Hold-up energy storage and management

• US 9,740,258 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Hynix NAND Product Solutions Corporation (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Morning-Smith, Andrew, Ngo, Mike M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dhillon, Jagdeep
• Application Number:
  US14/223,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 34063611, 34063621, 307 23, 307 66, 307 43, 307 64, 307 80, 320109, 320104, 320103, 365229, 365222, 700295, 700291, 700297, 429 9, 429 7, 361528, 361527, 361500
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/64 Testing of capacitors
• 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: G08B 29/18 Prevention or correction of operating errors G08B29/02, G08B29/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

Power management circuitry initiates storage of backup energy in an energy storage resource. The backup energy is stored to power an electronic circuitry during a power failure condition in which primary power is unavailable to power the electronic circuit. During a test mode, the power management circuitry selectively discharges the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource at multiple different energy discharge rates to test the energy storage resource.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an energy storage resource operative to store backup energy to power electronic circuitry; and

power management circuitry in communication with the energy storage resource, the power management circuitry being operative, during a test mode;

to discharge the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource through a first load at a first energy discharge rate to obtain a first characteristic of the energy storage resource;

to discharge the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource at a second energy discharge rate to obtain a second characteristic of the energy storage resource;

to determine at least a third characteristic of the energy storage resource based at least on the first characteristic and the second characteristic; and

based at least in part on the third characteristic of the energy storage resource, to determine an available amount of energy in the energy storage resource to power the electronic circuitry during a power failure condition.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the energy storage resource is a bank of at least one capacitor to store the backup energy;

and

wherein the power management circuitry discharges the backup energy at different energy discharge rates during the test mode to calculate a capacity of the backup energy in the energy storage resource that is available to power the electronic circuitry during the power failure condition in which primary power is unavailable to power the electronic circuitry.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the power management circuitry discharges the backup energy in the energy storage resource at different energy discharge rates during the test mode to identify a leakage current associated with the energy storage resource, the leakage current representing an amount of current that is consumed but that is unavailable to support holdup of the electronic circuitry during the power failure condition.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the power management circuitry discharges the backup energy in the energy storage resource at different energy discharge rates to identify an equivalent series resistance associated with the energy storage resource.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

power loss detector circuitry to monitor a primary voltage source used to power the electronic circuitry, the power loss detector circuitry terminating discharge of the backup energy from the energy storage resource in response to detecting occurrence of the power failure condition.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the power management circuitry prevents discharge of the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource below a threshold value during the test mode to ensure that a sufficient amount of the backup energy is available in the energy storage resource to power the electronic circuitry if the power failure condition occurs during the test mode.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the power management circuitry is configured to:

during a first discharge test of discharging backup energy in the energy storage resource at the first energy discharge rate;

produce a first elapsed time value, the first elapsed time value representing an amount of time that a respective voltage magnitude of the energy storage resource falls from a first threshold voltage value to a second threshold voltage value; and

during a second discharge test of discharging backup energy in the energy storage resource at the second energy discharge rate;

produce a second elapsed time value, the second elapsed time value representing an amount of time that the respective voltage magnitude of the energy storage resource falls from the first threshold voltage value to the second threshold voltage value.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the power management circuitry is configured to:

utilize the first elapsed time value and the second elapsed time value to estimate an amount of the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource that is available to power the electronic circuitry during the power failure condition.

9. A computer system including the apparatus in claim 1, the computer system further comprising:

computer processor hardware, the computer processor hardware controlling operations of the power management circuitry to determine whether the energy storage resource stores a sufficient amount of backup energy to power the electronic circuitry during the power failure condition.

10. The computer system as in claim 9, wherein the computer processor hardware calibrates a clock associated with the power management circuitry to more accurately measure the different energy discharge rates.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the energy storage resource has an associated leakage current, wherein the first load is operative to draw a first predetermined output current from the energy storage resource, and wherein the first characteristic of the energy storage resource corresponds to a sum of the first predetermined output current and the leakage current.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the second characteristic of the energy storage resource corresponds to the leakage current associated with the energy storage resource.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the power management circuitry is further operative to determine at least the third characteristic of the energy storage resource based at least on the leakage current and the sum of the first predetermined output current and the leakage current, the third characteristic of the energy storage resource corresponding to a capacitance of the energy storage resource.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the power management circuitry is further operative to determine a fourth characteristic of the energy storage resource based at least on the capacitance of the energy storage resource, the first predetermined output current, and the sum of the first predetermined output current and the leakage current, the fourth characteristic of the energy storage resource corresponding to an effective capacitance of the energy storage resource taking into account the leakage current associated with the energy storage resource.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the power management circuitry is further operative to discharge the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource through a second load at the second energy discharge rate to obtain the second characteristic of the energy storage resource.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the first load is operative to draw a first predetermined output current from the energy storage resource, and wherein the second load is operative to draw a second predetermined output current from the energy storage resource, the second predetermined output current being different from the first predetermined output current.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the energy storage resource has an associated equivalent series resistance, wherein the energy storage resource has an associated full-charge voltage, and wherein the first characteristic of the energy storage resource corresponds to a first voltage difference between the full-charge voltage and a product of the first predetermined output current and the equivalent series resistance.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the second characteristic of the energy storage resource corresponds to a second voltage difference between the full-charge voltage and a product of the second predetermined output current and the equivalent series resistance.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the power management circuitry is further operative to determine at least the third characteristic of the energy storage resource based at least on the first voltage difference and the second voltage difference, the third characteristic corresponding to the equivalent series resistance associated with the energy storage resource.

11. A method comprising:

storing backup energy in an energy storage resource for powering electronic circuitry; and

during a test mode;

discharging the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource through a first load at a first energy discharge rate to obtain a first characteristic of the energy storage resource;

discharging the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource at a second energy discharge rate to obtain a second characteristic of the energy storage resource;

determining at least a third characteristic of the energy storage resource based at least on the first characteristic and the second characteristic; and

based at least in part on the third characteristic of the energy storage resource, determining an available amount of energy in the energy storage resource to power the electronic circuitry during a power failure condition.

12. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

monitoring discharge of the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource at different energy discharge rates to identify a leakage current associated with the energy storage resource, the leakage current consumed but unavailable to support holdup of electronic circuitry during occurrence of the power failure condition; and

based at least in part on the leakage current, calculating the available amount of energy in the energy storage resource for powering the electronic circuitry during the power failure condition.

13. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

monitoring discharge of the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource at the different energy discharge rates to calculate a series resistance of the energy storage resource.

14. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

monitoring discharge of the backup energy from the energy storage resource at the different energy discharge rates; and

based on monitoring the discharge at the different energy discharge rates, calculating an equivalent series resistance of the energy storage resource.

15. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

in response to detecting occurrence of the failure condition during the test mode in which the backup energy is discharged from the energy storage resource, terminating discharge of the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource.

16. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

during the test mode, discharging the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource to an auxiliary load with respect to the electronic circuit;

monitoring a primary voltage used to power electronic circuitry during the test mode; and

in response to detecting occurrence of the power failure condition with respect to the primary voltage;

i) terminating discharge of a holdup energy from the energy storage resource to the auxiliary load, and

ii) utilizing the backup energy in the energy storage resource to power the electronic circuit.

17. The method as in claim 11, further comprising:

during a first discharge test of discharging backup energy in the energy storage resource at the first energy discharge rate;

producing a first elapsed time value, the first elapsed time value representing an amount of time that a respective voltage magnitude of the energy storage resource falls from a first threshold voltage value to a second threshold voltage value; and

during a second discharge test of discharging backup energy in the energy storage resource at the second energy discharge rate;

producing a second elapsed time value, the second elapsed time value representing an amount of time that the respective voltage magnitude of the energy storage resource falls from the first threshold voltage value to the second threshold voltage value.

18. The method as in claim 17 further comprising:

utilizing the first elapsed time value and the second elapsed time value to estimate an amount of the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource that is available to power electronic circuitry during the power failure condition.

19. The method as in claim 18 further comprising:

electrically isolating the energy storage resource from a load to discharge the energy storage resource at the first energy discharge rate, the first energy discharge rate representing a leakage discharge associated with the energy storage resource; and

electrically coupling the energy storage resource to a load to discharge the energy storage resource at the second energy discharge rate, the second energy discharge rate representing a sum of the leakage discharge and discharge of energy to the load.

20. The method as in claim 17 further comprising:

utilizing the first elapsed time value and the second elapsed time value to calculate an equivalent series resistance associated with the energy storage resource.

21. The method as in claim 17 further comprising:

producing a value representative of an amount of energy in the energy storage resource available to power electronic circuitry during the power failure condition;

comparing the produced value to an energy threshold value; and

in response to detecting that the produced value is less than the energy threshold value, producing status information indicating that the energy storage resource does not store sufficient energy to power electronic circuitry during the power failure condition.

22. Computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, causing the computer processor hardware to perform operations of:

storing backup energy in an energy storage resource for powering electronic circuitry; and

during a test mode;

discharging the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource through a first load at a first energy discharge rate to obtain a first characteristic of the energy storage resource;

discharging the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource at a second energy discharge rate to obtain a second characteristic of the energy storage resource;

determining at least a third characteristic of the energy storage resource based at least on the first characteristic and the second characteristic; and

based at least in part on the third characteristic of the energy storage resource, determining an available amount of energy in the energy storage resource to power the electronic circuitry during a power failure condition.

23. The computer readable storage hardware as in claim 22, wherein the instructions, when carried out by the computer processor hardware, cause the computer processor hardware to perform operations of:

monitoring discharge of the backup energy stored in the energy storage resource at different energy discharge rates to identify a leakage current associated with the energy storage resource, the leakage current unavailable to support holdup of electronic circuitry during occurrence of the power failure condition.