Information handling systems and improved battery charge control methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11909243-B2
Application number	US-201816101946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 13, 2018
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of information handling systems (IHSs) having rechargeable batteries and improved battery charge control methods are provided herein. For example, a method is disclosed for dynamically switching between a plurality of battery charging profiles, each having different recharge thresholds and charge termination thresholds for controlling battery recharge. Such a method may include detecting discharge current from a rechargeable battery of an IHS, determining whether or not the IHS is coupled to an external power source, and switching from using a first battery charging profile to using a second battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery in response to detecting the discharge current while the IHS is coupled to the external power source and/or determining that the discharge current is a short term supplemental power event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:
a rechargeable battery including one or more battery cells;
a battery charger and power circuit coupled to receive current from an external power source and coupled to supply a charge current to the one or more battery cells for recharging the rechargeable battery in accordance with a battery charging profile when the IHS is coupled to the external power source; and
one or more processing devices configured to execute program instructions stored on a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium to switch from using a first battery charging profile to using a second battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery in response to at least one of the following: detecting a discharge current from the one or more battery cells while the IHS is coupled to the external power source or determining that the discharge current is a short term supplemental power event.

2. An information handling system (IHS), comprising:
a rechargeable battery including one or more battery cells;
a battery charger and power circuit coupled to receive current from an external power source and coupled to supply a charge current to the one or more battery cells for recharging the rechargeable battery in accordance with a battery charging profile when the IHS is coupled to the external power source; and
one or more processing devices configured to execute program instructions stored on a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium to switch from using a first battery charging profile to using a second battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery in response to at least one of the following: detecting a discharge current from the one or more battery cells while the IHS is coupled to the external power source or determining that the discharge current is a short term supplemental power event;
wherein the first battery charging profile includes a first recharge threshold and a first charge termination threshold, wherein the second battery charging profile includes a second recharge threshold and a second charge termination threshold, and wherein the second recharge threshold is less than the first recharge threshold and the second charge termination threshold is less than the first charge termination threshold.

3. The information handling system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the second charge termination threshold is less than or equal to the first recharge threshold.

4. The information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to execute program instructions stored on the non-transitory tangible computer readable medium to:
monitor a connection state of the IHS to the external power source;
detect a discharge current from the one or more battery cells;
determine if the discharge current is detected while the IHS is connected to the external power source; and
utilize the first battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery if the discharge current is detected while the IHS is disconnected from the external power source.

5. The information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to execute program instructions stored on the non-transitory tangible computer readable medium to:
monitor one or more characteristics of the rechargeable battery;
detect a discharge current from the one or more battery cells;
determine if the discharge current is a short term supplemental power event based, at least in part, on the one or more characteristics; and
utilize the first battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery if the discharge current is not a short term supplemental power event.

6. The information handling system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing devices comprise one or more of a host processor of the IHS, an embedded controller of the IHS and a battery management unit (BMU) of the rechargeable battery.

7. The information handling system as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a non-volatile computer readable memory configured to store boot firmware, wherein the program instructions stored on the non-transitory tangible computer readable medium and executed by the one or more processing devices comprise a runtime service of the boot firmware.

8. A method for dynamically switching between a plurality of battery charging profiles, the method comprising:
detecting discharge current from a rechargeable battery of an information handling system (IHS);
determining whether or not the IHS is coupled to an external power source; and
switching from using a first battery charging profile to using a second battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery in response to at least one of the following: detecting the discharge current while the IHS is coupled to the external power source or determining that the discharge current is a short term supplemental power event.

9. A method for dynamically switching between a plurality of battery charging profiles, the method comprising:
detecting discharge current from a rechargeable battery of an information handling system (IHS);
determining whether or not the IHS is coupled to an external power source; and
switching from using a first battery charging profile to using a second battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery in response to one or more of the following: detecting the discharge current while the IHS is coupled to the external power source or determining that the discharge current is a short term supplemental power event;
wherein the first battery charging profile includes a first recharge threshold and a first charge termination threshold, wherein the second battery charging profile includes a second recharge threshold and a second charge termination threshold, and wherein the second recharge threshold is less than the first recharge threshold and the second charge termination threshold is less than the first charge termination threshold.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the second charge termination threshold is less than or equal to the first recharge threshold.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein if the discharge current is detected while the IHS is disconnected from the external power source, the method further comprises using the first battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery once the IHS is reconnected to the external power source.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:
monitoring one or more characteristics of the rechargeable battery;
determining if the discharge current is a short term supplemental power event based, at least in part, on the one or more characteristics; and
using the first battery charging profile to recharge the rechargeable battery if the discharge current is not a short term supplemental power event.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Thompson Richard C
• Reddy Karunakar P
• Ning Yan

Classifications

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/92 Primary

  with prioritisation of loads or sources · CPC title

• H02J7/0071 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M10/48

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title

• H02J7/02

  for charging batteries from AC mains by converters · CPC title