System and method for accessing diagnostic information

• US 8,405,512 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Timothy Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Jack K
• Application Number:
  US12/536,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20090309745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 340/635, 340/521, 340/584
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3093 Configuration details thereof, e.g. installation, enabling, spatial arrangement of the probes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/034 Test or assess a computer or a system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 : Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A technique is provided for accessing diagnostic information in an electronic device. In accordance with this technique, a system is provided for determining diagnostic information about a power source. In one embodiment, the system provides an interface to provide access to the diagnostic information. The system may further provide a memory, wherein the diagnostic information may be stored. The system may further be configured to provide access to the diagnostic information when the electronic device is non-operational.

Claims

1. A system for accessing diagnostic information on an electronic device comprising:

a power source;

a power source monitoring device coupled to the power source and configured to determine diagnostic information relating to the power source;

abuse detection circuitry configured to receive the diagnostic information determined by the power source monitoring device; and

an interface configured to facilitate communication between the electronic device and the external diagnostic device, wherein if the power source is non-operational, the interface is configured to provide power to the power source monitoring device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to provide a diagnostic mode of communication and a non-diagnostic mode of communication, and wherein the abuse detection circuitry is configured to communicate the diagnostic information to the external diagnostic device using the communication interface when the electronic device is operating in the diagnostic mode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the interface is further configured to facilitate communication between the electronic device and an external non-diagnostic device when the electronic device is not operating in the diagnostic mode.

4. The system of claim 3, comprising a communication selection circuit configured to select the diagnostic mode of communication when the external diagnostic device is coupled to the interface and to select the non-diagnostic mode of communication when the external non-diagnostic device is coupled to the interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises one or more rechargeable battery cells or one or more non-rechargeable batteries, or some combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic information comprises an operating current, average current draw, total capacity of the battery, amount of time required to charge and/or discharge the battery, number of charge/discharge cycles over the life of the battery, voltage, or operating temperature, or any combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the abuse detection circuitry receives the diagnostic information using a single wire interface, a multi-line bus interface, or a combination of such interfaces.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the power source monitoring device is configured to provide an indication to the abuse detection circuitry of a battery failure event when it is determined that the diagnostic information relating to the power source exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein, upon detection of the battery failure event, a record of the detected battery failure event is stored in a non-volatile memory device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the abuse detection circuitry is configured to at least temporarily disable operation of the electronic device upon occurrence of a battery failure event.

11. A system for accessing diagnostic information on an electronic device comprising:

a power source;

a power management unit coupled to the power source and configured to distribute power from the power source to one or more other components of the electronic device;

a power source monitoring device coupled to the power source and configured to determine and store diagnostic information relating to the power source; and

an interface configured to operate in a diagnostic mode and a non-diagnostic mode, wherein, if the interface is operating in the diagnostic mode, the diagnostic information stored in the power source monitoring device is accessible by an external diagnostic device separate from the electronic device, and if the power source is non-operational, the interface is configured to provide power to the power source monitoring device and the power management unit.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising a communication selection circuit electronically coupled to the interface, wherein the communication selection circuit is configured to operate the interface in one of the diagnostic and non-diagnostic modes depending at least partially upon whether the external diagnostic device is coupled to the interface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication selection circuit is integrated with the power management unit.

14. The system of claim 11, comprising a temperature sensing device configured to sense a temperature of the power source, wherein the power management unit is configured to disable the electronic device if the sensed temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the temperature sensing device comprises a thermal sensor, a thermistor, or some combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the power management unit comprises one or more data registers and is configured to store the diagnostic information relating to the power source into the one or more data registers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein storing the diagnostic information into the one or more data registers of the power management unit comprises reading the diagnostic information from the power source monitoring device through a single wire communication interface coupling the power management unit to the power source monitoring device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the reading of the diagnostic information from the power source monitoring device is performed in response to a command received from the external diagnostic device, and wherein the diagnostic information is accessible by the external diagnostic device through the one or more data registers.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions;

a storage device configured to store data, the data at least partially comprising instructions to be executed by the processor;

a power source;

a power source monitoring device coupled to the power source and configured to determine and store diagnostic information relating to the power source;

a power management unit coupled to the power source and configured to distribute power from the power source to one or more other components of the electronic device; and

an interface configured to facilitate communication between the electronic device and an external device, wherein, if the external device is a diagnostic device, the interface is configured to provide access to the diagnostic information by the diagnostic device, and if the power source is non-operational and the external device is a diagnostic device, the interface is configured to provide power to the power source monitoring device and the power management unit.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the power management unit comprises an undervoltage protection circuit configured to disable the electronic device at a predetermined voltage threshold.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the power source monitoring device is configured to remain operational and accessible by the diagnostic device below the predetermined voltage threshold.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the interface comprises at least a first data line and a second data line, wherein the interface is further configured to provide power via the first data line and provide single-wire bidirectional communication path via the second data line if the external device is the diagnostic device and the power source is non-operational, and wherein the interface is configured to provide an upstream communication path via the first data line and provide a downstream communication path via the second data line otherwise.

23. A method, comprising:

detecting the connection of an external diagnostic device with an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a power management unit, a power source, and a power source monitoring device is coupled to the power management unit and configured to determine diagnostic information relating to the power source;

establishing a communication path between the external diagnostic device and the power management unit of the electronic device;

entering a diagnostic mode of operation based at least partially upon the detection of the connection of the external diagnostic device; and

accessing the diagnostic information from the power source monitoring device when the electronic device is operating in the diagnostic mode of operation, wherein accessing the diagnostic information from the power source monitoring device comprises;

powering the power management unit using the external diagnostic device; and

receiving a command from the external diagnostic device, wherein, upon receiving the command, the power management unit is configured to read the diagnostic information from the power source monitoring device, store the diagnostic information into one or more data registers, and transmit the diagnostic information from the one or more data registers to the external diagnostic device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein entering the diagnostic mode of operation is performed in response to receiving a command from the external diagnostic device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein powering the power management unit using the external diagnostic device comprises reconfiguring a data line to transmit power from the external diagnostic device to the power management unit, wherein the data line is normally configured to transmit data when the electronic device is not operating in the diagnostic mode of operation.

26. A method for evaluating product returns comprising:

accessing diagnostic information stored in an electronic device, wherein accessing the diagnostic information comprises;

interfacing the electronic device with a separate diagnostic device and entering a diagnostic mode of operation;

establishing a connection between the diagnostic device and a power source monitoring device configured to determine and store diagnostic information relating to a power source; and

using the diagnostic device to read the diagnostic information from the power source monitoring device;

determining if the diagnostic information indicates that a battery failure in the electronic device that is a result of consumer abuse, wherein the determination of whether the battery failure is a result of consumer abuse comprises analyzing the diagnostic information read from the power source monitoring device and determining whether the power source is at least capable of operating within acceptable operating parameters, and wherein analyzing the diagnostic information comprises at least one of monitoring changes to the diagnostic information based on changes to the power source, isolating the power source from the electronic device, or replacing the power source, or some combination thereof; and

initiating a product return if the failure is not the result of consumer abuse.