System and method for emulating an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) using a portable computer
AssigneeDell USA, L.P.
InventorsClint H. O'Connor, John J. Pearce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable computer including a chargeable battery and an AC line adapter controls the battery and adapter to emulate a full UPS-class device. A controller of the portable computer with the chargeable battery and the AC line adapter emulates the conventional operation of an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) and a serial cable connecting the UPS to the portable computer. The controller includes a software driver and Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) program code to emulate signals to and from the internal battery and the AC charger.
Claims48
A computer system comprising:
- a portable computer capable of executing application programs;
- a processor contained within the portable computer and operating as an executing processor of the portable computer;
- rechargeable battery contained within the portable computer and coupled to the processor for supplying operating power to the processor;
- a power input terminal for connection to an external line power source, the power input terminal coupled to the processor for supplying operating power from the line power source to the processor and coupled to the rechargeable battery for charging the rechargeable battery;
- and
- an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) software routine that executes concurrently with the executable application programs on the processor so that the portable computer emulates operation of a stand-alone UPS controller device concurrently with execution of the executable application programs.
An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) software routine that is executable on a portable computer capable of executing application programs and emulates operation of a stand-alone UPS device, the UPS software routine for executing on a processor contained within the portable computer and operating as an executing processor of the portable computer, the processor coupled to a rechargeable battery contained within the portable computer for supplying operating power to the portable computer and coupled to a power terminal that is connectable to an external line power source for supplying operating power to the portable computer, the power terminal being coupled to the rechargeable battery for charging the rechargeable battery, the UPS software routine being executable concurrently with the executable application programs and comprising:
- a computable executable routine that executes on the processor of the portable computer concurrently with execution of application programs and generates a signal indicative of a battery status and communicates the signal indicative of the battery status to the processor;
- and
- a computable executable routine that executes on the processor of the portable computer concurrently with the execution of application programs and generates a signal indicative of a line power status and communicates the signal indicative of the line power status to the processor.
A computer system comprising:
- a portable computer capable of executing application programs;
- a processor contained within the portable computer and operating as an executing processor of the portable computer;
- a rechargeable battery contained within the portable computer and coupled to the processor for supplying operating power to the processor;
- a power input terminal for connection to an external line power source, the power input terminal coupled to the processor for supplying operating power from the line power source to the processor and coupled to the rechargeable battery for charging the rechargeable battery;
- and
- an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) software routine that executes concurrently with the executable application programs on the processor so that the portable computer emulates operation of a stand-alone UPS device, the UPS software routine including:
- a UPS service routine;
- and
- a UPS emulation routine that executes concurrently with the executable application programs and interfaces to the rechargeable battery and interfacing to the line power source.
A method of operating a portable computer comprising:
- operating a portable computer including executing application programs, the portable computer containing an internal rechargeable battery and having a power terminal for connection to an external power source;
- and
- emulating operation of an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) concurrently with the executable application programs;
- and
- maintaining continuous operation of the portable computer throughout occurrences of brownouts and supply line dropouts via the emulating operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.