Alternating-source peak-shift power application system, method and program product

• US 7,225,086 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Odaohhara, Shigefumi, Naitoh, Arimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Carol S. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta; Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/932,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57, 702/60, 702 63- 64, 702/104, 702/189, 320/134, 320/106, 320/112, 320/162, 320/105, 307/39, 323/284, 713/320, 324/103
• US Class Current: 702/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/32 using batteries with converting means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage

Abstract

Apparatus includes a main body having a function of reducing performance of the apparatus during operation, an AC adapter which is connectable to the main body and supplies power to the main body from a commercial power source, and a rechargeable battery which is connectable to the main body and discharges to supply power to the main body. Apparatus operates without reducing the performance even while the power supplied from the AC adapter is turned off and the power is supplied from the battery during a peak shift period (e.g. mid-day summer where limiting the power supplied by the AC adapter is desirable) in a state where both the AC adapter and the battery are connected to the main body, and thereafter, the power supplied from the AC adapter is turned on and power is supplied to the main body from the AC adapter even during the peak shift period.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a main body which consumes power;

an external power source which supplies power to said main body provided by a commercial power source;

a battery which discharges to supply power to said main body; and

a controller coupled to said external power source and said battery and which alternately switches a power supply source for the main body between the battery and the external power source during a predetermined period of time.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period is a period while power supplied from said external power source is limited.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller switches between said battery and said external power source in a certain cycle repeated during the predetermined period.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller calculates an amount of power supplied to the main body by said battery in a certain cycle repeated during the predetermined period, and switches power supply sources for the main body from said battery to said external power source based on the calculated amount of power.

5. Apparatus comprising:

a first switch which turns off the power supplied from an external power source to supply power to a main body from a battery in response to reaching a first time, wherein the external power source supplies power to the main body from a commercial power source and the battery discharges to supply power to the main body;

a second switch which turns on the power supplied from the external power source to supply power to the main body from the external power source in response to reaching a second time after the first time; and

a third switch which repeats the turning off/on of the power supplied from the external power source to the main body a plurality of times during a period between the first time and the second time while the external power source and the battery are connected to the main body.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the third switch executes the turning off/on of the power supplied from the external power source during a predetermined cycle.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third switch turns on the power supplied from the external power source based on a total amount of power determined on a basis of allowable temperature of the battery.

8. Apparatus, comprising:

a main body of a system having a function of reducing performance of the system to operate;

an AC adapter which is configured to be connectable to said main body of the system and supplies power to said main body of the system from a provided commercial power source; and

a battery which is configured to be connectable to said main body of the system and discharges to supply power to said main body of the system after being charged,

wherein said apparatus operates the system without reducing the performance of the system even while supply of power from said AC adapter is turned off and power is supplied from said battery during a period, during which period the supply of power from said AC adapter is limited, in a state where both said AC adapter and said battery are connected to said main body of the system, and thereafter, supply of power from said AC adapter is turned on and power is supplied to the main body of the system from said AC adapter even during the period.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein power supplied from said battery and power supplied from said AC adapter are switched during a predetermined cycle in the period.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a total amount of power discharged from the battery during the cycle is calculated, and the supply of power is switched to the power supplied from said AC adapter before the total amount of power exceeds an amount of power determined based on specifications of said battery.

11. A method comprising:

(a) stopping, in response to reaching a first time, a supply of power from an external power source to supply power from a battery, wherein power is supplied to electrical equipment to which both the external power source and the battery are connected, the external power source supplies power from a provided commercial power source, and the battery discharges to supply power;

(b) holding a power state in which power is supplied from the battery after the first time; and

(c) switching to the power supplied from the external power source on condition that the power supplied from the battery reaches a predetermined state;

wherein said holding (b) and said switching (c) are repeated in a predetermined cycle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein in said stopping (a), performance of a system of the electrical equipment is not reduced while power is supplied from the battery.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined state is an elapse of time obtained by delimiting the predetermined cycle by a predetermined ratio.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined state is a summed value of amounts of power discharged from the battery.

15. A product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored therein for controlling the source of power to a computer which is configured such that an external power source supplying power from a provided commercial power source and a battery discharging to supply power to the system are connectable thereto, the computer readable program code in said product being effective to;

turn off the power supplied from the external power source to supply power to the system from the battery in response to reaching a first time;

turn on the power supplied from the external power source to supply power to the system from the external power source in response to reaching a second time after the first time; and

repeat the turning off/on of the power supplied from the external power source to the system a plurality of times during a period between the first time and the second time.

16. The product according to claim 15, wherein the code is further effective to operate the system without reducing performance of the system while the external power source is turned off and power is supplied from the battery to the system.

17. The product according to claim 15, wherein said repetition is executed such that the turning off/on for each of the plurality of times occurs in accordance to criteria selected from the group consisting of a predetermined cycle and to control, at a predetermined value, average discharge power from the battery in the cycle.

18. A product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored therein for controlling the supply of power of a computer which is configured such that an external power source supplying power to the computer from a provided commercial power source and a battery discharging to supply power to the system are connectable thereto, the computer having a function of operating with usual performance while power is supplied from the external power source to the computer and reducing performance of the computer when the external power source is not connected to the computer and power is supplied from the battery to the system, the computer readable program code in said product being effective to;

turn off, in a state where the external power source is connected to the computer, the power supplied from the external power source to supply power from the battery to the system, and operate the system with the usual performance without reducing the performance of the system; and

turn on the power supplied after turning off the power supplied from the external power source during a predetermined period in a certain cycle to supply power from the external power source to the system.