Portable computer battery recovery and reconditioning mechanism

• US 7,570,019 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: MacNair, Douglas G. Jr., Taylor, Jay L., Barbian, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US11/103,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20050212488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112, 320/114, 320/128, 320/137, 320/131, 320/138
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

For recovering and reconditioning a smart battery, a functionally dead condition of the battery is detected. The battery includes an electronics unit. The electronics unit is operable for controlling an operating condition of the battery. In the functionally dead condition of the battery, the electronics unit becomes inoperable. While in this condition, a current limited trickle charge is provided to the battery such that the path of the trickle charge bypasses the inoperable electronics unit. Upon the battery receiving a sufficient amount of charge, the electronics unit regains control. The electronics unit reconditions the battery by recharging it to a fully charged state.

Claims

1. In an information handling system, a method for recovering a smart battery, the battery providing energy to at least one component of the information handling system, the method comprising:

providing a battery that provides power to an electronics unit that is operable to control an operating condition of the battery;

determining that the electronics unit is inoperable;

in response to determining that the electronics unit is inoperable, providing a charge to the battery through a first charge path that bypasses the electronics unit, wherein the charge provided to the battery is sufficient to charge the battery such that the electronics unit becomes operable;

detecting that the electronics unit has become operable; and

in response to detecting that the electronics unit has become operable, disabling the first charge path and providing a charge to the battery through a second charge path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge provided through the first charge path comprises a trickle charge that is provided for a predefined time interval.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the charge provided that is sufficient to charge the battery such that the electronics unit becomes operable is provided during the predetermined time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronics unit includes at least one battery charge and control line that interfaces with at least one external device.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

identifying the battery to be in a non-recoverable dead condition when the electronics unit continues to be inoperable upon providing the charge that is sufficient to charge the battery such that the electronics unit becomes operable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting that the electronics unit has become operable comprises:

activating the electronics unit in response to the battery receiving the charge that is sufficient to charge the battery such that the electronics unit becomes operable, the activation of the electronics unit causing the electronics unit to change from being inoperable to being operable;

changing the operating condition of the battery from a dead condition to an operable condition in response to the electronics unit being operable;

the at least one component detecting the electronics unit being operable; and

the at least one component disabling the first charge path and transferring charge control to the electronics unit in response to detecting the electronics unit being operable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge through the first charge path is a trickle charge, wherein the trickle charge is current limited.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronics unit being inoperable prevents the battery from receiving a charge through the second charge path.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronics unit is operable to recondition the battery by charging the battery to a fully charged condition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one component is a portable device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining that the electronics unit is inoperable is performed by a BIOS program of the at least one component.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to detecting that the electronics unit has become operable, the method further comprises:

changing the operating condition of the battery from functionally dead to operable.