Adaptive integral battery pack and voltage regulator

• US 9,524,018 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sultenfuss, Andrew T., Thompson, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rehman, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US14/015,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An information handling system includes battery packs, loads, and a power management module operable to set an output voltage of a battery pack and direct power from the battery pack to one or more loads. The power management module can direct power from multiple batteries to a load simultaneously. A battery pack includes a converter circuit to convert the voltage provided by battery cells within the battery pack to a voltage set by a power management module.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a voltage control module;

a first battery pack coupled to the voltage control module to receive a first voltage control signal from the voltage control module, the first battery pack including a first adjustable DC-DC voltage converter and a first battery management unit, the first battery management unit including the first adjustable DC-DC voltage converter, wherein a first output voltage of the first battery pack is set by the voltage control module by providing the first voltage control signal to the first adjustable DC-DC voltage converter;

a second battery pack coupled to the voltage control module to receive a second voltage control signal from the voltage control module, the second battery pack including a second adjustable DC-DC voltage converter and a second battery management unit, the second battery management unit including the second adjustable DC-DC voltage converter, wherein a second output voltage of the second battery pack is set by the voltage control module by providing the second voltage control signal to the second adjustable DC-DC voltage converter;

a first load; and

the voltage control module is operable to;

determine a first voltage level;

set the first output voltage to the first voltage level;

direct a first power from the first battery pack to the first load;

determine a second voltage level;

set the second output voltage to the second voltage level; and

direct a second power from the second battery pack to the first load, wherein the first power is based on the first output voltage, the second power is based on the second output voltage, and the first and second powers are provided to the first load simultaneously to provide a particular voltage to the first load, wherein the particular voltage is a sum of the first output voltage and the second output voltage.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the first voltage level is equal to the second voltage level.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the first voltage level is determined based on an operating mode of the first load.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein:

the voltage control module evaluates a system performance parameter of the information handling system; and

the first voltage level is determined based on the system performance parameter.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising a DC power source, wherein the voltage control module is further operable to:

direct power from the DC power source to the first battery pack; and

direct power from the DC power source to the first load, wherein power is directed to the first battery pack and to the first load simultaneously.

6. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising a DC power source;

wherein the voltage control module is further operable to;

direct power from the DC power source to the first battery pack; and

direct power from the DC power source to the second battery pack, wherein power is directed to the first battery pack and to the second battery pack simultaneously.

7. An information handling system comprising:

a voltage control module;

a first battery pack, including;

a first battery management unit including a first DC-DC converter circuit, wherein the first battery management unit is coupled to the voltage control module to receive a first control signal from the voltage control module;

a first cell configuration;

a first control input terminal; and

a first power terminal coupled to the first DC-DC converter circuit, wherein a voltage provided by the first battery pack at the first power terminal is controlled by a first signal from the voltage control module received at the first control input terminal;

a second battery pack, including;

a second battery management unit including a second DC-DC converter circuit, wherein the second battery management unit is coupled to the voltage control module to receive a second control signal from the voltage control module;

a second cell configuration;

a second control input terminal; and

a second power terminal coupled to the second DC-DC converter circuit, wherein a voltage provided by the second battery pack at the second power terminal is controlled by a second signal from the voltage control module received at the second control input terminal;

an electrical load coupled to the first power terminal and to the second power terminal,

wherein the first signal and the second signal are set such that the first battery pack and the second battery pack together provide a voltage to the electrical load simultaneously, the first signal controls a portion of the voltage provided by the first battery pack, and the second signal controls a portion of the voltage provided by the second battery pack.

8. The information handling system of claim 7, wherein:

the first DC-DC converter circuit reduces a voltage of power provided by the first cell configuration in response to the first signal indicating a voltage less than the voltage provided by the first cell configuration; and

the first DC-DC converter circuit increases the voltage of power provided by the first cell configuration in response to the first signal indicating a voltage greater than the voltage provided by the first cell configuration.

9. An information handling system comprising:

a battery charge coordination module;

a first battery pack including;

a first battery management unit having a first DC-DC converter circuit, wherein the first battery management unit is coupled to the battery charge coordination module to receive a first charge instruction from the battery charge coordination module;

a first set of battery cells having a first cell configuration; and

a second battery pack including;

a second battery management unit having a second DC-DC converter circuit, wherein the second battery management unit is coupled to the battery charge coordination module to receive a second charge instruction from the battery charge coordination module; and

a second set of battery cells having a second cell configuration;

wherein a DC power source provides power to the first battery pack and the second battery pack simultaneously at a source voltage, and the second DC-DC converter circuit converts the source voltage to a second charge voltage to charge the second set of battery cells at the second charge voltage.