Systems and methods for time-based management of backup battery life in memory controller systems

• US 20110072280A1
• Filed: 09/21/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Nunna, Anand, Bruderer, Clark C., Chiasson, Shane, Wang, Ligong
• Granted Patent: US 8,370,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3225 of memory devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems and methods that may be implemented for time-based management of storage memory controller (e.g., RAID controller) backup battery life in information handling systems by limiting the backup battery system operation time in order to save energy, reduce the impact of leakage current, and prolong memory controller backup battery shelf life while at the same time meeting requirements of back-up time for storage/server applications. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented, for example, by providing a battery system controller that implements a pre-set memory controller backup battery operation time, in combination with a hardware-controlled mechanism that extends backup battery system operation time by disabling one or more current leakage paths within the storage memory controller circuitry.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a storage memory controller circuit for controlling the transfer of data to and from an external data storage system, the storage memory controller circuit including a back up battery system coupled to memory controller system-side circuitry, the backup battery system including one or more battery cells and a battery management unit (BMU), the memory controller system-side circuitry including one or more system load components that include a memory controller, and each of the BMU and the system load components being coupled by a power path to receive electrical power from the one or more battery cells;

at least one switching device coupled in the power path between the one or more battery cells and at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components; and

at least one processing device;

wherein the at least one processing device is coupled to monitor the status of the memory controller and is coupled to control the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components when the at least one processing device detects that the status of the memory controller has been inactive for greater than a predetermined period of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to:

measure the elapsed time since last memory controller activity;

perform one or more gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is less than or equal to the predetermined period of time; and

control the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components, and perform no gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is greater than the predetermined period of time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device comprises power good logic included within the memory controller system-side circuitry.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device comprises the BMU of the backup battery system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the BMU is configured to perform one or more gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the BMU detects that the status of the memory controller has been active within the predetermined period of time;

and wherein the BMU is configured to perform no gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the BMU detects that the status of the memory controller has been inactive for greater than the predetermined period of time.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the BMU is coupled to the memory controller by a system management bus (SMBus);

and wherein the BMU is configured to detect the active status of the memory controller by monitoring the SMBus for the presence of valid SMBus communication.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the BMU and the one or more system load components are each coupled to the one or more battery cells by a common portion of the power path;

wherein the at least one switching device is coupled in the common portion of the power path between the one or more battery cells and each of the BMU and the system load components; and

wherein the BMU is coupled to control the at least one switching device to simultaneously electrically isolate both the BMU and the system load components from the one or more battery cells.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the BMU and the one or more system load components are each coupled to the one or more battery cells by a separate portion of the power path;

wherein a separate switching device is coupled in the separate power path portion between the one or more battery cells and each one of the BMU and the separate system load components; and

wherein the BMU is coupled to control each of the separate switching devices to electrically isolate each of the BMU and the system load components from the one or more battery cells.

9. The system of claim 4, further comprising power good logic configured to provide a signal upon detection of loss of external power to the information handling system;

wherein the BMU and one or more of the system load components are each coupled to the one or more battery cells by a separate portion of the power path;

wherein a separate switching device is coupled in the separate power path portion between the one or more battery cells and each one of the BMU and one or more of the separate system load components;

wherein the BMU is coupled to control at least one of the separate switching devices to electrically isolate the BMU from the one or more battery cells; and

wherein the power good logic is coupled to control at least one other separate switching device to electrically isolate each of the system load components from the one or more battery cells.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the storage memory controller circuit is a RAID controller card;

wherein the back up battery system is a replaceable smart battery pack;

wherein the BMU is coupled to the memory controller by a system management bus (SMBus);

wherein the BMU is configured to monitor the status of the memory controller by monitoring the SMBus for the presence of valid SMBus communication; and

wherein the presence of valid SMBus communication signals on the SMBus indicates that the memory controller is active and absence of the valid SMBus communication signals on the SMBus indicates that the memory controller is inactive.

11. A method of managing battery life of a backup battery system of a storage memory controller circuit, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a storage memory controller circuit configured for controlling the transfer of data to and from an external data storage system, the storage memory controller circuit having a system-side circuitry that includes one or more load components that includes a memory controller;

providing the storage memory controller circuit with a backup battery system coupled by a power path to the storage memory controller system-side circuitry and configured for providing a power source by the power path for the one or more load components during occurrences of a system power loss condition, the backup battery system including one or more battery cells and a battery management unit (BMU);

providing at least one switching device coupled in the power path between the one or more battery cells and at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components;

monitoring the status of the memory controller; and

controlling the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components when the monitored status of the memory controller has been inactive for greater than a predetermined period of time.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising providing power good logic within the memory controller system-side circuitry;

and using the power good logic to perform the steps of monitoring the status of the memory controller and of controlling the at least one switching device.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising using the BMU to perform the steps of monitoring the status of the memory controller and of controlling the at least one switching device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising using the BMU to perform one or more gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the BMU detects that the status of the memory controller has been active within the predetermined period of time;

and using the BMU to perform no gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the BMU detects that the status of the memory controller has been inactive for greater than the predetermined period of time.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising using the BMU to:

measure the elapsed time since last memory controller activity;

perform one or more gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is less than or equal to the predetermined period of time; and

control the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components, and perform no gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is greater than the predetermined period of time.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the BMU coupled to the memory controller by a system management bus (SMBus);

and using the BMU to detect the active status of the memory controller by monitoring the SMBus for the presence of valid SMBus communication.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the BMU and the one or more system load components as each being coupled to the one or more battery cells by a common portion of the power path with the at least one switching device being coupled in the common portion of the power path between the one or more battery cells and each of the BMU and the system load components;

and using the BMU to control the at least one switching device to simultaneously electrically isolate both the BMU and the system load components from the one or more battery cells.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the BMU and the one or more system load components as each being coupled to the one or more battery cells by a separate portion of the power path with a separate switching device being coupled in the separate power path portion between the one or more battery cells and each one of the BMU and the separate system load components;

and using the BMU to control each of the separate switching devices to electrically isolate each of the BMU and the system load components from the one or more battery cells.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing power good logic to provide a signal upon detection of loss of external power to the storage memory controller with the BMU and one or more of the system load components each being coupled to the one or more battery cells by a separate portion of the power path;

providing a separate switching device coupled in the separate power path portion between the one or more battery cells and each one of the BMU and one or more of the separate system load components;

using the BMU to control at least one of the separate switching devices to electrically isolate the BMU from the one or more battery cells; and

using the power good logic to control at least one other separate switching device to electrically isolate each of the system load components from the one or more battery cells.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the storage memory controller circuit is a RAID controller card;

wherein the backup battery system is a replaceable smart battery pack; and

wherein the method further comprises providing a system management bus (SMBus) that couples the BMU to the memory controller, and using the BMU to monitor the status of the memory controller by monitoring the SMBus for the presence of valid SMBus communication, wherein the presence of valid SMBus communication signals on the SMBus indicates that the memory controller is active and absence of the valid SMBus communication signals on the SMBus indicates that the memory controller is inactive.

21. A backup battery system configured for coupling to and providing backup power to one or more system load components of a storage memory controller circuit that includes a memory controller, the battery system comprising:

one or more battery cells configured for coupling by a power path to provide electrical power to the one or more system load components of the storage memory controller circuit;

a battery management unit (BMU) coupled to receive electrical power from the one or more battery cells via the power path;

at least one switching device coupled in the power path between the one or more battery cells and the BMU, or configured for coupling between the one or more battery cells and one or more of the system load components;

wherein the BMU is configured for coupling to monitor the status of the memory controller and for coupling to control the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components when the BMU detects that the status of the memory controller has been inactive for greater than a predetermined period of time;

wherein the BMU is configured to perform one or more gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the BMU detects that the status of the memory controller has been active within the predetermined period of time; and

wherein the BMU is configured to perform no gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the BMU detects that the status of the memory controller has been inactive for greater than the predetermined period of time;

wherein the BMU is configured to;

measure the elapsed time since last memory controller activity,

perform one or more gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is less than or equal to the predetermined period of time, and

control the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from at least one of the BMU or one or more of the system load components, and perform no gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is greater than the predetermined period of time; and

wherein the backup battery system is a replaceable battery pack;

wherein the BMU is configured for coupling to a RAID controller card by a system management bus (SMBus);

wherein the BMU is configured to monitor the status of the memory controller by monitoring the SMBus for the presence of valid SMBus communication; and

wherein the presence of valid SMBus communication signals on the SMBus indicates that the memory controller is active and absence of the valid SMBus communication signals on the SMBus indicates that the memory controller is inactive.