Battery module, computer system having the same, and control method of the computer system

• US 9,405,352 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cha, Jae-deok, Chun, Jong-tae
• Primary Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US13/855,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/322, 713/340, 320/127, 320/128, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136, 320/137, 320/148, 320/149, 320/150, 320/152, 320/153, 320/157, 320/159, 320/162, 320/163, 320/164
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency

Abstract

A computer system is provided. The computer system includes a device which operates according to a clock frequency, a battery unit, which comprises a plurality of battery cells, for supplying power to the device, a temperature sensor provided at a location outside of the battery unit for detecting a temperature of the battery cells, a current sensor coupled to the battery unit for detecting a value of a current supplied from the battery unit to the device, and a controller, which is coupled to the temperature sensor and the current sensor, configured to control the clock frequency of the device according to the detected temperature and the detected current value, wherein the controller is configured to decrease the clock frequency if the detected temperature is greater than a first reference value or if the detected current value is greater than a second reference value.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a device which operates according to a clock frequency;

a battery unit, which comprises a plurality of battery cells, for supplying power to the device;

a temperature sensor provided at a location outside of the battery unit for detecting a temperature of the battery cells;

a current sensor coupled to the battery unit for detecting a value of a current supplied from the battery unit to the device;

a comparator configured to compare the detected temperature with a first reference value or the detected current value with a second reference value; and

a controller configured to decrease the clock frequency if the detected temperature is greater than the first reference value or if the detected current value is greater than the second reference value,

wherein the comparing of the detected temperature with the first reference value comprises converting the detected temperature to a first voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected current value with the second reference value comprises converting the detected current value to a second voltage level, and

wherein the first reference value and the second reference value which are input to the comparator comprise a same reference voltage level.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the battery unit to stop supplying the power if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is greater than a third reference value which is greater than the first reference value.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to decrease the clock frequency if the detected temperature is maintained for preset time at a temperature greater than the first reference value.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a thermal throttling circuit for controlling the clock frequency according to a temperature, the thermal throttling circuit configured to control the clock frequency according to a clock control signal applied to the thermal throttling circuit by the controller.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the thermal throttling circuit is further configured to:

enable the clock frequency for a predetermined time of a certain period T, and

disable the clock frequency for a remaining time of the certain period T.

6. The computer system according to claim 1,

wherein the controller comprises:

a first comparator for comparing a voltage level corresponding to the detected temperature with a voltage level corresponding to the first reference value;

a second comparator for comparing a voltage level corresponding to the detected current value with a voltage level corresponding to the second reference value; and

a logical sum operator comprising;

a first input terminal connected to an output terminal of the first comparator, and

a second input terminal connected to an output terminal of the second comparator, and

wherein the logical sum operator outputs a clock control signal to the device.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, wherein a same reference voltage level is input to the first comparator and the second comparator.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the controller further comprises a scaling factor unit that scales at least one of the voltage level corresponding to the detected temperature and the voltage level corresponding to the detected current value as a dimension of the reference voltage level.

9. A power control method of a computer system that comprises a battery unit and a device operating according to a clock frequency, the power control method comprising:

detecting, by a temperature sensor provided at a location outside of the battery unit, a temperature of the battery unit;

detecting a value of a current supplied from the battery unit to the device;

comparing, by a comparator, the detected temperature with a first reference value or the detected current value with a second reference value; and

decreasing the clock frequency if the detected temperature is greater than the first reference value or if the detected current value is greater than the second reference value,

wherein the comparing of the detected temperature with the first reference value comprises converting the detected temperature to a first voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected current value with the second reference value comprises converting the detected current value to a second voltage level, and

wherein the first reference value and the second reference value which are input to the comparator comprise a same reference voltage level.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

controlling the battery unit to stop supplying the power if the detected temperature of the battery unit is greater than a third reference value which is greater than the first reference value.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein decreasing the clock frequency comprises decreasing the clock frequency if the detected temperature is maintained for another preset time at a temperature greater than the first reference value.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the device comprises a thermal throttling circuit for controlling the clock frequency according to a temperature, the thermal throttling circuit configured to:

enable the clock frequency for a predetermined time of a certain period T, and

disable the clock frequency for a remaining time of the certain period T.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

comparing a voltage level corresponding to the detected temperature of the battery unit with a voltage level corresponding to a first reference value to yield a first result;

comparing a voltage level corresponding to the current output with a voltage level corresponding to a second reference value to yield a second result;

summing, by a logical summing operator, the first result and the second result; and

outputting a clock control signal by the logical summing operator to the device in response to the summing.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

scaling the voltage level corresponding to the detected temperature as a dimension of a reference voltage level; and

wherein the clock frequency is decreased if the scaled voltage level is greater than the reference voltage level.

15. A computer system, comprising:

a device which operates according to a clock frequency;

a battery unit, which comprises a plurality of battery cells, for supplying power to the device;

a temperature sensor provided at a location outside of the battery unit for detecting a temperature of the battery cells;

a current sensor for detecting a value of a current supplied from the battery unit to the device;

a comparator configured to compare the detected temperature with a first reference point or the detected current value with a second reference point; and

a controller, configured to;

output a first clock frequency control signal to the device, if the detected temperature is greater than the first reference point or if the detected current value is greater than the second reference point; and

output a second clock frequency control signal to the device, if the detected temperature is maintained for a preset time at a temperature that is lower than the first reference point, after the clock frequency is decreased,

wherein the first reference value and the second reference value which are input to the comparator comprise a same reference voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected temperature with the first reference point comprises converting the detected temperature to a first voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected current value with the second reference point comprises converting the detected current value to a second voltage level, and

wherein the device is configured to;

enable a throttling operation for decreasing the clock frequency if the first clock frequency control signal outputted from the controller is received, and

disable the throttling operation for decreasing the clock frequency if the second clock frequency control signal outputted from the controller is received.

16. A computer system, comprising:

a device which operates according to a clock frequency;

a battery unit, which comprises a plurality of battery cells, for supplying power to the device;

a temperature sensor provided at a location outside of the battery unit for detecting a temperature of the battery cells;

a current sensor coupled to the battery unit for detecting a value of a current supplied from the battery unit to the device;

a comparator configured to compare the detected temperature with a first reference value or the detected current value with a second reference value; and

a controller is further configured to decrease the clock frequency if the detected temperature is greater than the first reference value or if the detected current value is greater than the second reference value,

wherein the first reference value and the second reference value respectively comprise a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level that are input to the comparator as a same reference voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected temperature with the first reference value comprises converting the detected temperature to a first voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected current value with the second reference value comprises converting the detected current value to a second voltage level,

wherein the first reference voltage level is set at a level corresponding to a critical temperature at which a consumable power output from the battery unit is not higher than a maximum consumable power,

wherein the second reference voltage level is set at a level corresponding to a critical current at which the consumable power output from the battery unit is not higher than the maximum consumable power, and

wherein the controller is configured to increase the clock frequency if the detected temperature is maintained for a preset time at a temperature that is lower than the first reference value, after the clock frequency is decreased.

17. A power control method of a computer system that comprises a battery unit and a device operating according to a clock frequency, the power control method comprising:

detecting, by a temperature sensor provided at a location outside of the battery unit, a temperature of the battery unit;

detecting a value of a current supplied from the battery unit to the device;

comparing, by a comparator, the detected temperature with a first reference value or the detected current value with a second reference value;

decreasing, the clock frequency if the detected temperature is greater than the first reference value or if the detected current value is greater than the second reference value; and

increasing the clock frequency if the detected temperature is maintained for a preset time at a temperature that is lower than the first reference value, after the clock frequency is decreased,

wherein the first reference value and the second reference value comprise a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level, respectively, that are input to the comparator as a same voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected temperature with the first reference value comprises converting the detected temperature to a first voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected current value with the second reference value comprises converting the detected current value to a second voltage level,

wherein the first reference voltage level is set at a level corresponding to a critical temperature at which a consumable power output from the battery unit is not higher than a maximum consumable power, and

wherein the second reference voltage level being set at a level corresponding to a critical current at which the consumable power output from the battery unit is not higher than the maximum consumable power.

18. A computer system, comprising:

a device which operates according to a clock frequency;

a battery unit, comprising a plurality of battery cells, for supplying power to the device;

a temperature sensor provided at a location outside of the battery unit for detecting a temperature of the plurality of battery cells;

a current sensor for detecting a value of a current supplied from the battery unit to the device;

a comparator configured to compare the detected temperature with a first reference point or the detected current value with a second reference point; and

a controller configured to;

output a first clock frequency control signal to the device if the detected temperature is greater than the first reference point or if the detected current value is greater than the second reference point, and

output a second clock frequency control signal to the device, if the detected temperature is maintained for a preset time at a temperature that is lower than the first reference point, after the clock frequency is decreased,

wherein the first reference point and the second reference point respectively comprise a first reference voltage level and a second reference voltage level that are input to the comparator as a same voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected temperature with the first reference point comprises converting the detected temperature to a first voltage level,

wherein the comparing of the detected current value with the second reference point comprises converting the detected current value to a second voltage level,

wherein the first reference voltage level is set at a level corresponding to a critical temperature at which a consumable power output from the battery unit is not higher than a maximum consumable power,

wherein the second reference voltage level is set at a level corresponding to a critical current at which the consumable power output from the battery unit is not higher than the maximum consumable power, and

wherein the device is configured to;

enable a throttling operation for decreasing the clock frequency if the first clock frequency control signal output from the controller is received, and

disable the throttling operation for decreasing the clock frequency if the second clock frequency control signal output from the controller is received.