System and Method for Information Handling System Battery With Integrated Communication Ports

• US 20090016015A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Seibert, Philip, Fraga, Johnny
• Granted Patent: US 7,626,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter

Abstract

Space along the perimeter of a portable information handling system is made available for I/O connections with external devices by integrating I/O ports into a battery housing having some length extending along the perimeter. The I/O ports interface with the information handling system with wires running through the battery housing from the I/O ports to a location aligned with connectors of the information handling system, such as in a chassis bay sized to accept the battery housing. In one embodiment, the battery housing has a first portion for containing battery cells and a second portion that couples to the first portion, the second portion having selected I/O ports for selective configuration of the information handling system with desired I/O ports.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a chassis having a front and a rear;

plural processing components disposed in the chassis and operable to process information;

a battery coupled in a bay formed in the chassis, the battery having a housing exposed proximate the rear of the chassis, the battery operable to provide power to the processing components; and

one or more I/O ports disposed in the battery housing proximate the rear of the chassis, the I/O ports interfaced with the processing components and operable to couple to I/O connectors to support communication between external devices and the processing components.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more I/O ports comprise a USB port.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more I/O ports comprise a Firewire port.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more I/O ports comprise a PCI Express port.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the one or more I/O ports comprise a DisplayPort port.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more port connections disposed in the chassis bay; and

one or more wire lines associated with the battery housing, the wire lines coupled to the one or more I/O ports, the wire lines interfacing the I/O ports with associated port connections disposed in the chassis bay.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the battery housing comprises a first portion coupled to a second portion, the first portion containing battery cells, the second portion containing the I/O ports.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a processor disposed in the battery housing, the processor interfaced with the I/O ports and with a link disposed in the chassis bay, the processor operable to translate signals communicated between the I/O ports and the link.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the processor disposed in the battery housing comprises a PCI Express controller and the link disposed in the chassis bay comprises a PCI Express link.

10. A method for communicating with an information handling system, the method comprising:

receiving communication signals at a port, the port integrated at a battery housing outer surface, the battery housing outer surface exposed at the exterior of the information handling system;

transmitting the communication signals from the port along the battery housing to a location at the battery housing outer surface, the location exposed at the interior surface of the information handling system; and

transmitting the communication signals from the location at the battery housing outer surface to a location at the interior surface of the information handling system for use by the information handling system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the port comprises an HDMI port.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the port comprises a component video port.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the port comprises an S-video port.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein transmitting the communication signals further comprises:

transmitting the communication signals through one or more wires to a port at the location at the battery housing outer surface; and

transmitting the communication signals from the port at the location at the battery housing outer surface to a port at the location at the interior surface of the information handling system.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein transmitting the communication signals further comprises:

transmitting the communication signals from the port to a hub located in the battery housing; and

transmitting the communication signals from the hub to the location at the battery housing outer surface exposed at the interior surface of the information handling system.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the battery housing comprises first and second portions, the first portion having the port, the second portion having the battery, the method comprising:

separating the first portion from the second portion, the first portion having a first configuration of one or more ports; and

attaching a replacement first portion to the second portion, the replacement first portion having a second configuration of one or more ports.

17. An information handling system battery comprising:

one or more battery cells operable to store a charge;

a housing enclosing the battery cells, the housing sized to fit in an information handling system chassis bay;

a battery connector integrated in the housing and interfaced with the battery cells, the battery connector aligned to couple with an information handling system battery connector located in the chassis bay; and

one or more ports integrated in the housing to be exposed upon installation of the housing into the chassis bay, the port operable to accept communication signals and to forward the communication signals to the information handling system through the chassis bay.

18. The information handling system battery of claim 17 wherein the housing comprise a first portion coupled to a second portion, the first portion enclosing the battery cells, the second portion having the port and one or more wires proceeding from the port to a location aligned to couple to wires in the information handling system chassis.

19. The information handling system battery of claim 18 further comprising a hub disposed in the second portion, the hub operable to translate signals received at the port to a format received at the information handling system.

20. The information handling system battery of claim 19 wherein the hub comprises a PCI Express controller.