SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL POWER TO BATTERY POWERED INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEMS
First Claim
1. A method for operating a battery powered information handling system, comprising:
- a) providing a battery powered information handling system including;
a system load, the system load comprising at least one first processing device that is configured to operate in first power mode having a first power consumption level and a separate second power mode having a second power consumption level, the second power consumption level being greater than the first power consumption level,a battery system including one or more battery cells,battery charger and power switching circuitry configured to receive current from an external power source and to selectably provide the received current to recharge the battery cells of the battery system, and to selectably power the system load from either one or both of the external power source or the battery system, the external power source having a maximum available power capacity that is equal to or greater than the total system load power requirement when the processing device is operating in the first power mode and is less than the total system load power requirement when the processing device is operating in the second power mode, andat least one second processing device coupled to control the battery charger and power switching circuitry to selectably enable a supplemental power mode to allow the first processing device to operate in the second power mode and the system load to be simultaneously powered from both the external power source and the battery system when the operating power mode of the first processing device is the second power mode, and to selectably disable the supplemental power mode to prevent the first processing device from operating in the second power mode and to only allow the system load to be powered by the external power source when the battery charger and power switching circuitry is receiving current from the external power source;
b) using the second processing device to control the battery charger and power switching circuitry while the first processing device is powered so as to only enable the supplemental power mode when each of the following two conditions exist at the same time;
the battery charger and power switching circuitry is receiving current from the external power source, andthe charge level of the battery cells of the battery system has a value above a given minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold, the minimum supplemental battery charge level having a value below the 100% charge level; and
c) using the second processing device to control the battery charger and power switching circuitry while the first processing device is powered so as to disable the supplemental power mode and to provide received external current to recharge the battery cells of the battery system when the current charge level of the battery cells of the battery system has a value equal to or below the given minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing supplemental power to a battery powered information handling systems. The disclosed systems and methods may be implemented to intelligently control the selected use of supplemental power so as to reduce or substantially prevent an increase in battery usage cycle count by only allowing use of supplemental power above a given minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold. Battery cycle count may be further enhanced by only again allowing recharging of the system battery pack when its charge level drops below the minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold, and then recharging to a maximum recharge battery charge level threshold which also may be selectable by a user and/or provider of the information handling system.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for operating a battery powered information handling system, comprising:
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a) providing a battery powered information handling system including; a system load, the system load comprising at least one first processing device that is configured to operate in first power mode having a first power consumption level and a separate second power mode having a second power consumption level, the second power consumption level being greater than the first power consumption level, a battery system including one or more battery cells, battery charger and power switching circuitry configured to receive current from an external power source and to selectably provide the received current to recharge the battery cells of the battery system, and to selectably power the system load from either one or both of the external power source or the battery system, the external power source having a maximum available power capacity that is equal to or greater than the total system load power requirement when the processing device is operating in the first power mode and is less than the total system load power requirement when the processing device is operating in the second power mode, and at least one second processing device coupled to control the battery charger and power switching circuitry to selectably enable a supplemental power mode to allow the first processing device to operate in the second power mode and the system load to be simultaneously powered from both the external power source and the battery system when the operating power mode of the first processing device is the second power mode, and to selectably disable the supplemental power mode to prevent the first processing device from operating in the second power mode and to only allow the system load to be powered by the external power source when the battery charger and power switching circuitry is receiving current from the external power source; b) using the second processing device to control the battery charger and power switching circuitry while the first processing device is powered so as to only enable the supplemental power mode when each of the following two conditions exist at the same time; the battery charger and power switching circuitry is receiving current from the external power source, and the charge level of the battery cells of the battery system has a value above a given minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold, the minimum supplemental battery charge level having a value below the 100% charge level; and c) using the second processing device to control the battery charger and power switching circuitry while the first processing device is powered so as to disable the supplemental power mode and to provide received external current to recharge the battery cells of the battery system when the current charge level of the battery cells of the battery system has a value equal to or below the given minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A battery powered information handling system, comprising:
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a system load, the system load comprising at least one first processing device that is configured to operate in first power mode having a first power consumption level and a separate second power mode having a second power consumption level, the second power consumption level being greater than the first power consumption level; a battery system including one or more battery cells; battery charger and power switching circuitry configured to receive current from an external power source and to selectably provide the received current to recharge the battery cells of the battery system, and to selectably power the system load from either one or both of the external power source or the battery system, the external power source having a maximum available power capacity that is equal to or greater than the total system load power requirement when the processing device is operating in the first power mode and is less than the total system load power requirement when the processing device is operating in the second power mode; and at least one second processing device coupled to control the battery charger and power switching circuitry to selectably enable a supplemental power mode to allow the first processing device to operate in the second power mode and the system load to be simultaneously powered from both the external power source and the battery system when the operating power mode of the first processing device is the second power mode, and to selectably disable the supplemental power mode to prevent the first processing device from operating in the second power mode and to only allow the system load to be powered by the external power source when the battery charger and power switching circuitry is receiving current from the external power source; where the second processing device is configured to perform the following steps; a) control the battery charger and power switching circuitry while the first processing device is powered so as to only enable the supplemental power mode when each of the following two conditions exist at the same time;
the battery charger and power switching circuitry is receiving current from the external power source, and the charge level of the battery cells of the battery system has a value above a given minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold, the minimum supplemental battery charge level having a value below the 100% charge level; andb) control the battery charger and power switching circuitry while the first processing device is powered so as to disable the supplemental power mode and to provide received external current to recharge the battery cells of the battery system when the current charge level of the battery cells of the battery system has a value equal to or below the given minimum supplemental battery charge level threshold. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification