Predictable battery power management apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022407337-A1
Application number	US-202117354944-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2021
Priority date	Jun 22, 2021
Publication date	Dec 22, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hardware and/or software (e.g., a controller and/or firmware or software) that monitors a remaining capacity of a battery and adjusts a continuum of system performance settings ranging from best performance to best energy efficiency. The controller starts with best performance setting (at the expense of energy efficiency), and then the controller gradually shifts toward energy efficiency setting (at the expense of performance) when a battery usage exceeds a pre-defined drain rate (e.g., there is a deficit in the battery remaining capacity until the next charge). The controller reverts from energy efficiency setting towards high performance setting when the battery drain rate or discharge rate slows down (e.g., there is a surplus in the battery remaining capacity until the next charge).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A machine-readable storage media having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
receiving a target battery usage time of a battery; monitoring a discharge rate of the battery; and managing performance and energy efficiency of a device according to the target battery usage time and the discharge rate by adjusting performance and energy efficiency in a predictable manner to operate the device without interruption, caused by lack of charge in the battery, till expiration of the target battery usage time.

2 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 1 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
setting begin values when the device is operating on the battery, wherein the begin values include begin value for state-of-charge and begin value for time.

3 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 2 , wherein setting begin values when the device is operating on the battery comprises:
setting the begin value for state-of-charge to a current state-of-charge of the battery; and setting the begin value for time to a current time.

4 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 3 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
in response to determining that a state-of-charge of the battery has changed, setting values for new time and new charge to the current time and the current state-of-charge, respectively.

5 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 4 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
determining whether a difference between the new time and the begin value for time is greater than a delay to run value.

6 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 5 , wherein the delay to run value is set by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), a user, or an operating system.

7 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 5 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
calculating a new charge target value based on the begin value for state-of-charge, the target battery usage time, and the difference between the new time and the begin value for time.

8 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 7 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
calculating a charge target error value as a difference between the new charge target value and the new charge.

9 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 8 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
reducing the charge target error value by adjusting the performance and the energy efficiency.

10 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 1 , wherein receiving the target battery usage time comprises reading data from a graphical user interface.

11 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 8 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
applying machine-learning to predict user behavior; and reducing the charge target error value using the predicted user behavior.

12 . A machine-readable storage media having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
monitoring a discharge rate of a battery that powers a device; applying machine-learning to predict user behavior of using the device having the battery; and managing performance and energy efficiency of a device according to a target battery usage time of the battery and predicted user behavior by adjusting performance and energy efficiency in a predictable manner to operate the device without interruption, caused by lack of charge in the battery, till expiration of the target battery usage time.

13 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 12 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
setting begin values when the device is operating on the battery, wherein the begin values include begin value for state-of-charge and begin value for time.

14 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein setting begin values when the device is operating on the battery comprises:
setting the begin value for state-of-charge to a current state-of-charge of the battery; and setting the begin value for time to a current time.

15 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 14 , having machine-executable instructions that when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the method comprising:
in response to determining that a state-of-charge of the battery has changed, setting values for new time and new charge to the current time and the current state-of-charge, respectively; determining whether a difference between the new time and the begin value for time is greater than a delay to run value; calculating a new charge target value based on the begin value for state-of-charge, the target battery usage time, and the difference between the new time and the begin value for time; calculating a charge target error value as a difference between the new charge target value and the new charge; and reducing the charge target error value by adjusting the performance and the energy efficiency.

16 . The machine-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the delay to run value is set by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), a user, or an operating system.

17 . A system comprising:
a display; a battery to power the display, the battery including a microcontroller; and a processor circuitry to execute one or more instructions, the processor circuitry powered by the battery, wherein the processor circuitry is to:
receive a target battery usage time of a battery;
monitor a discharge rate of the battery; and
manage performance and energy efficiency of a device according to the target battery usage time and the discharge rate by adjusting performance and energy efficiency in a predictable manner to operate the device without interruption, caused by lack of charge in the battery, till expiration of the target battery usage time.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the microcontroller to:
set begin values when the device is operating on the battery, wherein the begin values include begin value for state-of-charge and begin value for time.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the microcontroller is to set the begin value for state-of-charge to a current state-of-charge of the battery; and is to set the begin value for time to a current time.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the microcontroller to:
in response to a determination that a state of charge of the battery has changed, set values for new time and new charge to the current time and the current state-of-charge, respectively; determine whether a difference between the new time and the begin value for time is greater than a delay to run value; calculate a new charge target value based on the begin value for state-of-charge, the target battery usage time, and the difference between the new time and the begin value for time; calculate a charge target error

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Wang Zhongsheng
• Nge Chee Lim
• Yeap Sze Ling
• Rotem Efraim
• Hermerding Ii James
• Wadaa Ashraf

Classifications

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/94 Primary

  in response to battery current · CPC title

• G06F1/3212 Primary

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

• H02J7/00714 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02J7/0047

  Electricity · mapped topic