System and Method for Charging Plural Information Handling System Batteries

• US 20090066296A1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ligong, Breen, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/160
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0032 disconnection of loads if battery is not under charge, e.g. in vehicle if engine is not running
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Plural batteries installed in an information handling system are simultaneously charged in a constant current mode to a predetermined charge and then in a constant voltage mode to a full charge to provide a reduced charge time and improved battery life. A current regulator integrated in a battery casing monitors current applied at the battery to maintain constant voltage charging. Voltage to ground of the other batteries is monitored to adjust current at those batteries where voltages in all of the battery cells are maintained substantially equal during charging.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing having first and second battery cavities, each battery cavity sized to accept a battery;

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

first and second batteries inserted in the first and second cavities and operable to provide power to the processing components;

a charger system operable to provide a charge simultaneously to the first and second batteries, the charge having a substantially constant current to a predetermined charge level and a substantially constant voltage from the predetermined charge level to a full charge level.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the charger system comprises a charger operable to output the charge and a current regulator interfaced with the charger and operable to maintain the charge at the constant voltage.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the charger is integrated in the housing and the current regulator is integrated in the first battery.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the second battery comprises a management unit operable to maintain a predetermined voltage to ground to regulate current in cooperation with the current regulator.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined charge level comprises approximately 80% charged.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a third battery inserted in a third cavity and operable to provide power to the processing components, wherein the charger system is further operable to simultaneously

7. A method for charging plural information handling system batteries, the method comprising:

interfacing an information handling system charger with the plural batteries;

simultaneously charging the plural batteries with a constant current charging mode to a predetermined charge; and

simultaneously charging the plural batteries with a constant voltage charging mode.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein interfacing an information handling system charger with the plural batteries further comprises:

inserting a first battery into a first housing cavity of the information handling system;

inserting a second battery into a second housing cavity of the information handling system; and

electrically coupling the first and second batteries to the charger with a shared wire.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein simultaneously charging the plural batteries with a constant voltage charging mode further comprises monitoring the current applied to at least one of the batteries with a current regulator.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the current regulator is integrated in a casing of the battery.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein simultaneously charging the plural batteries with a constant voltage mode further comprises monitoring the voltage to ground of at least one battery.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein monitoring the voltage to ground of at least one battery further comprises adjusting battery cell voltages to remain substantially equal.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the plural batteries comprise at least three batteries.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the predetermined charge comprises approximately 80%.

15. A system for charging plural information handling system batteries, the system comprising:

a charger operable to output a charge in a constant current mode to a predetermined battery charge and a constant voltage mode to a full charge; and

a charging circuit operable to simultaneously interface the charger with the plural batteries.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the charging circuit comprises a current regulator operable to monitor operable to monitor current applied to at least one battery to maintain the constant voltage mode.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the current regulator is integrated in a casing of a battery.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the charging circuit comprises a battery management unit operable to monitor voltage of a battery to ground to adjust charging current.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the charging circuit comprises a system manager operable to maintain voltages across cells of the batteries to a substantially equal level.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the batteries comprise lithium ion batteries.