US 9,178,368 B2 · System and method for information handling system battery charge protection and fault alarm

Abstract

An information handling system battery has first and second protective circuits to detect and address faults for a first charge applied from an external power source to an integrated charger and a second charge applied from a charger of an information handling system to battery cells. If the first protective circuit detects a fault associated with the integrated charger, charging of the battery cells is still supported by inserting the battery in an information handling system. If the second protective circuit detects a fault, the battery becomes inoperative by disconnecting the battery cells. An indicator, such as LEDs on the battery casing, indicates whether a soft or hard fault has occurred.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims17

Dependent claims

An information handling system comprising:

a housing;
processing components disposed in the housing and operable to process information;
and
a battery coupled to the housing, the battery having an integrated charger operable to accept power from an external power source, one or more cells operable to store power, a first integrated protection circuit associated with the integrated charger and operable to monitor power provided from the external power source and a second integrated protection circuit associated with the battery cells and separate from the first integrated protection circuit, the second integrated protection circuit operable to monitor power provided to the cells.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description2,472 words

Summary1,089 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system batteries, and more particularly to a system and method for enhanced battery charge protection and fault alarm.

#2. Description of the Related Art

Brief description of the drawings2 figures

#The present invention may be better understood, and its numerous objects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference number throughout the several figures designates a like or similar element.

#FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an information handling system having a battery with installed and separate charging capability; and

#FIG. 2 depicts a circuit diagram of a battery having protective circuits associated with an integrated charger and internal battery cells.

Detailed description1,297 words

#An enhanced battery fault detection and alarm monitors an integrated charger of the battery in addition to battery cells to differentiate a hard battery failure from a soft failure in which the battery remains chargeable by an information handling system. For purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any other suitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, and price. The information handling system may include random access memory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/or other types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives, one or more network ports for communicating with external devices as well as various input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a video display. The information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components.

#Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram depicts an information handling system 10 having a battery 12 with installed and separate charging capability. Information handling system 10 has plural processing components that cooperate to process information, such as a CPU 14, RAM 16, a hard drive disk 18, a chipset 20 and an embedded controller 22. The processing components are disposed in a portable housing 24 having a rotationally coupled lid 26 that contains a display 28 for presenting processed information as visual images. Information handling system 10 is powered by an external AC adapter 30 that converts external AC voltage to DC voltage and provides the DC voltage at a power connector 32. A charger 33 within information handling system 10 charges battery 12 with power from adapter 30 that is in excess of that needed to run the processing components. If adapter 30 is disconnected from information handling system 10, battery 12 discharges to provide power to run the processing components.

#Battery 12 is built in a casing 34 sized to fit in a cavity formed in housing 24 of information handling system 10. When casing 34 is properly aligned and inserted into the cavity, an internal power connector 36 disposed at the outer surface of casing 34 couples with a connector of information handling system 10 to interface charger 33 with battery 12. Internal power connector 36 accepts a charge that is regulated by charger 33 so that battery 12 reaches a fully charged state without damage. When casing 34 is removed from the cavity of information handling system 10, an external power source connector 38 is exposed that accepts power from AC adapter 30. A charger integrated in casing 34 regulates the power provided from adapter 30 to ensure that a proper charge is applied to battery 12.

Facts

Application

14/043,001Filed 1 Oct 2013 · continuation

Priority

24 Aug 2007

Published

US 2014/0035515 A16 Feb 2014

Granted

3 Nov 2015

Term ends

24 Aug 2027

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification10 codes

H02J 7/663
Including safety or protection arrangements: using battery or load disconnect circuits
H01M 10/44
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: methods for charging or discharging
H01M 10/48
Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells: accumulators combined with arrangements for…
H01M 10/488
Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte:…

Family

Application11/844,407Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Aug 2007

US 8,552,689 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Oct 2013

US 2014/0035515 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Feb 2014

US 2009/0051315 A1Published application

US 9,178,368 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

24 Aug 2007Priority claimedParent application 11/844,407
1 Oct 2013Application filedUS 14/043,001
2 Jan 2014Assigned to Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., AS First Lien Collateral Agentpatent security agreement (notes)
2 Jan 2014Assigned to Bank of America, N.A., AS Administrative Agentpatent security agreement (abl)
2 Jan 2014Assigned to Bank of America, N.A., AS Collateral Agentpatent security agreement (term loan)
6 Feb 2014PublishedUS 2014/0035515 A1
3 Nov 2015GrantedUS 9,178,368 B2
13 Sep 2016Assigned to Dell Marketing L.P., Asap Software Express, Inc., Appassure Software, Inc., Compellant Technologies, Inc., Credant Technologies, Inc., Dell Inc., Dell Products L.P., Dell USA L.P., Dell Software Inc., Force10 Networks, Inc., Perot Systems Corporation, Secureworks, Inc., Wyse Technology L.L.C.release of security interest
14 Sep 2016Assigned to Dell Marketing L.P., Asap Software Express, Inc., Appassure Software, Inc., Compellent Technologies, Inc., Credant Technologies, Inc., Dell Inc., Dell Products L.P., Dell USA L.P., Dell Software Inc., Force10 Networks, Inc., Perot Systems Corporation, Secureworks, Inc., Wyse Technology L.L.C.release of security interest
14 Sep 2016Assigned to Dell Marketing L.P., Asap Software Express, Inc., Appassure Software, Inc., Compellent Technologies, Inc., Credant Technologies, Inc., Dell Inc., Dell Products L.P., Dell USA L.P., Dell Software Inc., Force10 Networks, Inc., Perot Systems Corporation, Secureworks, Inc., Wyse Technology L.L.C.release of security interest
21 Sep 2016Assigned to Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, AS Collateral Agentsecurity agreement
21 Sep 2016Assigned to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., AS Notes Collateral Agentsecurity agreement
21 Mar 2019Assigned to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.security agreement
22 Apr 2020Assigned to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.security agreement
3 Nov 2021Assigned to Asap Software Express, Inc., Aventail LLC, Credant Technologies, Inc., Dell USA L.P., Dell International, L.L.C., Dell Marketing L.P., Dell Products L.P., Dell Software Inc., Dell Systems Corporation, Emc Corporation, Emc IP Holding Company LLC, Force10 Networks, Inc., Maginatics LLC, Mozy, Inc., Scaleio LLC, Wyse Technology L.L.C.release of security interest
26 Apr 2022Assigned to Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Asap Software Express, Inc.), Dell Marketing L.P. (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Credant Technologies, Inc.), Dell USA L.P., Dell International L.L.C., Dell Products L.P., Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Force10 Networks, Inc. and Wyse Technology L.L.C.), Emc Corporation (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Maginatics LLC), Emc IP Holding Company LLC (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Mozy, Inc.), Scaleio LLCrelease of security interest in patents previously recorded at reel/frame (040136/0001)
20 May 2022Assigned to Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Asap Software Express, Inc.), Dell Marketing L.P. (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Credant Technologies, Inc.), Dell USA L.P., Dell International L.L.C., Dell Products L.P., Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Force10 Networks, Inc. and Wyse Technology L.L.C.), Emc Corporation (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Maginatics LLC), Emc IP Holding Company LLC (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Mozy, Inc.), Scaleio LLCrelease of security interest in patents previously recorded at reel/frame (045455/0001)
23 Jun 2022Assigned to Dell Marketing L.P. (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Credant Technologies, Inc.), Dell International L.L.C., Dell Products L.P., Dell USA L.P., Emc Corporation, Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Force10 Networks, Inc. and Wyse Technology L.L.C.), Emc IP Holding Company LLCrelease of security interest in patents previously recorded at reel/frame (053546/0001)
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
24 Aug 2027Term endsEstimated

System and method for information handling system battery charge protection and fault alarm

Life of this patent

System and method for information handling system battery charge protection and fault alarm

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims17

Description2,472 words

Drawings

Classification10 codes

Life of this patent

Description2,472 words