Schedule-Based Energy Storage Device Selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017139459-A1
Application number	US-201514943967-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 17, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	May 18, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Schedule-based energy storage device selection is described for a device having an energy storage device system with heterogeneous energy storage devices, such as heterogeneous battery cells. The techniques discussed herein use information regarding a user's schedule (e.g., the user's calendar) to predict future workload patterns for a computing device and reserve energy storage device capacities across multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices to improve efficiency of the energy storage devices. For example, if a user is expected to attend a video conference call later in the day (e.g., due to the video conference call being on the user's calendar), then energy in an energy storage device that is better capable of handling such a workload (providing power during the video conference call) more efficiently is preserved so that the energy is available when the video conference call occurs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method implemented in a computing device having multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices, the method comprising:
predicting usage behavior of the computing device over a period of time; determining, based on the predicted usage behavior of the computing device over the period of time, a predicted amount of energy use for each of multiple epochs in the period of time; determining, based on the predicted amount of energy use for subsequent epochs of the multiple epochs relative to one or more threshold values, an energy ratio; and drawing energy from the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices in accordance with the determined energy ratio.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the predicting usage behavior comprising predicting the usage behavior of the computing device based on past usage behavior of the computing device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , the predicting usage behavior comprising predicting the usage behavior of the computing device based on scheduled future usage behavior of the computing device.

4 . The method of claim 3 , the scheduled future usage behavior of the computing device comprising at least one future meeting or appointment of a user of the computing device as indicated in a calendar of the user.

5 . The method of claim 1 , the predicted amount of energy use comprising an average predicted amount of energy use for subsequent epochs of the multiple epochs.

6 . The method of claim 1 , the energy ratio comprising a ratio indicating an amount of power to draw from a first of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices relative to a second of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices.

7 . The method of claim 1 , the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices comprising multiple heterogeneous battery cells.

8 . The method of claim 1 , the period of time comprising a day.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a charging mode for at least one of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices based on the predicted usage behavior of the computing device over the period of time.

10 . A computing device comprising:
an energy storage device system including multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices; and an energy storage device selection system configured to communicate, to the energy storage device system, an energy ratio for drawing energy from ones of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices, the energy storage device selection system including:
a device usage prediction module configured to predict usage behavior of the computing device over a period of time;
an estimation module configured to determine, based on the predicted usage behavior of the computing device over the period of time, a predicted amount of energy use for each of multiple epochs in the period of time; and
a power ratio estimator module configured to determine the energy ratio based on the predicted amount of energy use for each of the multiple epochs in the period of time, the energy ratio indicating an amount of energy to draw from one of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices relative to the other of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices.

11 . The computing device of claim 10 , the predicted usage behavior comprising usage behavior of the computing device predicted based on past usage behavior of the computing device.

12 . The computing device of claim 10 , the predicted usage behavior comprising usage behavior of the computing device predicted based on scheduled future usage behavior of the computing device.

13 . The computing device of claim 10 , the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices comprising multiple heterogeneous battery cells.

14 . The computing device of claim 10 , the energy storage device selection system being further configured to select a charging mode for at least one of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices based on the predicted usage behavior of the computing device over the period of time.

15 . The computing device of claim 10 , the predicted amount of energy use comprising an average predicted amount of energy use for subsequent epochs of the multiple epochs.

16 . A computing device comprising:
an energy storage device system including multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices; one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts including:
predicting usage behavior of the computing device over a period of time;
determining, based on the predicted usage of the computing device over the period of time, a predicted amount of energy use for each of multiple epochs in the period of time;
determining, based on the predicted amount of energy use for subsequent epochs of the multiple epochs, an energy ratio indicating an amount of energy to draw from one of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices relative to the other of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices for one of the multiple epochs; and
communicating an indication of the energy ratio to the energy storage device system for the energy storage device system to draw energy from the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices during the one epoch in accordance with the energy ratio.

17 . The computing device of claim 16 , the predicted usage behavior comprising usage behavior of the computing device predicted based on past usage behavior of the computing device.

18 . The computing device of claim 16 , the predicted usage behavior comprising usage behavior of the computing device predicted based on scheduled future usage behavior of the computing device.

19 . The computing device of claim 16 , the energy ratio comprising a power ratio.

20 . The computing device of claim 16 , the acts further comprising selecting a charging mode for at least one of the multiple heterogeneous energy storage devices based on the predicted usage behavior of the computing device over the period of time.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Badam Anirudh
• Chandra Ranveer
• Priyantha Nissanka Arachchige Bodhi
• Dutra Jonathan Alan
• Meinershagen Julia L
• Hodges Stephen E
• Moscibroda Thomas

Classifications

• G06F1/32 Primary

  Means for saving power · CPC title

• G06F1/28

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title

• G06F1/263 Primary

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/3212

  Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title