Notebook computer smart battery recovery and reconditioning mechanism

• US 20050212488A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Jay L., MacNair, Douglas G. Jr., Barbian, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a method and system for recovering and reconditioning a smart battery, a functionally dead condition of the battery is detected. The battery includes an electronics unit. The electronics unit is operable for controlling an operating condition of the battery. In the functionally dead condition of the battery, the electronics unit becomes inoperable. While in this condition, a current limited trickle charge is provided to the battery such that the path of the trickle charge bypasses the inoperable electronics unit. Upon the battery receiving a sufficient amount of charge, the electronics unit regains control. The electronics unit reconditions the battery by recharging it to a fully charged state.

Claims

1. In an information handling system, a method for recovering a smart battery, the battery providing energy to at least one component of the information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting a functionally dead condition of the battery, wherein the battery includes an electronics unit for controlling an operating condition of the battery, wherein electronics unit is inoperable while the battery is in the dead condition;

providing a charge to the battery, wherein the charge bypasses the electronics unit; and

detecting a change in the operating condition of the battery, wherein the change is caused by the electronics unit being operable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge is provided for a predefined time interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a sufficient amount of the charge is provided upon expiration of the time interval to cause the change in the operating condition from the dead condition to an operable condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a sufficient amount of the charge causes the electronics unit to change the operating condition of the battery from the dead condition to an operable condition, the electronics unit including battery charge and control lines interfacing with external devices.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

identifying the battery to be in a non-recoverable dead condition when the battery continues to be in the dead condition upon the battery receiving the sufficient amount of the charge.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the change comprises:

activating the electronics unit in response to the battery receiving a sufficient amount of the charge, the activation of the electronics unit causing the electronics unit to change from being inoperable to being operable;

changing the operating condition of the battery from the dead condition to an operable condition in response to the electronics unit being operable;

the at least one component detecting the electronics unit being operable; and

the at least one component disabling the charge bypassing the electronics unit and transferring charge control to the electronics unit in response to detecting the electronics unit being operable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge is a trickle charge, wherein the trickle charge is current limited.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the dead condition of the battery includes detecting the electronics unit is inoperable, wherein the electronics unit being inoperable prevents the battery from receiving the charge.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronics unit is operable to recondition the battery by charging the battery to a fully charged condition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one component is a portable device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting of the functionally dead condition is performed by a BIOS program of the at least one component.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the change occurs in response to the electronics unit changing the operating condition of the battery or upon expiration of a predefined time interval for charging the battery whichever occurs first.

13. An apparatus for recovering a smart battery, the apparatus comprising:

a bypass component coupled to the battery, wherein the battery includes an electronics unit for controlling an operating condition of the battery, wherein the bypass component is operable to bypass the electronics unit responsive to the electronics unit being inoperable, wherein the bypass component is operable to pass through a charge to the battery responsive to the electronics unit being bypassed;

a detector component coupled to the battery, the detector component being operable to detect the electronics unit being inoperable; and

a recovery component coupled to the battery, the detector component and the bypass component, the recovery component being operable to provide the charge to the bypass component in response the detector component detecting the electronics unit to be inoperable.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the recovery component comprises:

a trickle current generator component to generate the charge, the charge being a current limited trickle charge;

a timer component to keep track of a predefined time interval; and

an output component to provide the charge to the battery through the bypass component.

15. A smart battery having a pair of terminals, the battery comprising:

at least one rechargeable battery cell operable to store energy;

an electronics unit coupled to the at least one cell and the pair of terminals, the electronics unit being operable to control an operating condition of the battery, the electronics unit being inoperable when the energy stored in the at least one cell is insufficient to operate the electronics unit;

a charge discharge component coupled to the electronics unit, the pair of terminals and the at least one cell, the charge discharge component being operable to provide a first conductive path between the pair of terminals and the at least one cell in response to the electronics unit being operable; and

a trickle charge component coupled to the electronics unit, the pair of terminals and the charge discharge component, the trickle charge component being operable to provide a second conductive path between the pair of terminals and the at least one cell in response to the electronics unit being inoperable.

16. The battery of claim 15, wherein the charge discharge component includes:

a first switching device coupled to one of the pair of terminals and operable, responsive to a first control signal received from the electronics unit, to selectively switch on a first portion of the first conductive path to the at least one cell from the pair of terminals; and

a second switching device coupled to an output of the first switching device and the at least one cell, responsive to a second control signal received from the electronics unit, to selectively switch on a second portion of the first conductive path.

17. The battery of claim 16, wherein the second portion of the first conductive path is switched on when the electronics unit is inoperable.

18. The battery of claim 16, wherein the trickle charge component includes:

a resistor device coupled to the one of the pair of terminals; and

a third switching device coupled to the resistor device and an input of the second switching device, responsive to a third control signal received from the electronics unit, to selectively switch on a first portion of the second conductive path when the electronics unit becomes inoperable.

19. The battery of claim 16, wherein a second portion of the second conductive path includes the second portion of the first conductive path.

20. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a system bus;

a memory coupled to the processor through the system bus;

a smart battery operable to provide power to the processor, the bus and the memory; and

wherein the processor is operable for;

detecting a functionally dead condition of the battery, wherein the battery includes an electronics unit for controlling an operating condition of the battery, wherein the electronics unit is inoperable while the battery is in the dead condition;

providing a charge to the battery, wherein the charge bypasses the electronics unit; and

detecting a change in the operating condition of the battery, wherein the change is caused by the electronics unit being operable.