System and method for information handling system battery charge protection and fault alarm

• US 8,552,689 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Ligong, Courtney, Gerald Jr., Ma, Yin-Cheung
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US11/844,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20090051315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320112-115, 320/134, 320163-164, 320/138
• US Class Current: 320/134
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An information handling system battery has first and second protective circuits to detect and address faults for a first charge applied from an external power source to an integrated charger and a second charge applied from a charger of an information handling system to battery cells. If the first protective circuit detects a fault associated with the integrated charger, charging of the battery cells is still supported by inserting the battery in an information handling system. If the second protective circuit detects a fault, the battery becomes inoperative by disconnecting the battery cells. An indicator, such as LEDs on the battery casing, indicates whether a soft or hard fault has occurred.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

processing components disposed in the housing and operable to process information;

a battery coupled to the housing, the battery having an integrated charger, one or more cells, a first integrated protection circuit associated with the integrated charger and a second integrated protection circuit associated with the battery cells; and

a charger associated with the processing components and operable to charge the battery cells if the first protection circuit has tripped.

2. A method for charging a battery, the method comprising:

accepting DC voltage at a charger integrated in the battery;

applying the DC voltage with the charger to charge cells integrated in the battery;

monitoring the charger with a first protection circuit integrated in the battery;

monitoring the cells with a second protection circuit integrated in the battery;

detecting a fault with the first protection circuit;

in response to detecting the fault, ceasing the applying the DC voltage with the charger; and

applying DC voltage with a charger external to the battery through the second protection circuit.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the charger external to the battery comprises a charger integrated in an information handling system.