Battery charge measurement algorithm management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664746-B2
Application number	US-201514644379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A method of backing up data from an electronic system is disclosed. The method may include detecting an operating mode of the battery subsystem that is a maintenance discharge cycle operating mode and in response, calculating, using a first algorithm, the available battery capacity relative to a minimum battery capacity. The method may also include detecting an operating mode of the battery subsystem that is a normal operating mode and in response, calculating, using a second algorithm, the available battery capacity relative to a maximum battery capacity. The method may also include comparing the available battery capacity to a battery capacity sufficient to complete a backup operation, detecting a backup trigger condition and in response to the backup trigger condition and the available battery capacity being sufficient to complete a backup operation, backing up, data from the electronic system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of backing up, based upon an available battery capacity of at least one backup battery cell of at least one battery subsystem, data from an electronic system, the method comprising:
detecting a first operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem that is a maintenance discharge cycle operating mode;
calculating the available battery capacity, in response to the first operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem and by using a first algorithm based upon a minimum battery capacity;
detecting a second operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem that is a normal operating mode;
calculating the available battery capacity, in response to the second operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem and by using a second algorithm based upon a maximum battery capacity;
comparing the available battery capacity to a battery capacity sufficient to complete a backup operation;
detecting a backup trigger condition that includes a power bus voltage level that is less than a specified minimum voltage level; and
backing up, in response to the backup trigger condition and in response to the available battery capacity being sufficient to complete a backup operation, data from the electronic system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first algorithm is a battery floor algorithm that includes calculating a “charge is low” indicator by determining that the available battery capacity of the at least one battery cell is less than a “low capacity threshold”.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm is a battery ceiling algorithm that includes calculating the “charge is low” indicator by determining that a “full charge capacity” is greater than a sum of a the available battery capacity of the at least one battery cell and a “low capacity threshold”.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising notifying, in response to the available battery capacity being less than sufficient to complete a backup operation, at least one processor unit of the available battery capacity.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising initiating, in response to notifying the at least one processor unit of the available battery capacity, a battery recharge cycle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, in response to a power line disturbance (PLD) event, a first operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem that is a maintenance discharge cycle operating mode.

7. A computer program product for backing up, based upon an available battery capacity of at least one backup battery cell of at least one battery subsystem, data from an electronic system, the computer program product comprising at least one computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the at least one computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by at least one computer processor circuits to cause the at least one computer processor circuits to perform a method comprising:
detecting a first operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem that is a maintenance discharge cycle operating mode;
calculating, in response to the first operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem and by using a first algorithm, the available battery capacity relative to a minimum battery capacity;
detecting a second operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem that is a normal operating mode;
calculating, in response to the second operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem and by using a second algorithm, the available battery capacity relative to a maximum battery capacity;
comparing the available battery capacity to a battery capacity sufficient to complete a backup operation;
detecting a backup trigger condition that includes a power bus voltage level that is less than a specified minimum voltage level; and
backing up, in response to the backup trigger condition and in response to the available battery capacity being sufficient to complete a backup operation, data from the electronic system.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions are executable to further cause the one or more processor circuits to detect, in response to replacement of at least one backup battery cell of at least one battery subsystem, a first operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem that is a maintenance discharge cycle operating mode.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions are executable to further cause the one or more processor circuits to detect, in response to failure of at least one backup battery cell of at least one battery subsystem, a first operating mode of the at least one battery subsystem that is a maintenance discharge cycle operating mode.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the backup trigger condition further includes a completion of a time interval following the power bus voltage level that is less than the specified minimum voltage level, the time interval completed prior to backing up of the data from the electronic system.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are executable to further cause the one or more processor circuits to supply, from the at least one battery subsystem, power to the electronic system during the time interval.

12. An electronic system for, in response to a backup a backup trigger condition that includes a power bus voltage level that is less than a specified minimum voltage level, backing up data, the electronic system comprising:
at least one battery subsystem that includes:
at least one battery cell coupled to a power bus to, during hold-up operations and backup operations, supply power to at least one memory subsystem and at least one processor unit;
a fuel gauge circuit coupled to the at least one battery cell and to battery control logic, to, in response to detected first and second operating modes of the at least one battery subsystem, supply battery status information to the battery control logic; and
battery control logic coupled to the power bus to:
calculate, in response to battery status information and in response to detected first and a second operating modes received from the at least one processor unit, available battery capacity information; and
detect the backup trigger condition; and

at least one processor unit coupled to the battery control logic and to a fuel gauge circuit to:
receive available battery capacity information;
detect a first and a second operating mode of at least one battery subsystem;
compare the available battery capacity information to a battery capacity sufficient to complete a backup operation; and
issue, in response to the compare and in response to a backup trigger condition, a backup command; and

at least one memory subsystem that includes:
control logic coupled to the at least one processor unit, to, in response to the backup command, back up data from the electronic system.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory subsystem further comprises at least one volatile data storage unit coupled to the control logic and at least one non-volatile data storage unit coupled to the control logic.

14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a power supply coupled to an external power source to supply, through a power bus, power to at least one circuit of a group consisting of: a battery charge circuit, a battery control logic, at least one memory subsystem and at least one processor unit.

15. The system of claim 12 , the at least one battery subsystem

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Glover Adrian P
• Smalts Jacob J
• Yardley Brent W

Classifications

• G01R31/36

  Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• G06F11/3003

  Monitoring arrangements specially adapted to the computing system or computing system component being monitored · CPC title

• G06F11/1441

  Resetting or repowering · CPC title

• G06F1/26 Primary

  Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C) · CPC title

• G06F11/2015

  Redundant power supplies (power supply failure G06F1/30) · CPC title