METHODS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY STATISTICS USING A SYSTEM-WIDE DAEMON

• US 20110035614A1
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Hughes, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• 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

Techniques for determining battery statistics using a system-wide daemon are described herein. According to one embodiment, a power management daemon is configured to collect operating status data of a battery of a data processing system by accessing at least one of firmware and hardware coupled to the battery. The power management daemon is a single system-wide component within the data processing system to provide the operating status data of the battery to multiple clients. The power management daemon is also configured to compute battery statistics based on the collected operating status data of the battery. In response to a query received from one of the clients via an application programming interface (API), the power management daemon is configured to return the battery statistics to the client to enable the client to determine remaining time of the battery until being recharged. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

collecting, by a power management daemon, operating status data of a battery of a data processing system by accessing at least one of firmware and hardware coupled to the battery, the power management daemon being a single system-wide component within the data processing system to provide the operating status data of the battery to a plurality of clients;

computing, by the power management daemon, battery statistics based on the collected operating status data of the battery; and

in response to a query received from one of the clients via an application programming interface (API), the power management daemon returning the battery statistics to the client to enable the client to determine remaining time of the battery until being recharged.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein computing the battery statistics comprises profiling behaviors of the battery and calculating a time correction factor to be used to adjust the remaining time in a more accurate manner in view of characteristics of the battery.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the client is a power manager associated with one of a desktop session and a login session that are configured to provide the remaining time of the battery to a user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the operating status data of the battery is collected by accessing a basic input and output system (BIOS) of the data processing system via an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI).

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing the battery statistics in a local memory, wherein in response to the query, the statistics data is retrieved from the local memory and returned to the client.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising saving the battery statistics to a disk in response to a request to unload the power management daemon or shut down the data processing system, such that not entire battery statistics has to be recomputed upon reloading the power management daemon or rebooting the data processing system.

7. A computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method comprising:

collecting, by a power management daemon, operating status data of a battery of a data processing system by accessing at least one of firmware and hardware coupled to the battery, the power management daemon being a single system-wide component within the data processing system to provide the operating status data of the battery to a plurality of clients;

computing, by the power management daemon, battery statistics based on the collected operating status data of the battery; and

in response to a query received from one of the clients via an application programming interface (API), the power management daemon returning the battery statistics to the client to enable the client to determine remaining time of the battery until being recharged.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein computing the battery statistics comprises profiling behaviors of the battery and calculating a time correction factor to be used to adjust the remaining time in a more accurate manner in view of characteristics of the battery.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the client is a power manager associated with one of a desktop session and a login session that are configured to provide the remaining time of the battery to a user.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operating status data of the battery is collected by accessing a basic input and output system (BIOS) of the data processing system via an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI).

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises storing the battery statistics in a local memory, wherein in response to the query, the statistics data is retrieved from the local memory and returned to the client.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises saving the battery statistics to a disk in response to a request to unload the power management daemon or shut down the data processing system, such that not entire battery statistics has to be recomputed upon reloading the power management daemon or rebooting the data processing system.

13. An apparatus for determining and maintaining battery statistics, comprising:

a data collector to collect operating status data of a battery of a data processing system by accessing at least one of firmware and hardware coupled to the battery, wherein the apparatus is a single system-wide component within the data processing system to provide the operating status data of the battery to a plurality of clients; and

a statistics calculator coupled to the data collector to compute battery statistics based on the collected operating status data of the battery, wherein in response to a query received from one of the clients via an application programmable interface (API), the statistics calculator is configured to return the battery statistics to the client to enable the client to determine remaining time of the battery until being recharged.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the statistics calculator is further configured to perform profiling behaviors of the battery and to calculate a time correction factor to be used to adjust the remaining time in a more accurate manner in view of characteristics of the battery.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the client is a power manager associated with one of a desktop session and a login session that are configured to provide the remaining time of the battery to a user.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the operating status data of the battery is collected by accessing a basic input and output system (BIOS) of the data processing system via an advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI).

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a database to store the battery statistics in a local memory, wherein in response to the query, the statistics data is retrieved from the local memory and returned to the client.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the battery statistics are saved to a disk in response to a request to unload the power management daemon or shut down the data processing system, such that not entire battery statistics has to be recomputed upon reloading the power management daemon or rebooting the data processing system.