Dynamically changing internal state of a battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018375164-A1
Application number	US-201816059658-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 9, 2018
Priority date	Feb 18, 2015
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for dynamically changing internal state of a battery are described herein. Generally, different battery configurations are described that enable transitions between different battery power states, such as to accommodate different battery charge and/or discharge scenarios.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device comprising:
a battery including a cathode including a first electrolyte and an anode including a second electrolyte; a heating apparatus; a battery controller to control operation of the battery including operation in (i) a standard operating state during which the battery supplies power to an external circuit, or charges, with the heating apparatus in an inactive state, and (ii) an activated operating state that causes an increase in discharge capacity of the battery relative to the standard operating state, the operation in the activated operating state including the heating apparatus in an active state to apply heat to and swell at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte.

2 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second electrolytes include a liquid crystal solution.

3 . A device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrode material in at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte; and wherein in the standard operating state the ion flow or electrical conductivity across the electrode material is less than one or more of ion flow or electrical conductivity in the activated operating state.

4 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus comprises a catalyst to be injected into the at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte to induce an exothermic reaction.

5 . A device as recited in claim 4 , wherein the catalyst includes at least one of platinum, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, and a zeolite.

6 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus includes a radio frequency (RF) activation device to cause radio wave heating of the at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte.

7 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus includes at least one magnet to cause magnetic heating of the at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte.

8 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus is configured to vibrate the at least one of the first electrolyte or the second electrolyte.

9 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus includes an optical device to cause optical heating of the at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte.

10 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the heating apparatus is activatable in response to a voltage drop between the anode and the cathode.

11 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device powers at least one component of a computing device, and wherein the heating apparatus is activatable in response to a power state event generated by the computing device, the power state event comprising one or more of a battery discharge-related event or a battery charge-related event,

12 . A device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device powers one or more components of a computing device, and wherein the heating apparatus is activatable in response to an application-related event generated by the computing device.

13 . A battery comprising:
a cathode including a first electrolyte an anode including a second electrolyte; the first electrolyte or the second electrolyte including a material that swells in response to thermal stimulation and increases a discharge capacity of the battery relative to the battery without the thermal stimulation.

14 . A battery as recited in claim 13 , wherein one of the first and second electrolytes include a liquid crystal solution.

15 . A battery as recited in claim 13 , further comprising:
an electrode material in at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte; and wherein the ion flow or electrical conductivity across the electrode material without the thermal stimulation is less than one or more of ion flow or electrical conductivity with the thermal stimulation.

16 . A battery as recited in claim 13 , further comprising a catalyst in the at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte to provide the thermal stimulation.

17 . A battery as recited in claim 16 , wherein the catalyst includes at least one of platinum, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, and a zeolite.

18 . A dynamic battery comprising:
a first electrode; a second electrode; a first electrolyte electrically coupled with the first electrode; and a second electrolyte electrically coupled with the second electrode; the dynamic battery configured to operate in a standard operating state and an activated operating state, in the activated operating state the dynamic battery heats at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte to swell at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte and increase a discharge capacity of the dynamic battery relative to the discharge capacity of the dynamic battery in the standard operating state.

19 . A dynamic battery as recited in claim 18 , wherein the dynamic battery is configured to heat the at least one of the first electrolyte or the second electrolyte through vibration.

20 . A dynamic battery as recited in claim 18 , wherein the dynamic battery is configured to heat the at least one of the first electrolyte and the second electrolyte through radio frequency (RF) stimulation.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Hodges Stephen E
• Chandra Ranveer
• Meinershagen Julia L
• Bodhi Priyantha Nissanka Arachige
• Badam Anirudh
• Moscibroda Thomas
• Ferrese Anthony John

Classifications

• H01M10/44

  Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00) · CPC title

• H01M10/615

  Heating or keeping warm · CPC title

• H01M4/364 Primary

  as mixtures · CPC title

• H01M10/049

  Processes for forming or storing electrodes in the battery container · CPC title

• H01M2220/30

  Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop · CPC title