System and method for limiting battery charging during storage and shipping states

• US 10,063,083 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: LaMarre, Jim Leo, Chin, Tuck Meng, Gillespie, Kurt D., Montero, Adolfo S., Kumar, Prabhash, Samuel, Balasingh Ponraj, Zhu, Xiaomei
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US15/297,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20180109116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/10 Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage

Abstract

An information handling system operating a BMU controller may include a rechargeable battery, a BMU controller to determine battery charge percentage value, a memory device for storage of an internal data record indicating a first power-on setting, and the controller operatively coupled to the memory memory device and the rechargeable battery. The controller executing machine-readable executable code instructions to determine that the main memory contains no internal data record indicating a first power-on event and to limit the voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that percentage value of the charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a set percentage value charge limit during storage and shipment of the information handling system. The controller also receiving machine-readable executable code instructions operable to record an internal data record in the memory device indicating a first power-on event when the processor and main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state and upon storing the internal data record indicating a first power-on setting to remove the set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

Claims

1. An information handling system operating a BMU controller comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a BMU controller to determine battery charge percentage value;

a memory device for storage of a first internal data record indicating a first power-on event; and

the controller operatively coupled to the memory device and the rechargeable battery;

the controller executing machine-readable executable code instructions to determine the memory device contains no first internal data record indicating the first power-on event, and to limit voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a first set percentage value charge limit; and

the controller receiving machine-readable executable code instructions operable to record the first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on event when a processor and a main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state.

2. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor and the main memory of the information handling system being powered on from an off state and the controller receiving the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event;

the controller executing the machine-readable executable code instructions to remove the first set percentage value charge limit such that the processor allows the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity in response to determining the memory device contains the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event.

3. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 2 further comprising:

the controller executing code instructions to remove the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event from the memory device and to remove the first set percentage value charge limit such that the rechargeable battery may charge to its full capacity;

the controller receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system;

the controller receiving machine-readable executable code instructions to record a second internal data record in the memory device indicating a second power-on event when the processor and the main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state, and upon storing the second internal data record indicating a second power-on event, to remove the second set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity; and

the controller executing code instructions to limit voltage received by the rechargeable battery and direct the information handling system to draw power necessary for operation of its processes from the rechargeable battery, despite the controller receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system, until the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery is equal to or less than the second set percentage value charge limit.

4. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 3, further comprising:

the processor and the main memory being powered on from an off state after the controller receives code instructions to record the second internal data record in the main memory indicating the second power-on event; and

the controller recording the second internal data record indicating the second power-on event, and removing the second set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

5. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 3, wherein the second set percentage value charge limit is less than or equal to 85%.

6. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 1, the controller receiving machine-readable executable code instructions to record the first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on event when a processor and a main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state, and the memory device contains no first internal data record indicating the first power-on event prior to the information handling system being shipped to an end user.

7. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 1, wherein the first set percentage value charge limit is less than or equal to 60%.

8. A method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system comprising:

determining a memory device operatively coupled to a BMU controller contains no first internal data record indicating a first power-on event;

limiting voltage received by a rechargeable battery, via the BMU controller, such that the percentage value of the charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a first set percentage value charge limit; and

receiving code instructions operable to record a first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on event when a processor and main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state and upon storing the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event to remove the first set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

9. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 8, further comprising:

powering on of the processor and the main memory from an off-state to an on-state;

recording the first internal data record in the memory device indicating a first power-on event; and

removing the first set percentage value charge limit such that the BMU controller allows the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

10. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 9, in which the powering on of the processor and the main memory of the information handling system from an off-state to an on-state occurs after the information handling system is shipped to an end user.

11. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system;

powering the information handling system from an off-state to an on-state during factory testing;

removing the first internal data record indicating a first power-on setting from the memory device operatively coupled to the BMU controller;

no longer limiting voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that the rechargeable battery may charge to its full capacity;

reducing the rechargeable battery percentage value charge to a second set percentage value charge after factory testing;

limiting voltage received by a rechargeable battery, via the BMU controller, such that the percentage value of the charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a second set percentage value charge limit;

directing the information handling system to draw power necessary for operation of its processes from the rechargeable battery, despite receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system, until the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery is equal to or less than the second set percentage value charge limit; and

receiving instructions operable to store a second internal data record in the main memory indicating a second power-on event when the processor and the main memory are next powered on from an off state and upon storing the second internal data record indicating the second power-on event in the memory device to remove the second set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

12. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 11, wherein the second set percentage value battery limit is less than or equal to 85%.

13. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

powering the information handling system from an off-state to an on-state during factory testing;

removing the first internal data record indicating a first power-on setting from the memory device operatively coupled to the BMU controller;

no longer limiting voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that the rechargeable battery may charge to its full capacity;

reducing the rechargeable battery percentage value charge to a level below the first set percentage value charge limit after factory testing;

limiting voltage received by a rechargeable battery, via the BMU controller, such that the percentage value of the charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed the first set percentage value charge limit; and

receiving instructions to reinstate code instructions to record a first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on setting when the processor and the main memory are next powered on from an off state and to remove the first set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity after shipping of the information handling system.

14. The method for limiting battery charging of an information handling system of claim 8, wherein the first set percentage value charge limit is less than or equal to 60%.

15. An information handling system operating a battery management unit controller comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a BMU controller to determine battery charge percentage;

the BMU controller operable to record a first power-on event due to a next occurrence of a processor and main memory of the information handling system being powered on from an off state after shipping after a first power-on setting is set to detect the next occurrence of the processor and main memory being power on from an off state;

a memory device operatively coupled to the BMU controller;

the BMU controller executing machine-readable executable code instructions such that upon determining that the memory device contains no first internal data record indicating the first power-on event, to limit voltage received by the rechargeable battery such that the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery does not exceed a first set percentage value charge limit; and

the controller executing machine-readable executable code instructions such that upon determining that the memory device has recorded the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event, removing the first set percentage value charge limit allowing the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

16. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 15, the controller receiving machine-readable executable code instructions to record the first internal data record in the memory device indicating the first power-on event when a processor and a main memory of the information handling system are next powered on from an off state, and the memory device contains no first internal data record indicating the first power-on event prior to the information handling system being shipped to an end user.

17. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 15, further comprising:

the BMU controller executing code instructions to remove the first internal data record indicating the first power-on event from the memory device and to remove the first set percentage value charge limit such that the rechargeable battery may charge to its full capacity;

the controller receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system;

the processor receiving machine-readable executable code instructions operable to record a second internal data record in the main memory indicating a second power-on event when the processor and the main memory are next powered on from an off state, and to remove the second set percentage value charge limit and allow the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity; and

the controller executing code instructions to limit voltage received by the rechargeable battery and direct the information handling system to draw power necessary for operation of its processes from the rechargeable battery, despite the controller receiving voltage from an alternating current source external to the information handling system, until the percentage value charge of the rechargeable battery is equal to or less than the second set percentage value charge limit.

18. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 17, further comprising:

the BMU controller executing machine-readable executable code instructions to record the second internal data record indicating a second power-on event, and to remove the second set percentage value charge limit such that the BMU controller allows the rechargeable battery to charge to full capacity.

19. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 15, wherein the first set percentage value battery charge limit is less than or equal to 60%.

20. The information handling system operating the BMU controller of claim 15, wherein the second set percentage value battery charge limit is less than or equal to 85%.