Systems and methods to charge a battery at different charge rates and indicate when charging at a faster rate is available

• US 10,439,418 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yebka, Bouziane, Jakes, Philip John, Wong, Tin-Lup
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Omar, Ahmed H
• Application Number:
  US15/223,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320160
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007188 the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In one aspect, a device includes a processor, at least one system component accessible to the processor, a battery accessible to the processor and that provides power to the processor and the at least one system component, a display accessible to the processor and powered by the battery, and storage accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to permit charging of the battery at a first rate during a first charging instance and to permit charging of the battery at a second rate during a second charging instance, where the second rate is slower than the first rate and the second charging instance is subsequent to the first charging instance. The instructions are also executable to provide an indication regarding the availability of again charging the battery at the first rate subsequent to the first charging instance.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor;

at least one system component accessible to the processor;

a battery accessible to the processor, wherein the battery provides power to the processor and the at least one system component;

a display accessible to the processor and powered by the battery; and

storage accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by the processor to;

permit charging of the battery at a first rate during a first charging instance;

permit charging of the battery at a second rate during a second charging instance, the second rate being slower than the first rate and the second charging instance being subsequent to the first charging instance;

provide an indication regarding the availability of again charging the battery at the first rate subsequent to the first charging instance; and

disallow charging of the battery at the first rate at least until a determination is made that charging the battery at the first rate is again available, the indication being provided responsive to the determination, the determination being based on an identification that a threshold number of charging instances greater than one have occurred in which the battery has been charged using at least one rate other than the first rate; and

based on the determination, again allow charging of the battery at the first rate.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the determination is based at least in part on data accessible to the processor.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the data is stored at the device and originates from a manufacturer.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the at least one rate other than the first rate is a rate(s) slower than the first rate.

5. The device of claim 2, comprising a battery management unit (BMU), and wherein the data is received from the BMU.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the data comprises one or more of:

discharge data, charge data, overpotential data, anode resistance data, electrolyte polarization data, and temperature data.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

provide the indication one or more of;

on the display, via a light source other than the display, audibly, and haptically.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

provide the indication as part of a user interface (UI) presentable on the display and at which input is receivable to control charging of the battery.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein a selector is presentable on the UI, the selector being selectable to invoke charging at the first rate.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the selector is presented on the UI responsive to a determination that charging the battery at the first rate is again available.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

provide the indication responsive to cessation of the first charging instance.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one rate other than the first rate comprises the second rate.

12. A method, comprising:

permitting charging of a battery at a first rate during at least a first charging instance;

subsequent to permitting charging of the battery at the first rate during at least the first charging instance, disallowing charging of the battery at the first rate but permitting charging of the battery at one or more other rates for a threshold number of charging instances, the one or more other rates being slower than the first rate;

based on the battery being charged at the one or more other rates for the threshold number of charging instances, again allowing charging of the battery at the first rate; and

providing an indicator at a device regarding the availability of again charging the battery at the first rate.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

providing the indicator based on a prediction that lithium plating related to the battery is at least below a threshold level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the prediction is based at least in part on identification of the battery as being charged at the one or more other rates for the threshold number of charging instances, and wherein the threshold number of charging instances varies based on the first rate.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the indicator is presented on a display and indicates a number of charging instances remaining that are to occur in the future using the one or more other rates before charging will again be permitted using the first rate.

15. A computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

permit charging of a battery at a first rate during a first charging instance; and

wait until, subsequent to the first charging instance, a threshold number of additional charge instances has transpired using at least one other rate slower than the first rate before again permitting charging of the battery at the first rate.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

responsive to the threshold number of additional charge instances transpiring, make available, at a device accessible to the processor, an indicator regarding the availability charging the battery at the first rate.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

subsequent to the first charging instance but before the threshold number of additional charge instances transpires, permit charging of the battery using at least one relatively slower rate than the first rate but not permit charging of the battery using one or more of the first rate and a second rate faster than the first rate.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the threshold number of additional charge instances varies based on the first rate.