Balancing power supply and demand

• US 9,740,226 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Peter T., Nguyen, Don J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US14/509,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20150105925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 320128, 320137, 320116, 713300
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• 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 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus to balance adapter power supply and computing device power demand. In one embodiment, power to/from battery pack(s) maybe controlled by adjusting the output voltage of the power adapter via the current input to the power adapter through a feedback pin to meet power demand of electrical loads. Another embodiment provides a way to adjust the activities of the electrical loads such that neither adapter power rating nor the electrical load power limit is exceeded while avoiding system shutdown.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a feedback pin to couple power monitor logic to a power adapter; and

power management logic to;

control an output voltage of the power adapter to control the power provided to one or more battery packs;

control the power provided to one or more computing device electrical loads coupled to the one or more battery packs by adjusting a control current through the feedback pin; and

manage power demands of the one or more computing device electrical loads coupled to the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising system management controller logic to:

monitor current flow into and out of the one or more battery packs to determine a charge level and capacity of the one or more battery packs; and

provide an indication of the capacity of the one or more battery packs to the power management logic.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power management logic is to communicate a control directive to the one or more computing device electrical loads, wherein the control directive is to include an indication to adjust the activities of the one or more computing device electrical loads based on the capacity of the one or more battery packs.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control directive includes an indication to adjust the activities of the one or more computing device electrical loads to balance a power demand of the one or more computing device electrical loads and a power supply of the one or more battery packs.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the power management logic is to control the output voltage of the power adapter based on one or more of an output power rating of the power adapter and based on the one or more computing device electric loads coupled to the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power management logic is to dynamically adjust the output voltage by adjusting a current until either the power demand is met or the power rating of the power adapter is reached, whichever occurs first.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the power management logic is to control the charging/discharging activities of the one or more battery packs to supply power to the one or more computing device electrical loads and to simultaneously provide power from the power adapter to the one or more computing device electrical loads.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising:

power switch logic coupled to the one or more battery packs; and

selector logic to control the power switch logic to switch power to and from the one or more battery packs on or off.

9. A controller comprising:

logic at least a portion of which is in hardware, the logic to;

control an output voltage of a power adapter to control the charging/discharging activities of one or more battery packs;

control the power provided to one or more computing device electrical loads coupled to the one or more battery packs by adjusting a control current through a feedback pin, the feedback pin coupling the logic to a power adapter; and

manage power demands of the one or more computing device electrical loads.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the logic is to monitor current flow into and out of the one or more battery packs to determine a charge level and capacity of the one or more battery packs.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the logic is to communicate a control directive to the one or more computing device electrical loads, wherein the control directive is to include an indication to adjust the activities of the one or more computing device electrical loads based on the charge level and capacity of the one or more battery packs.

12. The controller of claim 11, wherein the control directive includes an indication to adjust the activities of the one or more computing device electrical loads to balance a power demand of the one or more computing device electrical loads and a power supply of the one or more battery packs.

13. The controller of claim 12, wherein the logic is to control the output voltage of the power adapter based on one or more of an output power rating of the power adapter and based on the one or more computing device electric loads.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein the logic is to dynamically adjust the output voltage by adjusting a current until either the power demand is met or the power rating of the power adapter is reached, whichever occurs first.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the logic is to control the charging/discharging activities of the one or more battery packs to supply power to the one or more computing device electrical loads and simultaneously provide power from the power adapter to the one or more computing device electrical loads.

16. The controller of claim 14, wherein the logic is to switch a flow of power from the power adapter on or off based on a status of the one or more battery packs or based on a status of the one or more computing device electrical loads coupled to the apparatus.

17. An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed enable a system to:

control an output voltage of a power adapter to control the charging/discharging activities of one or more battery packs;

control the power provided to one or more computing device electrical loads coupled to the one or more battery packs by adjusting a control current through a feedback pin, the feedback pin coupling the one or more battery packs to a power adapter; and

manage power demands of the one or more computing device electrical loads.

18. The article of claim 17, comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to monitor current flow into and out of the one or more battery packs to determine a charge level and capacity of the one or more battery packs.

19. The article of claim 18, comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to communicate a control directive to the one or more computing device electrical loads, the control directive to include an indication to adjust the activities of the one or more computing device electrical loads based on the charge level and capacity of the one or more battery packs.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the control directive includes an indication to adjust the activities of the one or more computing device electrical loads to balance a power demand of the one or more computing device electrical loads and a power supply of the one or more battery packs.