Flexible cell battery systems and methods for powering information handling systems

• US 20110078470A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Qing Shun, Zhu, Wei Jian, Zhu, Qing Wei, Wang, Ligong
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The number of battery cells connected together in a main battery conductor path of a multiple cell battery system of an information handling system may be varied in real time based on one or more operating conditions (e.g., system load power consumption, battery cell failure, etc.) of the information handling system. Defective battery cells may be bypassed such that the defective battery system may continue to operate and power an information handling system at a lower voltage, e.g., either temporarily, permanently or temporarily until the user procures a suitable replacement battery system. Interconnection of cells of a non-defective multiple cell battery system may also be selectively re-arranged to vary battery system voltage at particular times or during particular information handling system operation modes.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a system load;

a battery system having a main battery conductor path coupled to power the system load, the battery system comprising;

battery cell circuitry including multiple battery cells coupled together in the main battery conductor path in at least one of series relationship, parallel relationship, or a combination thereof,

one or more switching devices coupled to selectively bypass or remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry;

at least one processing device coupled to control the one or more switching devices to selectively remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively vary the number of battery cells in the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry based on the amount of power consumed by the system load.

3. The information handling system of claim 2, wherein the system load comprises one or more components configured to operate in at least one power mode that consumes less power than at least one other power mode;

wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the one or more components of the system load operate in the power mode that consumes less power; and

wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively add one or more of the multiple battery cells into the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the one or more components of the system load operate in the power mode that consumes more power or when the battery system is undergoing recharging operations.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is coupled to monitor the voltage of each of the multiple battery cells of the battery cell circuitry;

and wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time so as to selectively bypass or remove one or more defective or degraded battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the defective or degraded voltage state of the one or more defective or degraded battery cells is detected such that any remaining non-defective or degraded battery cells remain electrically coupled within the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry and continue to supply power to the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry.

5. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time so as to selectively re-insert one or more of the removed defective or degraded battery cells back into the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the defective or degraded voltage state of the one or more defective or degraded battery cells is no longer detected to be present.

6. The information handling system of claim 4, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to disable the entire battery system to prevent it from supplying any power to the system load after first allowing the remaining non-defective or degraded battery cells to continue to supply power to the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry for a pre-determined operation time (T_OP) since time of first detection of a defective or degraded battery cell in the battery system.

7. The information handling system of claim 6, further comprising a video display device configured to display information to a user of the information handling system;

and wherein the at least one processing device is configured to generate a message for display to a user of the information handling system that informs the user of the pre-determined operation time (T_OP) remaining before the entire battery system is to be disabled.

8. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the information handling system is a portable information handling system;

wherein the battery system is a replaceable battery pack of the portable information handling system; and

wherein the at least one processing device is a battery management unit (BMU) of the replaceable battery pack.

9. A method of controlling a battery system of an information handling system, comprising:

providing a battery system having a main battery conductor path coupled to power a system load of the information handling system, the battery system comprising;

battery cell circuitry including multiple battery cells coupled together in the main battery conductor path in at least one of series relationship, parallel relationship, or a combination thereof,

one or more switching devices coupled to selectively bypass or remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry; and

controlling the one or more switching devices to selectively remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising controlling the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively vary the number of battery cells in the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry based on the amount of power consumed by the system load.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising operating one or more components of the system load of the information handling system in at least one power mode that consumes less power than at least one other power mode;

controlling the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the one or more components of the system load operate in the power mode that consumes less power; and

controlling the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively add one or more of the multiple battery cells into the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the one or more components of the system load operate in the power mode that consumes more power or when the battery system is undergoing recharging operations.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring the voltage of each of the multiple battery cells of the battery cell circuitry;

detecting the defective or degraded voltage state of one or more of the battery cells of the batter cell circuitry; and

controlling the one or more switching devices in real time so as to selectively bypass or remove the one or more detected defective or degraded battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the defective or degraded voltage state of the one or more defective or degraded battery cells is detected such that any remaining non-defective or degraded battery cells remain electrically coupled within the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry and continue to supply power to the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling the one or more switching devices in real time so as to selectively re-insert one or more of the removed defective or degraded battery cells back into the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the defective or degraded voltage state of the one or more defective or degraded battery cells is no longer detected to be present.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising disabling the entire battery system to prevent it from supplying any power to the system load of the information handling system after first allowing the remaining non-defective or degraded battery cells to continue to supply power to the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry for a pre-determined operation time (T_OP) since time of first detection of a defective or degraded battery cell in the battery system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the information handling system further comprises a video display device;

and the method further comprises generating a message and displaying the generated message to a user of the information handling system to inform the user of the pre-determined operation time (T_OP) remaining before the entire battery system is to be disabled.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the information handling system is a portable information handling system;

and wherein the battery system is a replaceable battery pack of the portable information handling system.

17. A replaceable smart battery pack configured for powering an information handling system, comprising:

a main battery conductor path configured for coupling to power the system load;

battery cell circuitry including multiple battery cells coupled together in the main battery conductor path in at least one of series relationship, parallel relationship, or a combination thereof;

one or more switching devices coupled to selectively bypass or remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry; and

at least one processing device coupled to control the one or more switching devices to selectively remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry.

18. The replaceable smart battery pack of claim 17, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively vary the number of battery cells in the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry based on the amount of power consumed by the system load.

19. The replaceable smart battery pack of claim 18, wherein the main battery conductor path is configured for coupling to one or more system load components of the information handling system that are configured to operate in at least one power mode that consumes less power than at least one other power mode;

wherein the at least one processing device of the replaceable smart battery pack is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively remove one or more of the multiple battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the one or more components of the system load operate in the power mode that consumes less power; and

wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time to selectively add one or more of the multiple battery cells into the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the one or more components of the system load operate in the power mode that consumes more power or when the smart battery pack is undergoing recharging operations.

20. The replaceable smart battery pack of claim 17, wherein the at least one processing device is coupled to monitor the voltage of each of the multiple battery cells of the battery cell circuitry;

and wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time so as to selectively bypass or remove one or more defective or degraded battery cells from the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the defective or degraded voltage state of the one or more defective or degraded battery cells is detected such that any remaining non-defective or degraded battery cells remain electrically coupled within the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry and continue to supply power to the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry.

21. The information handling system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to control the one or more switching devices in real time so as to selectively re-insert one or more of the removed defective or degraded battery cells back into the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry when the defective or degraded voltage state of the one or more defective or degraded battery cells is no longer detected to be present.

22. The replaceable smart battery pack of claim 17, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to disable the entire battery system to prevent it from supplying any power to the system load after first allowing the remaining non-defective or degraded battery cells to continue to supply power to the main battery conductor path of the battery cell circuitry for a pre-determined operation time (T_OP) since time of first detection of a defective or degraded battery cell in the battery system.