controller receiving machine-readable executable code instructions to record a second internal data record in the memory device indicating a second power-on event when the processor and the main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state, and upon storing the second internal data record indicating a second power-on event, to remove the second set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity; and
the controller executing code instructions to limit voltage received by the rechargeable battery and direct the information handling system to draw power necessary for operation of its processes from the rechargeable battery, despite the controller receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system, until the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery is equal to or less than the second set percentage value charge limit.

4. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 3 , further comprising:
the processor and the main memory being powered on from an off state after the controller receives code instructions to record the second internal data record in the main memory indicating the second power-on event; and
the controller recording the second internal data record indicating the second power-on event, and removing the second set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

5. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 3 , wherein the second set percentage value charge limit is less than or equal to 85%.

6. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 1 , the controller receiving machine-readable executable code instructions to record the first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on event when a processor and a main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state, and the memory device contains no first internal data record indicating the first power-on event prior to the information handling system being shipped to an end user.

7. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 1 , wherein the first set percentage value charge limit is less than or equal to 60%.

8. A method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system comprising:
determining a memory device operatively coupled to a BMU controller contains no first internal data record indicating a first power-on event;
limiting voltage received by a rechargeable battery, via the BMU controller, such that the percentage value of the charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a first set percentage value charge limit; and
receiving code instructions operable to record a first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on event when a processor and main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state and upon storing the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event to remove the first set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

9. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 8 , further comprising:
powering on of the processor and the main memory from an off-state to an on-state;
recording the first internal data record in the memory device indicating a first power-on event; and
removing the first set percentage value charge limit such that the BMU controller allows the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

10. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 9 , in which the powering on of the processor and the main memory of the information handling system from an off-state to an on-state occurs after the information handling system is shipped to an end user.

11. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 9 further comprising:
receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system;
powering the information handling system from an off-state to an on-state during factory testing;
removing the first internal data record indicating a first power-on setting from the memory device operatively coupled to the BMU controller;
no longer limiting voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that the rechargeable battery may charge to its full capacity;
reducing the rechargeable battery percentage value charge to a second set percentage value charge after factory testing;
limiting voltage received by a rechargeable battery, via the BMU controller, such that the percentage value of the charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a second set percentage value charge limit;
directing the information handling system to draw power necessary for operation of its processes from the rechargeable battery, despite receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system, until the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery is equal to or less than the second set percentage value charge limit; and
receiving instructions operable to store a second internal data record in the main memory indicating a second power-on event when the processor and the main memory are next powered on from an off state and upon storing the second internal data record indicating the second power-on event in the memory device to remove the second set percentage value

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Lamarre Jim Leo
• Chin Tuck Meng
• Gillespie Kurt D
• Montero Adolfo S
• Kumar Prabhash
• Samuel Balasingh Ponraj
• Zhu Xiaomei

Classifications

• H02J2207/10

  Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J2007/0095

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G05F1/66 Primary

  Regulating electric power · CPC title

• H02J7/007 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic