System and Method for Information Handling System Battery Charge Protection and Fault Alarm

• US 20090051315A1
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Courtney, Gerald JR., Ma, Yin-Cheung, Wang, Ligong
• Granted Patent: US 8,552,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/113
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An information handling system battery has first and second protective circuits to detect and address faults for a first charge applied from an external power source to an integrated charger and a second charge applied from a charger of an information handling system to battery cells. If the first protective circuit detects a fault associated with the integrated charger, charging of the battery cells is still supported by inserting the battery in an information handling system. If the second protective circuit detects a fault, the battery becomes inoperative by disconnecting the battery cells. An indicator, such as LEDs on the battery casing, indicates whether a soft or hard fault has occurred.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

processing components disposed in the housing and operable to process information; and

a battery coupled to the housing, the battery having an integrated charger, one or more cells, a first protection circuit associated with the integrated charger and a second protection circuit associated with the battery cells.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first protection circuit monitors power received at the charger.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first protection circuit monitors power provided from the charger to the battery cells.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the first and second protection circuits comprise field effect transistors.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a charger associated with the processing components and operable to charge the battery cells if the first protection circuit has tripped.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a battery status indicator operable to indicate the status of the first and second protection circuits.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the battery status indicator comprises LED indicators integrated in the battery.

8. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the battery status indicator comprises firmware integrated in an embedded controller of the battery and operable to communicate with the processing components.

9. A method for charging a battery, the method comprising:

accepting DC voltage at a charger integrated in the battery;

applying the DC voltage with the charger to charge cells integrated in the battery;

monitoring the charger with a first protection circuit; and

monitoring the cells with a second protection circuit.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting a fault with the first protection circuit;

in response to detecting the fault, ceasing the applying the DC voltage with the charger; and

applying DC voltage with a charger external to the battery through the second protection circuit.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the charger external to the battery comprises a charger integrated in an information handling system.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting a fault with the first protection circuit; and

visually indicating the fault.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein visually indicating the fault further comprises illuminating an LED at the battery.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein visually indicating the fault further comprises:

communicating the fault to an information handling system; and

presenting the fault at a display of the information handling system.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the first and second protection circuits comprise first and second FETs.

16. A battery comprising:

a casing;

one or more battery cells disposed in the casing, the battery cells operable to store an electrical charge;

a charger disposed in the casing, the charger operable to accept power from an external source and to apply the power to charge the battery cells;

a device connector disposed in the casing and interfaced with the battery cells, the device connector operable to communicate power from the battery cells to a device and to communicate a charge from the device to the battery cells;

a first protective circuit associated with the charger and operable to disconnect the charger from the battery cells if a fault is detected; and

a second protective circuit associated with the battery cells and operable to disconnect the device connector from the battery cells if a fault is detected.

17. The battery of claim 16 wherein the first protective circuit comprises a FET disposed between the charger and external source.

18. The battery of claim 16 wherein the first protective circuit comprises a FET disposed between the charger and battery cells.

19. The battery of claim 16 further comprising an indicator disposed is the casing and interfaced with the first protective circuit, the indicator operable to indicate a fault detected by the first protective circuit.

20. The battery of claim 19 wherein the indicator comprises one or more LEDs.