Method and system for battery isolation during shipment

• US 6,194,872 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell USA LP A Texas Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Dell USA LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Schnell, Arnold Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US09/344,092
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 320/136, 320/135, 320/132, 320/127, 320/128, 320/134
• US Class Current: 320/136
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for selectively isolating in a computer system a local battery in a system component from its associated load. Controls signals are provided to the circuit. In a shipment mode, the control signals prevent the local battery from being coupled to the load of the associated system component. The control signals of the circuit are set to shipment mode at the time the computer system leaves the manufacturing facility for shipment to the customer. When the computer system arrives at the customer'"'"'s site, the control signals of the circuit are reset from shipment. At the customer'"'"'s site, the control signals of the circuit control the circuit in such a manner that the circuit will couple the local battery to the load of its associated system element upon the loss of main power to the computer system.

Claims

1. A method for isolating a load of a system component from a local battery of a system component of a computer system during shipment of the computer system, comprising the steps of:

manufacturing the computer system;

testing the computer system;

charging the local battery during the testing of the computer system;

setting an isolation circuit to isolate the local battery from the load of the system component;

shutting down the computer system;

removing A/C power from the computer system;

shipping the computer system;

returning A/C power to the computer system; and

booting up the computer system, whereby the isolation circuit is reset to selectively couple the local battery to the load of the system component upon the loss of A/C power to the computer system.

2. The method for isolating a load of a system component of claim 1, wherein the step of testing the computer system comprises the step of performing an quick test and an extended test.

3. The method for isolating a load of a system component of claim 1, where, upon bootup of the computer system, the isolation circuit is not reset to selectively couple the local battery to the load of the system component until the computer system receives a response to a prompt provided to a user of the computer system.

4. The method for isolating a load of a system component of claim 1, wherein the computer system is a server system.

5. A selective isolation circuit for selectively coupling and isolating a local battery to and from a load of a system component of a computer system, the isolation circuit comprising:

a main power supply, the main power supply including a voltage potential coupled to the load of the computer system;

a regulator coupled to the computer system, the regulator having a shut-down pin;

logic circuitry having an output coupled to the shut down pin of the regulator;

a local battery coupled to the regulator;

inputs to the logic circuitry; and

wherein the regulator operates to pass the voltage of the local battery to the load of the system component only upon receipt of a signal from the logic circuitry causing the regulator to begin operation.

6. The selective isolation circuit of claim 5, wherein the system component of the computer system is a local cache of a RAID card.

7. The selective isolation circuit of claim 5, wherein the logic circuitry includes input signals, the input signals comprising,

a first logic input indicating the condition of the main power supply of the computer system;

a second logic input indicating whether the A/C power was most recently removed from the computer system at a time when the computer system was in an on condition or in an off condition; and

a third logic input indicating whether the local battery is to be isolated from the load of the system component.

8. The selective isolation circuit of claim 7, wherein the logic circuitry includes a fourth logic input indicating whether the voltage potential of the local battery has fallen below a threshold voltage.

9. The selective isolation circuit of claim 7, wherein the circuit includes a residual backup power supply coupled to the regulator.

10. The selective isolation circuit of claim 7, wherein the residual backup power supply has a higher nominal voltage potential than the local battery.

11. The selective isolation circuit of claim 7, wherein only the local battery or the residual backup power supply having the greater voltage is applied to the regulator.

12. The selective isolation circuit of claim 7, wherein the logic circuitry includes input signals, the input signals comprising,

a first logic input indicating the condition of the main power supply of the computer system;

a second logic input indicating whether the A/C power was most recently removed from the computer system at a time when the computer system was in an on condition or in an off condition;

a third logic input indicating whether the local battery is to be isolated from the load of the system component; and

a fourth logic input indicating whether the voltage potential of the local battery has fallen below a threshold voltage; and

wherein the circuit includes a residual backup power supply coupled to the regulator.