Dynamically configurable auto-healing battery

• US 9,583,792 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Global Technologies International Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bulur, Yakup, Fishbune, Richard J., Maresh, Mark E., Wheeler, Adam M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/301,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20150364940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/117, 320/118, 320/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for a dynamically configurable auto-healing battery are provided in the illustrative embodiments. Identification of a condition is performed within the battery. The battery comprises a set of cells a subset of which is electrically connected in a configuration such that the configuration delivers a first amount of electrical power from the battery. The battery further comprising a second set of spare cells. Responsive to the condition, a cell is selected from the subset. Responsive to the condition, a spare cell is selected from the set of spare cells. The selected cell in the subset is made electrically unavailable in the configuration. The selected spare cell is made electrically available in the configuration, resulting in eliminating an effect of the condition on a power output of the battery.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically configuring a battery, the method comprising:

monitoring, within the battery, a condition, wherein the battery comprises a set of cells a subset of which is electrically connected in a configuration such that the configuration delivers a first amount of electrical power from the battery, the battery further comprising a second set of spare cells;

selecting, responsive to the condition, a cell from the subset;

selecting, responsive to the condition, a spare cell from the set of spare cells;

making the selected cell in the subset electrically unavailable in the configuration;

making the selected spare cell electrically available in the configuration, resulting in eliminating an effect of the condition on a power output of the battery;

identifying, within the battery, a second condition at a time after monitoring the condition, wherein the second condition is indicative of a change in a state of the selected cell in the subset;

selecting, responsive to the second condition the selected s are cell in the configuration;

making the selected spare cell in the configuration electrically unavailable in the configuration; and

making the selected cell in the subset electrically available in the configuration again at a second time after the time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, within the battery, a third condition, wherein the third condition comprises an increase in an electrical load on the battery;

selecting, responsive to the third condition, a second spare cell from the set of spare cells; and

making the selected second spare cell electrically available in the configuration, resulting in increasing the power output of the battery.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the increase in an electrical load on the battery comprises an increase in a rate of change in the electrical load on the battery.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, within the battery, an instruction, wherein the instruction includes an indication of the third condition, and wherein the third condition is expected to occur in the future.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, within the battery, a third condition, wherein the third condition comprises a decrease in an electrical power available for charging the battery;

selecting, responsive to the third condition, a second cell from the set of cells; and

making the selected second cell electrically unavailable in the configuration, resulting in a reduction in a charging power requirement of the battery.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second state of the selected cell in the subset of cells, and wherein the second state is indicative of an amount of power supplied by the selected cell having reduced below a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second state of the selected cell in the subset of cells, and wherein the second state is indicative of a remaining capacity of the selected cell having reduced below a threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring, within the battery, the cells in the subset such that each cell in the subset can be made electrically unavailable from the configuration while the configuration is delivering the first amount of electrical power; and

configuring, within the battery, each spare cell in the set of spare cells such that each cell in the set can be made electrically available in the configuration while the configuration is delivering the first amount of electrical power to one of (i) maintain a power output of the battery at the first amount, and (ii) increase the power output of the battery to a second amount.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing the monitoring using a monitoring component located within the battery;

using a multiplexing component located within the battery for making the selected cell in the subset electrically unavailable in the configuration and for making the selected spare cell electrically available in the configuration, wherein the multiplexing component selects the selected cell from the subset and the selected spare cell upon receiving information from the monitoring component, wherein the information identifies the selected cell from the subset to the multiplexing component.

10. A computer usable program product comprising a computer readable storage device including computer usable code for dynamically configuring a battery, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for monitoring, within the battery, a condition, wherein the battery comprises a set of cells a subset of which is electrically connected in a configuration such that the configuration delivers a first amount of electrical power from the battery, the battery further comprising a second set of spare cells;

computer usable code for selecting, responsive to the condition, a cell from the subset;

computer usable code for selecting, responsive to the condition, a spare cell from the set of sp re cells;

computer usable code for making the selected cell in the subset electrically unavailable in the configuration;

computer usable code for making the selected spare cell electrically available in the configuration, resulting in eliminating an effect of the condition on a power output of the battery;

computer usable code for identifying, within the battery, a second condition at a time after monitoring the condition, wherein the second condition is indicative of a change in a state of the selected cell in the subset;

computer usable code for selecting, responsive to the second condition, the selected spare cell in the configuration;

computer usable code for making the selected spare cell in the configuration electrically unavailable in the configuration; and

computer usable code for making the selected cell in the subset electrically available in the configuration again at a second time after the time.

11. The computer usable program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable code for identifying, within the battery, a third condition, wherein the third condition comprises an increase in an electrical load on the battery;

computer usable code for selecting, responsive to the third condition, a second spare cell from the set of spare cells; and

computer usable code for making the selected second spare cell electrically available in the configuration, resulting in increasing the power output of the battery.

12. The computer usable program product of claim 11, wherein the increase in an electrical load on the battery comprises an increase in a rate of change in the electrical load on the battery.

13. The computer usable program product of claim 11, further comprising:

computer usable code for receiving, within the battery, an instruction, wherein the instruction includes an indication of the third condition, and wherein the third condition is expected to occur in the future.

14. The computer usable program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable code for identifying, within the battery, a third condition, wherein the third condition comprises a decrease in an electrical power available for charging the battery;

computer usable code for selecting, responsive to the third condition, a second cell from the set of cells; and

computer usable code for making the selected second cell electrically unavailable in the configuration, resulting in a reduction in a charging power requirement of the battery.

15. The computer usable program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable code for detecting a second state of the selected cell in the subset of cells, and wherein the second state is indicative of an amount of power supplied by the selected cell having reduced below a threshold.

16. The computer usable program product of claim 10, further comprising:

computer usable code for detecting a second state of the selected cell in the subset of cells, and wherein the second state is indicative of a remaining capacity of the selected cell having reduced below a threshold.

17. A dynamically configurable battery, comprising:

a set of cells, a subset of which is electrically connected in a configuration such that the configuration delivers a first amount of electrical power from the battery;

a second set of spare cells;

a monitoring component within the battery configured to

monitor a condition; and

select, responsive to the condition, a cell from the subset; and

a multiplexing component configured to

select, responsive to the condition, a spare cell from the set of spare cells;

make the selected cell in the subset electrically unavailable in the configuration;

make the selected spare cell electrically available in the configuration, resulting in eliminating an effect of the condition on a power output of the battery

identify a second condition at a time after monitoring the condition, wherein the second condition is indicative of a change in the state of the selected cell in the subset;

select, responsive to the second condition, the selected spare cell in the set of spare cells;

make the selected spare cell electrically unavailable in the configuration; and

make the selected cell in the subset electrically available in the configuration again at a second time after the time.