Pre-set discharging of batteries

• US 7,612,536 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Head, Cynthia K., Hoffer, Cary J., Yin, Memphis-Zhihong
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US11/252,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20070090806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128, 320/130, 320/133, 320/155, 320/157
• US Class Current: 320/133
• 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 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation

Abstract

One embodiment relates to a method of pre-set discharging of a battery in a portable device which is connected to external power. The battery is charged until a fully-charged level is reached, and the time at the fully-charged level is tracked. The charging of the battery is halted after a maximum full-charge time period is elapsed. The charging is restarted after a pre-set charge level is reached. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A portable battery-powered computing apparatus comprising:

a power connector on the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, the connector being configured to be coupled to a power adaptor and to receive power therefrom;

a charging regulator in the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, the charging regulator being coupled to the power connector;

a battery in the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, the battery being coupled to the charging regulator;

a processor in the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, the processor being configured to execute program instructions;

memory in the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, the memory being configured to store program instructions and data; and

processor-executable instructions in the memory which are configured to control the charging regulator such that (a) the battery is charged until a fully-charged level is reached, (b) a time at the fully-charged level is tracked, (c) the charging of the battery is halted after a maximum full-charge time period is elapsed, and (d) the charging of the battery is restarted after a pre-set charge level is reached, wherein the pre-set charge level is in a range of 10% to 25% of the fully-charged level so as to achieve battery conditioning.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions are configured to track the time by starting a timer when the fully-charged level is reached and using the timer in determining whether the maximum full-charge time period is elapsed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to notify a user when the charging of the battery is halted.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to notify the user when the charging of the battery is restarted.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maximum full-charge time period is selectable by way of a user interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pre-set charge level is selectable by way of a user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharging of the battery is enabled or disabled by way of a user interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharging is temporarily disabled at option of a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable personal computer device.

10. A portable personal computer comprising:

a power connector configured to be coupled to an AC-to-DC power adaptor and to receive power therefrom;

a motherboard switching regulator coupled to the power connector and to a motherboard of the personal computer;

a charging regulator coupled to the power connector;

a battery coupled to the charging regulator;

a processor configured to execute program instructions;

memory configured to store program instructions and data;

computer-readable data in the memory which is configurable to indicate whether pre-set discharging is enabled for the personal computer; and

processor-executable instructions in the memory which are configured to control the charging regulator such that (a) the battery is charged until a fully-charged level is reached, (b) a time at the fully-charged level is tracked, (c) if the preset discharging is enabled, then the charging of the battery is halted after a maximum full-charge time period is elapsed, and the charging of the battery is restarted after a pre-set charge level is reached, wherein the pre-set charge level is in a range of 10% to 25% of the fully-charged level.

11. The portable personal computer of claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to track the time by starting a timer when the fully-charged level is reached and using the timer in determining whether the maximum full-charge time period is elapsed.

12. The portable personal computer of claim 10, wherein the processor-executable instructions are further configured to notify a user via an on-screen message when the charging of the battery is halted so as to perform the pre-set discharging.

13. A portable battery-powered computing apparatus comprising:

power connector means, on the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, for coupling to a power adaptor and for receiving power therefrom;

charging regulator means, in the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, for coupling to the power connector;

battery means, in the portable battery-powered computing apparatus and being coupled to the charging regulator means;

processor means, in the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, for executing program instructions;

memory means, In the portable battery-powered computing apparatus, for storing program instructions and data; and

means for controlling the charging regulator means such that (a) the battery means is charged until a fully-charged level is reached, (b) a time at the fully-charged level is tracked, (c) the charging of the battery means is halted after a maximum full-charge time period is elapsed, and (d) the charging of the battery means is restarted after a pre-set charge level is reached, wherein the pre-set charge level is in a range of 10% to 25% of the fully-charged level so as to achieve battery conditioning.

14. The system of claim 13, further including means for tracking that comprises:

means for starting a timer when the fully-charged level is reached; and

means for using a timer in determining whether the maximum full-charge time period is elapsed.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for notifying a user when the charging of the battery means is stopped; and

means for notifying the user when the charging of the battery means is resumed.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the maximum full-charge time period and the pre-set charge level are configurable by way of a user interface.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the discharging is temporarily disabled at option of a user.