Power management for battery-powered devices

• US 9,811,132 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cudak, Gary D., Hardee, Christopher J., Rakshit, Sarbajit K., Roberts, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Fahmida
• Application Number:
  US14/468,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20160062425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• 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 9/4893 taking into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5094 where the allocation takes into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system comprises: a power hub; a charging battery electrically connected to the power hub; a plurality of battery-powered electronic devices electrically connected to the power hub; and a power distribution controller within the power hub. The power distribution controller shares power between the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices based on: which tasks, from multiple pending tasks on the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices, are selected for completion; a power requirement for each of the tasks that have been selected for completion; a priority of the tasks, from the multiple pending tasks on the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices, that have been selected for completion; and a quantity of amp-hours that are available to charge batteries on the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices.

Claims

1. A computer program product for sharing power between multiple battery-powered electronic devices, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal, and wherein the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

determining which tasks, from multiple pending tasks being performed on different battery-powered electronic devices from multiple battery-powered electronic devices, are to be selected for completion;

determining a power requirement for each of the tasks that have been selected for completion;

determining a priority of the tasks, from the multiple pending tasks on the multiple battery-powered electronic devices, that have been selected for completion;

calculating a quantity of amp-hours that are available to charge batteries on the multiple battery-powered electronic devices; and

distributing available amp-hours from a battery source in a first battery-powered electronic device from the multiple battery-powered electronic devices to a second battery-powered electronic device from the multiple battery-powered electronic devices based on the priority of the tasks via a user selection on a graphical user interface (GUI) on the first battery-powered electronic device, wherein the second battery-powered electronic device is capable of transferring power to the first battery-powered electronic device, wherein the tasks selected for completion include a first task currently running on the first battery-powered electronic device and a second task currently running on the second battery-powered electronic device, wherein the second task is assigned a higher priority than the first task in response to a determination that the second task is closer to completion than the first task, wherein the user provides a signal on the GUI for cessation of execution of the first task to transfer an amount of power that was remaining from an initial power allocation for the first task from the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device in order to complete the second task.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining an amount of existing power already present in the second battery-powered electronic device and in a third battery-powered electronic device from the multiple devices; and

selectively distributing the available amp-hours from the battery source in the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device or the third battery-powered electronic device based on the amount of existing power already present in the second battery-powered electronic device and in the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein a battery-powered electronic device with a lower amount of existing power as compared with another battery-powered electronic device will receive the available amp-hours before said another battery-powered electronic device.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein a battery source is from one or more power-supplying battery-powered electronic devices from the multiple battery-powered electronic devices, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices, a signal describing an amount of remaining available amp-hours and remaining tasks to be completed within each of the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices; and

pulling amp-hours from the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices based on the amount of remaining available amp-hours and the remaining tasks to be completed within each of the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the signal from the user is caused by the user dragging a representation of the first task to a representation of the second battery-powered electronic device on the GUI, and wherein the transference of the amount of power that is needed to complete the second task is performed in response to the user dragging the representation of the first task to the representation of the second battery-powered electronic device.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a length of time required to distribute the available amp-hours from the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device and a third battery-powered electronic device from the multiple battery-powered electronic devices; and

selectively distributing the available amp-hours from the battery source in the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device or the third battery-powered electronic device based on the length of time required to distribute the available amp-hours from the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device or the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein the length of time required is based on power-transfer physical limitations of power connections from the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device and the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein a power connection to the second battery-powered electronic device has greater power-transfer physical limitations than a power connection to the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein the second battery-powered electronic device and the third battery-powered electronic device are both capable of receiving the available amp-hours, and wherein the third battery-powered electronic device receives the available amp-hours before the second battery-powered electronic device.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the battery source in the first battery-powered electronic device has less than a predetermined amount of stored electrical power; and

in response to determining that the battery source in the first battery-powered electronic device has less than the predetermined amount of stored electrical power, blocking any further transfer of electrical power from the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the second battery-powered electronic device is an automatic external defibrillator (AED), and wherein the method further comprises:

overriding said blocking in order to allow the first battery-powered electronic device to transfer power to the AED.

8. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transferring electrical power from a plurality of battery-powered electronic devices from the multiple battery-powered electronic devices to the second battery-powered electronic device.

9. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

predicting, based on a history of tasks performed by a user on the second battery-powered electronic device, a task to be performed for the user on a current day, wherein the second battery-powered electronic device uses a predetermined amount of electrical power to perform the task; and

transferring, during the current day, the predetermined amount of electrical power from the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device in order to ensure that the second battery-powered electronic device has sufficient electrical power to perform the task.

10. A system comprising:

a power hub;

a charging battery electrically connected to the power hub;

a plurality of battery-powered electronic devices electrically connected to the power hub; and

a power distribution controller within the power hub, wherein the power distribution controller shares power between the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices by transferring power from a first battery-powered electronic device to a second battery-powered electronic device from the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices based on;

a determination of which tasks, from multiple pending tasks being performed on different battery-powered electronic devices from the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices, are to be selected for completion;

a determination of a power requirement for each of the tasks that have been selected for completion;

a determination of a priority of the tasks, from the multiple pending tasks on the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices, that have been selected for completion; and

a calculation of a quantity of amp-hours that are available to charge batteries on the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices;

wherein the power distribution controller distributes available amp-hours from a battery source in the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device based on the priority of the tasks via a user selection on a graphical user interface (GUI) on the first battery-powered electronic device, wherein the second battery-powered electronic device is capable of transferring power to the first battery-powered electronic device, wherein the tasks selected for completion include a first task currently running on the first battery-powered electronic device and a second task currently running on the second battery-powered electronic device, wherein the second task is assigned a higher priority than the first task in response to a determination that the second task is closer to completion than the first task, wherein the user provides a signal on the GUI for cessation of execution of the first task to transfer an amount of power that was remaining from an initial power allocation for the first task from the first battery-powered electronic device to the second battery-powered electronic device in order to complete the second task.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the power distribution controller further:

determines a length of time required to distribute the available amp-hours to the second battery-powered electronic device and a third battery-powered electronic device from the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices; and

selectively distributes the available amp-hours from a battery source to the second battery-powered electronic device or the third battery-powered electronic device based on the length of time required to distribute the available amp-hours to the second battery-powered electronic device or to the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein the length of time required is based on power-transfer physical limitations of the second battery-powered electronic device and the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein the second battery-powered electronic device has greater physical power-transfer physical limitations than the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein the second battery-powered electronic device and the third battery-powered electronic device are both capable of receiving the available amp-hours, and wherein the third battery-powered electronic device receives the available amp-hours before the second battery-powered electronic device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the power distribution controller further:

determines an amount of existing power already present in the second battery-powered electronic device and in a third battery-powered electronic device from the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices; and

selectively distributes the available amp-hours from a battery source to the second battery-powered electronic device or the third battery-powered electronic device based on the amount of existing power already present in the second battery-powered electronic device and in the third battery-powered electronic device, wherein a battery-powered electronic device with a lower amount of existing power as compared with another battery-powered electronic device will receive the available amp-hours before said another battery-powered electronic device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the power distribution controller further:

determines the priority of the tasks based on completion levels, wherein a task that is closer to completion is allocated available amp-hours before a task that is relatively further from completion.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein a battery source is from one or more power-supplying battery-powered electronic devices from the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices, and wherein the power distribution controller further:

receives, from the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices, a signal describing an amount of remaining available amp-hours and remaining tasks to be completed within each of the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices; and

redistributes amp-hours from the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices to another battery-powered electronic device based on the amount of remaining available amp-hours and remaining tasks to be completed within each of the one or more power-supplying battery powered electronic devices.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a user interface, wherein the user interface displays an amount of power needed to complete each task from the multiple pending tasks running on the different battery-powered electronic devices.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a user interface, wherein the user interface displays a battery supply indicator that depicts a total amount of power that is available for redistribution among the plurality of battery-powered electronic devices.