Information handling system external adapter and battery source

• US 10,224,732 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Hijazi, Mohammed K., Wood, III, Merle J., McGowan, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pacheco, Alexis
• Application Number:
  US15/008,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20170222444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 320109, 320107, 320114, 320137, 320108, 320132, 320134, 320162, 320101, 320106, 320112, 320115, 320124, 320103, 320135, 320113, 320150
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034

Abstract

A portable information handling system battery module has a self-contained housing having a battery charger, integrated rechargeable batteries and plural ports to transfer power, such as USB Type C ports having bi-directional power transfer capability. A cable couples first battery module port to a portable information handling system port to provide power to the portable information handling system and accept power from the portable information handling system. Plural additional battery modules daisy chain to the first battery module to accept power from and provide power to the portable information handling system. Power transfer is coordinated with communications through the ports, such as by a USB power transfer protocol supported at the information handling system and each battery module.

Claims

1. A portable information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;

a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;

a display disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor and memory, the display operable to present the information as visual images;

a power controller disposed in the housing and operable to accept external power and provide the external power to the processor, memory and display;

a port interfaced with the power controller and configured to accept a cable having power provided from an external power source; and

plural separate battery modules, each battery module operable to store power and having plural power ports, at least one power port removeably coupling with the information handling system port to discharge power and one power port removeably coupling with a charger device to accept charge power;

wherein the power controller is further operable to output external power to charge a first of the plural battery modules removeably coupled to the information handling system port at one of the plural power ports and having at least one additional of the plural battery modules removeably coupled to the other of the plural power ports; and

wherein each of the plural battery modules includes a charger operable to coordinate charging with power provided to one of the plural ports of an integrated battery and a removeably coupled battery module at another of the plural power ports.

2. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the charger comprises logic to apply power to charge only the removeably coupled battery module if the removeably coupled battery module draws greater than a predetermined current and to charge the integrated battery if the removeably coupled battery module draws less than the predetermined current.

3. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the charger comprises logic to apply power to charge only the removeably coupled battery module draws power in a constant current mode and to apply power to integrated battery if the removeably coupled battery module transitions to draw power in a constant voltage mode.

4. The portable information handling system of claim 1 wherein the information handling system port and the battery modules plural power ports comprise serial data ports having a power transfer pin, the serial data port having a power transfer protocol, the power controller communicating with each of the plural battery modules using the serial data port power protocol to coordinate charging of the integrated batteries of each battery module.

5. The portable information handling system of claim 4 wherein the serial data ports comprise USB Type C ports and the power protocol comprises a USB power protocol.

6. The portable information handling system of claim 4 wherein the plural battery modules are removeably coupled to each other with a daisy chain configuration of serial data cables.

7. The portable information handling system of claim 6 further comprising an AC-to-DC module having a serial data port operable to couple to one of the plural battery modules in the place of the information handling system port to charge each battery module in the daisy chain configuration.

8. A portable information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions to process information;

a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the information;

a display disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor and memory, the display operable to present the information as visual images;

a port configured to accept a cable having power provided from an external power source, the port further configured to accept a cable having power provided to and external power sink;

a power controller disposed in the housing and operable to accept external power from a power source through at least the port and provide the external power to the processor, memory and display, the power controller further operable to provide external power to the port;

a first external battery module operable to store power and having plural power ports, at least a first of the plural power ports removeably coupling with the information handling system port to selectively discharge power to the information handling system or to receive power from the information handling system; and

a second external battery module operable to store power and having plural power ports, at least a first of the plural ports removeably coupling with at least one of the first external battery module plural power ports to selectively discharge power to the first external battery module or to receive power from the first external battery module.

9. The portable information handling system of claim 8 further comprising a charger integrated in each of the first and second external battery modules, the charger of the first battery module controlling power received from the information handling system port to manage charging of the second battery module.

10. The portable information handling system of claim 9 wherein the first battery module charger charges only the second battery module if the second battery module charges in a constant current mode and charges an internal battery only after the second battery module transitions from charging in the constant current mode to charging in a constant voltage mode.

11. The portable information handling system of claim 10 wherein the first battery module charger charges both the internal battery and the external battery module only if both the internal battery and the external battery module charge in the constant voltage mode.