Electronic device and method to extend battery life

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9411398-B2
Application number	US-201213630846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

An electronic apparatus is provided that includes a processor, a voltage regulator, a battery controller and an embedded controller. The voltage regulator to receive an input voltage and to provide an output voltage to the processor. The battery controller to store electronic device information and to receive battery information related to a current battery power. The embedded controller to receive the electronic device information and the battery information from the battery controller, and the embedded controller to provide power information to the processor based on the received information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a processor;
a voltage regulator to receive an input voltage and to provide an output voltage to the processor; and
logic to provide first power information, at a first time, to the processor based on electronic device information and battery information related to a current battery power at the first time, the logic to provide second power information, at a second time, to the processor based on electronic device information and battery information related to a current battery power at the second time,
the logic to calculate a first maximum calculated current of the processor and
to calculate a second maximum calculated current of the processor,
the first power information provided from the logic to include the first maximum calculated current of the processor, the second power information provided from the logic to include the second maximum calculated current of the processor,
the second maximum calculated current of the processor being different from the first maximum calculated current of the processor, the processor to receive the first power information including the first maximum calculated current and the processor to operate based on the first power information including the first current of the processor,
and the processor to receive the second power information including the second maximum calculated current and the processor to operate based on the second power information including the second maximum calculated current of the processor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the logic is to receive the electronic device information and the battery information from a battery controller.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one battery to provide the input voltage to the voltage regulator, and the logic to receive the battery information related to the current battery power based at least in part on the at least one battery.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the logic to receive battery power information regarding the at least one battery.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power information provided from the logic includes a calculated maximum frequency for the processor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power information provided from the logic includes a calculated maximum power level for the processor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device information relates to at least one of a voltage of the voltage regulator, a parasitic resistance and a current for the processor.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the electronic device information is provided from a manufacturer.

9. A non-transitory machine readable medium to store instructions executable by logic to:
receive electronic device information;
receive first battery information related to a current battery power at a first time;
calculate a first maximum calculated current of one or more processors;
provide, to the one or more processors, first power information, based on the received electronic device information and the received first battery information, the first power information to include the first maximum calculated current of the one or more processors;
receive second battery information related to a current battery power at a second time different than the first time;
calculate a second maximum calculated current of the one or more processors; and
provide, to the one or more processors, second power information based on the received electronic device information and the received second battery information, the second power information to include the second maximum calculated current of the one or more processors.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device information is received from a battery controller.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the battery information is received from a battery controller.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the logic comprises instructions to operate the processor based on the received power information.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the logic to receive battery power information regarding at least one battery.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the power information includes a maximum calculated frequency for the processor.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the power information includes a maximum calculated power level for the processor.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the electronic device information relates to at least one of a voltage of a voltage regulator, a parasitic resistance and a current for the processor.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the electronic device information is provided from a manufacturer.

18. An electronic device comprising:
a processor;
a voltage regulator to receive an input voltage and to provide an output voltage to the processor;
a battery controller to store electronic device information, to receive first battery information related to a current battery power at a first time, and to receive second battery information related to a current battery power at a second time; and
a controller to receive the electronic device information, the first battery information and the second battery information from the battery controller, and the controller to provide, first power information to the processor based on the received first battery information, the first power information to include a first maximum calculated current of the processor, and the processor to receive the first power information including the first maximum calculated current and to operate based on the first power information including the first maximum calculated current received from the controller,
the controller to subsequently provide second power information to the processor based on the received second battery information, the second power information to include a second maximum calculated current of the processor, and the processor to receive the second power information including the second maximum calculated current and
to operate based on the second power information including the second maximum calculated current received from the controller.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , further comprising at least one battery to provide the input voltage to the voltage regulator, and the battery controller to receive the battery information related to the current battery power based at least in part on the at least one battery.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the battery controller to receive battery power information regarding the at least one battery.

21. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the power information provided from the controller includes a maximum calculated frequency for the processor.

22. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the power information provided from the controller includes a maximum calculated power level for the processor.

23. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the electronic device information relates to at least one of a voltage of the voltage regulator, a parasitic resistance and a current for the processor.

24. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein a

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Ji Gang
• Uan-Zo-Li Alexander B
• Rodriguez Jorge P
• Keates Andy
• Srinivasan Vasudevan

Classifications

• Y02B60/1217

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F1/324

  by lowering clock frequency · 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

• Y02B60/1292

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D10/00

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