Systems and methods for waking up a battery system

• US 20100194348A1
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chia-Fa Chang, Ligong Wang, Tun-Chieh Liang, Wen-Yung Chang, Yung F.A. Chueh
• Original Assignee: Chia-Fa Chang, Ligong Wang, Tun-Chieh Liang, Wen-Yung Chang, Yung F.A. Chueh
• Inventors: Chang, Chia-Fa, Liang, Tun-Chieh, Wang, Ligong, Chueh, Yung Fa, Chang, Wen-Yung
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Systems and methods for waking up a battery system (e.g., battery pack such as a smart battery pack) installed in an information handling system from a shipping mode in response to the occurrence of one of at least two detected events. The first of these of these at least two events is detection of the battery system being removed and reinstalled into operational electrical contact with the information handling system, and the second of these at least two events is the activation of a user input device provided for the battery system.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a system load;

a battery system separate from said system load, said battery system being coupled in operational electrical contact by at least one terminal node to provide current to said system load, and said battery system comprising;

one or more battery cells,

at least one processor or controller, and

battery current control circuitry to control flow of discharge current from said battery sells to said system load across said terminal node;

wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to first maintain said battery current control circuitry in a shipping mode state by controlling said battery current control circuitry to prevent flow of any current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node, and then to release said battery system from said shipping mode state by controlling said battery current control circuitry to allow flow of current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node; and

wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to at least one of the following conditions;

detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system;

or

detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said user input device comprises an LED button provided on an external surface of said battery system so as to be accessible to a user of said information handling system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said battery system further comprises a system-present pin, a status of said system-present pin being indicative of whether or not said battery system is in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node;

and wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to monitor a status of said system-present pin and to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to detection of a state of said system present pin that indicates that the battery system has been removed from and then reinstalled in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state at the same time that no external power is supplied to said information handling system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is communicatively coupled by a communication bus to at least one other component of said information handling system that is separate from said battery system;

and wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to any one of the three following conditions;

detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system;

or

detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node;

or

detection of data activity on said communication bus.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said information handling system is a notebook computer, wherein said battery system is a smart battery pack, and wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is a battery management unit (BMU).

9. A method for waking up a battery system, comprising:

providing an information handling system including a system load and a battery system separate from said system load, said battery system being coupled in operational electrical contact by at least one terminal node to provide current to said system load across said terminal node, and said battery system comprising one or more battery cells, at least one processor or controller, and battery current control circuitry to control flow of discharge current from said battery sells to said system load across said terminal node;

then maintaining said battery current control circuitry in a shipping mode state by using said at least one processor or controller of said battery system to control said battery current control circuitry to prevent flow of any current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node; and

then releasing said battery system from said shipping mode state by using said at least one processor or controller of said battery system to control said battery current control circuitry to allow flow of current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node in response to at least one of the following conditions;

detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system;

or

detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising using said at least one processor or controller of said battery system to control said battery current control circuitry to allow flow of current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node in response to detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said user input device comprises an LED button provided on an external surface of said battery system so as to be accessible to a user of said information handling system.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising using said at least one processor or controller of said battery system to control said battery current control circuitry to allow flow of current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node in response to detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said battery system further comprises a system-present pin, a status of said system-present pin being indicative of whether or not said battery system is in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node;

and wherein said method further comprises using said at least one processor or controller of said battery system to monitor a state of said system-present pin and to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to detection of a state of said system present pin that indicates that the battery system has been removed from and then reinstalled in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises using said at least one processor or controller of said battery system to release said battery system from said shipping mode state at the same time that no external power is supplied to said information handling system.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is communicatively coupled by a communication bus to at least one other component of said information handling system that is separate from said battery system;

and wherein said method further comprises using said at least one processor or controller of said battery system to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to any one of the three following conditions;

detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system;

or

detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node;

or

detection of data activity on said communication bus.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said information handling system is a notebook computer, wherein said battery system is a smart battery pack, and wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is a battery management unit (BMU).

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising.

providing said information handling system at a first location;

then shipping said information handling system from said first location to a second location, and maintaining said battery current control circuitry in a shipping mode state during said shipping of said information handling system from said first location to said second location; and

then releasing said battery system from said shipping mode state at said second location.

18. A battery system configured to be coupled in operational electrical contact by at least one terminal node to provide current to a system load of an information handling system that is separate from said battery system, said battery system comprising:

one or more battery cells;

at least one processor or controller; and

battery current control circuitry to control flow of discharge current from said battery sells to said system load across said terminal node;

wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to first maintain said battery current control circuitry in a shipping mode state while said battery system is coupled in operational electrical contact to said system load by controlling said battery current control circuitry to prevent flow of any current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node, and then to release said battery system from said shipping mode state by controlling said battery current control circuitry to allow flow of current from said one or more battery cells to said system load across said terminal node; and

wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to at least one of the following conditions;

detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system;

or

detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

19. The battery system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to detection of activation of a user input device of said battery system, said user input device being integrated as a part of said battery system.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state in response to detection of the removal and reinstallation of the battery system in operational electrical contact with said system load at said terminal node.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is configured to release said battery system from said shipping mode state at the same time that no external power is supplied to said information handling system.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein said battery system is a smart battery pack, and wherein said at least one processor or controller of said battery system is a battery management unit (BMU).