Smart battery charging to improve the lifespan of batteries

• US 9,774,203 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Childress, Rhonda L., Eckert, Kim A., Kuang, Jente B., McNair, Ryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US15/131,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 320106, 429 50, 429 61
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method for managing a rechargeable battery. The method includes a computer processor identifying a rechargeable battery within a first device. The method further includes a computer processor identifying a battery maintenance policy associated with the rechargeable battery. The method further includes a computer processor determining a first set of models for implementing the identified battery maintenance policy on the identified rechargeable battery based on the identified battery maintenance policy and one or more environmental factors corresponding to the first device. The method further includes a computer processor installing the first set of models in the first device. The method further includes a computer processor performing an intervention action based, at least in part, on a current state of the first set of models and one or more current environmental factors corresponding to the first device.

Claims

1. A method for managing a rechargeable battery, the method comprising:

identifying a rechargeable battery within a first device;

identifying a battery maintenance policy associated with the rechargeable battery, wherein the battery maintenance policy is developed by a manufacturer of the identified rechargeable battery;

determining a first set of models for implementing the identified battery maintenance policy on the identified rechargeable battery based on the identified battery maintenance policy and one or more environmental factors corresponding to the first device;

installing the first set of models in the first device; and

performing an intervention action based, at least in part, on a current state of the identified rechargeable battery, the first set of models, and one or more current environmental factors corresponding to the first device, wherein the intervention action is comprised of one or more of;

restricting a recharging rate of the identified rechargeable battery based on a temperature of the identified rechargeable battery;

restricting a recharging rate of the identified rechargeable battery based on a pressure within cells of the identified rechargeable battery;

limiting a charge level of the rechargeable battery based on a period of time;

modifying one or more power management settings of the first device;

calibrating a battery management system included in the first device; and

delaying the shutdown of the first device; and

wherein environmental factors include;

a temperature sensed by the first device, a barometric sensed by the first device, and a humidity sensed by the first device; and

estimating a remaining lifespan of the identified rechargeable battery, wherein estimating the remaining lifespan of the identified rechargeable battery includes a probability of failure of the identified rechargeable battery within the first device and a time duration, and wherein estimating the remaining lifespan of the rechargeable battery further comprises;

determining the current state of the identified rechargeable battery within the first device;

determining a level of compliance demonstrated of the first device, based at least in part on the first set models of the identified battery maintenance policy and a completion of the intervention action; and

comparing the level of compliance demonstrated by the first device to one or more relative levels of compliance of other instances of the rechargeable battery utilized by devices of other users and the corresponding maximum lifespan of the other instances of the rechargeable battery in the devices of the other users.