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US 6,472,848 B2Granted
Reducing battery discharge current by throttling CPU power
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsChadwick W Stryker, Andrew L Van Brocklin
Life of this patent
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AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsChadwick W Stryker, Andrew L Van Brocklin
Estimating the term…
CPU power consumption is throttled in relation to the discharge current of a battery pack to prevent battery cells of the battery pack from reaching a critical temperature. When a discharge current measuring circuit detects that discharge current exceeds a threshold level, a throttle signal is activated. In response, a CPU stop control line is modulated to reduce CPU power consumption. When the discharge current falls below another threshold and/or after a prescribed time delay, the throttle signal is withdrawn. The duty cycle of the CPU stop control line is determined as a function of the excess discharge current (i.e., actual discharge current level less safety threshold current level). The more excessive the actual discharge current, the larger the duty cycle on the CPU stop modulation line, and the greater the degree that CPU power consumption is reduced.
An apparatus for reducing average discharge current of a battery pack, the battery pack supplying power to a portable computer, the apparatus comprising:
A computing system, comprising:
A method for reducing an excess discharge current from a battery, wherein said excess discharge current is relative to a threshold level, the method comprising the steps of:
An apparatus for reducing average discharge current of a battery pack, the battery pack supplying power to a portable computer, the apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.