Battery charging system for notebook computer

• US 8,633,673 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Seethaler, Kenneth Scott, Estes, Larry Glenn, Carlson, Jeremy Robert, Yebka, Bouziane, Holung, Joseph Anthony, Yamaguchi, Hiromitsu, Wong, Tin-Lup
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US13/073,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

The apparatus includes an AC adapter input, a battery charger coupled to the input to charge a battery, a temperature sensor, and system logic to execute code stored on storage devices. The battery charger provides a charging current that is a function of temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. The charging current may also be a function of sensed barometric pressure, battery age, external temperature, a full charge capacity, and system power demand.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an AC adapter input;

a battery charger coupled to the input to charge a battery;

a temperature sensor;

system logic to execute code stored on storage devices;

wherein the battery charger provides a charging current that is a function of temperature sensed by the temperature sensor; and

an altimeter to sense barometric pressure in the apparatus and wherein the battery charger further provides a charging current that is a function of the sensed barometric pressure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the charging current is a further function of changing capacity of a battery to be charged.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the capacity of the battery to be charged is a function of actual capacity degradation as compared to a capacity degradation threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein a charging voltage is lower for subsequent recharging of the battery when the threshold is passed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a diode coupled between the adapter input and the battery charger to allow current to flow to the main battery charger and to the system logic.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising a diode coupled between the battery charger and the system logic to allow current to flow from the battery charger to the system logic.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the charging current is a function of a power profile of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery charge rate is dynamically limited as a function of age of the battery.

9. An apparatus comprising:

an AC adapter input;

a battery charger coupled to the input to charge a battery;

a battery;

a temperature sensor;

an altimeter to sense barometric pressure in the apparatus;

system logic to execute code stored on storage devices; and

wherein the battery charger provides a charging current that is a function of temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and is a function of the sensed barometric pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the charging current is selected from a table indexed by temperature and barometric pressure, and wherein the table is selected from a group of tables as a function of a power profile of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the charging current is a further function of changing capacity of a battery to be charged and wherein the capacity of the battery to be charged is a function of actual capacity degradation as compared to a capacity degradation threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a charging voltage is lower for subsequent recharging of the battery when the threshold is passed.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the battery charge rate is dynamically limited as a function of age of the battery.

14. A method comprising:

detecting a temperature of an apparatus;

detecting a barometric pressure of the apparatus; and

charging an apparatus battery with a charging current selected as a function of the detected temperature and barometric pressure of the apparatus.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the charging current is a further function of the age of the battery, and the charging current is reduced with increasing age of the battery.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the charging current is a further function of a power profile of the apparatus.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the charging current is a further function of a full charge capacity of the battery.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the full charge capacity of the battery is compared to an expected degradation curve, and wherein the charging voltage is reduced for subsequent charging of the battery when the curve is crossed.

19. The method of claim 14 and further comprising detecting an ambient temperature and wherein the charging current is a further function of the detected ambient temperature.