METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REJUVENATION OF AN ENERGY STORAGE UNIT

• US 20060197502A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaminsky, David L., Ogle, David M.
• Application Number:
  US10/906,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197502A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/131
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation

Abstract

A method for rejuvenation of an energy storage unit may include predicting at least one permissible time period to perform a rejuvenation process on the energy storage unit. The method may also include performing the rejuvenation process in response to one of detecting the at least one permissible time period, and both detecting the at least one permissible time period and the energy storage unit being in a predetermined state.

Claims

1. A method for performing a process, comprising:

predicting at least one permissible time period to perform the process; and

performing the process in response to one of detecting the at least one permissible time period, and both detecting the at least one permissible time period and a predetermined state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising scheduling the process during a next permissible time period in response to detecting the predetermined state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the process in response to detecting the predetermined state and a current time period being the at least one permissible time period with sufficient time remaining in the at least one permissible time period to expect to substantially complete the process.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying any rules, overrides and other predetermined criteria to the process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the process comprises performing a rejuvenation process on an energy storage unit, the method further comprising predicting the at least one permissible time period based on a selected probability of substantially completing the rejuvenation process before requiring power from the energy storage unit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting the at least one permissible time period to perform the process comprises:

collecting historical data related to use of an electronic device on which the process is to be performed; and

determining any recurring time periods when the electronic device is idle to to perform the process.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

comparing a duration of each recurring time period to a duration to substantially complete the process; and

retaining each recurring time period that exceeds the duration to substantially complete the process.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

applying any predetermined rules, overrides and other criteria to the retained recurring time periods; and

associating any retained recurring time periods that satisfy any predetermined rules, overrides and other criteria with a clock and calendaring system associated with the electronic device to define permissible time periods to perform the rejuvenation process.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the process comprises performing rejuvenation of an energy storage unit in response to one of detecting the at least one permissible time period, and both detecting the at least one permissible time period and the energy storage unit being in a predetermined state.

9. A system for performing a process, comprising:

a data structure to predict at least one permissible time period to perform a the process; and

a data structure to perform the process in response to one of detecting the at least one permissible time period, and both detecting the at least one permissible time period and a predetermined state.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a data structure to schedule the process during a next permissible time period in response to detecting the predetermined state.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the process comprises a rejuvenation process on an energy storage unit, the system further comprising a data structure to predict the at least one permissible time period based on a selected probability of substantially completing the rejuvenation process before requiring power from the energy storage unit.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the data structure to predict the at least one permissible time period comprises a data structure to determine any recurring time periods when an electronic device on which the process is to be performed is idle to perform the process.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a data structure to compare a duration of each recurring time period to a duration to substantially complete the process; and

a system memory to retain each recurring time period that exceeds the duration to substantially complete the process.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a data structure to apply any predetermined rules, overrides and other criteria to the retained recurring time periods; and

a data structure to associate any retained recurring time periods that satisfy any predetermined rules, overrides and other criteria with a clock and calendaring system associated with the electronic device to define permissible time periods to perform the process.

15. A computer program product for rejuvenation of an energy performing a process, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable medium comprising;

computer readable program code configured to predict at least one permissible time period to perform the process; and

computer readable program code configured to perform the process in response to one of detecting the at least one permissible time period, and both detecting the at least one permissible time period and a predetermined state.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code configured to schedule the process during a next permissible time period in response to detecting the predetermined state.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the process comprises a rejuvenation process on an energy storage unit, the computer program product further comprising computer readable program code configured to predict the at least one permissible time period based on a selected probability of substantially completing the rejuvenation process before requiring power from the energy storage unit.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code configured to predict at least one permissible time period comprises computer readable program code configured to determine any recurring time periods when an electronic device on which the process is to be performed is idle to perform the process.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to compare a duration of each recurring time period to a duration to substantially complete the process; and

computer readable program code configured to facilitate retaining each recurring time period that exceeds the duration to substantially complete the process.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to apply any predetermined rules, overrides and other criteria to the retained recurring time periods; and

computer readable program code configured to associate any retained recurring time periods that satisfy any predetermined rules, overrides and other criteria with a clock and calendaring system associated with the electronic device to define permissible time periods to perform the process.