Battery life extending power supply system

• US 8,464,079 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Chueh, Yung Fa, Chang, Chia-Fa, Chang, Wen-Yung
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoynov, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US12/839,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 320/107, 320/127, 320/137, 323/299, 323/318, 363/108, 363/299, 363/318, 455/572
• US Class Current: 713/300
• 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 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A power supply system includes a battery and a power management system. The power management system is coupled to the battery and to an external power source that is operable to charge the battery using a first charge level. The power management system is operable to determine that a battery power level of the battery is greater than a first predetermined level that depends on a battery storage option and, in response, disable power from being supplied from the external power source such that power is supplied from the battery until the battery power level is below the first predetermined level. The power management system is also operable to determine that the battery power level of the battery is less than the first predetermined level and, in response, charge the battery with a second charge level that is less than the first charge level until the battery power level is above a second predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option.

Claims

1. A power supply system, comprising:

a system load;

a battery; and

a power management system that is coupled to the battery and the system load, wherein the power management system is operable to couple to an external power source that is operable to provide power for powering the system load and charging the battery at a first charge level, wherein the power management system is further operable, when coupled to the external power source, to;

determine that a battery power level of the battery is greater than a first predetermined level that depends on a battery storage option and, in response, disable power from being supplied from the external power source such that power is supplied from the battery to the system load until the battery power level is below the first predetermined level; and

determine that the battery power level of the battery is less than the first predetermined level and, in response, use the external power source to power the system load while charging the battery at a second charge level that is less than the first charge level until the battery power level is above a second predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management system is further operable, when coupled to the external power source, to:

determine that the battery has been decoupled from the power management system and, in response, enable the supply of power from the external power source to power the system load.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management system further comprises an external power source coupling, and wherein the power management system is further operable, when coupled to the external power source through the external power source coupling, to:

determine that the external power source has been decoupled from the external power source coupling and, in response, enable the supply of power through the external power source coupling such that power may be supplied from the external power source to the system load when the external power source is recoupled to the external power source coupling.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the power management system is further operable to:

determine that the external power source has been recoupled to the external power source coupling and, in response, use the external power source to power the system load while charging the battery at the first charge level.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an adapter that is operable to couple the external power source to the power management system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management system comprises:

a power supply detection and identification circuit that is coupled to the battery and that is operable to couple to the external power source;

a power source control circuit that is coupled to the battery and that is operable to couple to the external power source and; and

a controller that is coupled to the power source control circuit.

7. A power supply system, comprising:

a battery; and

a power management system that is coupled to the battery and that is operable to couple to an external power source that is operable to charqe the battery using a first charge level, wherein the power management system is operable to;

determine that a battery power level of the battery has exceeded a first predetermined power level for a predetermined time and, in response, prompt a user to select a battery storage option;

determine that the battery power level of the battery is greater than a second predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option and, in response, disable power from being supplied from the external power source such that power is supplied from the battery until the battery power level is below the second predetermined level; and

determine that the battery power level of the battery is less than the second predetermined level and, in response, charge the battery with a second charge level that is less than the first charge level until the battery power level is above a third predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option.

8. An information handling system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a power supply system that is coupled to the processor and the memory such that the power supply system is operable to supply power to the processor and the memory, wherein the power supply system comprises;

a battery; and

a power management system that is coupled to the battery, the processor, and the memory, and wherein the power management system is operable to couple to an external power source that is operable to provide power for powering the processor and the memory and charging the battery at a first charge level, wherein the power management system is operable to;

determine that a battery power level of the battery is greater than a first predetermined level that depends on a battery storage option and, in response, disable power from being supplied from the external power source such that power is supplied from the battery to the processor and the memory until the battery power level is below the first predetermined level; and

determine that the battery power level of the battery is less than the first predetermined level and, in response, use the external power source to power the processor and the memory while charging the battery at a second charge level that is less than the first charge level until the battery power level is above a second predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the power management system is further operable, when coupled to the external power source, to:

determine that the battery has been decoupled from the power management system and, in response, enable the supply of power from the external power source to power the processor and the memory.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the power management system further comprises an external power source coupling, and wherein the power management system is further operable, when coupled to the external power source through the external power source coupling, to:

determine that the external power source has been decoupled from the external power source coupling and, in response, enable the supply of power through the external power source coupling such that power may be supplied from the external power source to the processor and the memory when the external power source is recoupled to the external power source coupling.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the power management system is further operable to:

determine that the external power source has been recoupled to the external power source coupling and, in response, use the external power source to power the processor and the memory while charging the battery at the first charge level.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an adapter that is operable to couple the external power source to the power management system.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the power management system comprises:

a power supply detection and identification circuit that is coupled to the battery and that is operable to couple to the external power source;

a power source control circuit that is coupled to the battery and that is operable to couple to the external power source; and

a controller that is coupled to the power source control circuit.

14. An information handling system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a power supply system that is coupled to the processor and the memory such that the power supply system is operable to supply power to the processor and the memory, wherein the power supply system comprises;

a battery; and

a power management system that is coupled to the battery and that is operable to couple to an external power source that is operable to charge the battery using a first charge level, wherein the power management system is operable to;

determine that a battery power level of the battery has exceeded a first predetermined power level for a predetermined time and, in response, prompt a user to select a battery storage option;

determine that the battery power level of the battery is greater than a second predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option and, in response, disable power from being supplied from the external power source such that power is supplied from the battery until the battery power level is below the second predetermined level; and

determine that the battery power level of the battery is less than the second predetermined level and, in response, charge the battery with a second charge level that is less than the first charge level until the battery power level is above a third predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option.

15. A method for managing power, comprising:

providing a power management system coupled to each of a battery and a system load;

coupling the power management system to an external power source that is operable to power the system load and charge the battery at a first charge level;

determining that a battery power level of the battery is greater than a first predetermined level that depends on a battery storage option and, in response, disabling power from being supplied from the external power source such that power is supplied from the battery to the system load until the battery power level is below the first predetermined level; and

determining that the battery power level of the battery is less than the first predetermined level and, in response, using the external power source to power the system load while charging the battery at a second charge level that is less than the first charge level until the battery power level is above a second predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the battery has been decoupled from the power management system and, in response, enabling the supply of power from the external power source to power the system load.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the external power source has been decoupled from an external power source coupling that is coupled to the power management system and, in response, enabling the supply of power through the external power source coupling such that power may be supplied from the external power source to the system load when the external power source is recoupled to the external power source coupling.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the external power source has been recoupled to the external power source coupling and, in response, using the external power source to power the system load while charging the battery at the first charge level.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the power management system is coupled to the external power source through an adapter.

20. A method for managing power, comprising:

providing a power management system coupled to each of a battery and an external power source that is operable to charge the battery using a first charge level;

determining that a battery power level of the battery has exceeded a first predetermined level for a predetermined time and, in response, prompting a user to select a battery storage option;

determining that the battery power level of the battery is greater than a second predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option and, in response, disabling power from being supplied from the external power source such that power is supplied from the battery until the battery power level is below the second predetermined level; and

determining that the battery power level of the battery is less than the second predetermined level and, in response, charging the battery with a second charge level that is less than the first charge level until the battery power level is above a third predetermined level that depends on the battery storage option.