Extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage

Abstract

This document describes techniques for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. These techniques delay charging of the battery to detect the battery condition and determine if the battery was exposed to high temperatures while in an idle or low-power state for an extended period of time. These techniques include methodologies for loosening and refreshing the battery's anode surface through a unique regulated discharge after high-temperature storage and before commencing a "normal" charging profile. These techniques may be applied to a wide range of chemistry platforms that may have kinetic (Li-ion) limitations to extend the long life of batteries by reducing lithium plating and capacity degradation caused by long-term high-temperature storage.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] background Many battery-powered devices are deployed outdoors and are exposed to high temperature environments, especially when exposed to direct sunlight. However, long-term exposure to such high temperatures can degrade the battery. For some outdoor devices (e.g., devices used as part of a "smart home" system, mobile devices), it is desirable to have a battery that can withstand high temperature exposure for safety and long life (e.g., more than 3 years).

[0002] Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are susceptible to degradation at higher temperatures, resulting in accelerated aging, overvoltage, and gassing. Li-ion batteries are also susceptible to degradation at lower voltages, resulting in copper dissolution and gassing. To prevent such degradation, many Li-ion batteries are maintained at a mid-range state-of-charge (SOC) (e.g., 30%-80% SOC) for long life. Such a mid-range SOC is generally considered stable for Li-ion batteries.

[0003] Some batteries may experience thermal events after being stored for an extended period of time (e.g., more than a week) and allowed to equilibrate to room temperature, and then charged. These thermal events may be caused by Li plating on the anode surface of the battery due to high temperature storage, which affected the kinetic (diffusion) processes of the graphite / anode material upon subsequent room temperature charging from such conditions, especially at medium and low states of charge. The battery also generated heat and released exothermic energy due to electrolyte reduction of lithium metal on the graphite / anode surface. These thermal events cause capacity degradation and consumption of active lithium, reducing the life of the battery. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] overview This document describes techniques for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. These techniques delay charging of the battery to detect the battery condition and determine if the battery was exposed to high temperatures while in an idle or low-power state for an extended period of time. These techniques include methodologies for loosening and refreshing the battery's anode surface through a unique regulated discharge after high-temperature storage and before commencing a "normal" charging profile. These techniques may be applied to a wide range of chemistry platforms that may have kinetic (Li-ion) limitations to extend the long life of batteries by reducing lithium plating and capacity degradation caused by long-term high-temperature storage.

[0005] In some aspects, a method performed by an electronic device is disclosed. The method includes detecting an electrical connection to an external power source for charging a battery of the electronic device, and delaying charging of the battery in response to the detecting. The method further includes determining one or more current battery conditions and determining a previous battery condition of the battery between a most recent charging event and a time of detecting the electrical connection to the external power source. In some implementations, the previous battery conditions include temperature data and battery usage data of the battery. In some implementations, the battery usage data indicates that the battery was in an idle or low power state for a duration. The method also includes determining a value indicative of an average temperature of the battery for the duration based on the temperature data. In addition, the method includes applying a discharge mode before initiating a charge mode for the battery based on the one or more current battery conditions, the duration being greater than a time threshold, and the value indicative of the average temperature being greater than a temperature threshold. In some implementations, the discharge mode is configured to discharge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of discharge profiles. The method also includes applying a charge mode to charge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of charge profiles after completion of the discharge mode.

[0006] In another aspect, an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes a battery for providing power to the electronic device, a memory for storing computer-executable instructions, and a processor for executing the instructions stored in the memory to implement a battery manager module. The battery manager module is configured to detect an electrical connection to an external power source for charging a battery of the electronic device, and in response to the detection, delay charging of the battery to perform a health check of the battery. The battery manager module is also configured to determine one or more current battery conditions and determine a previous battery condition of the battery between a most recent charging event and a time of detection of the electrical connection to the external power source. In some implementations, the previous battery condition includes temperature data and battery usage data of the battery, the battery usage data indicating that the battery was in an idle or low power state for a duration. Additionally, the battery manager module is further configured to determine a value indicative of an average temperature of the battery for the duration based on the temperature data. The battery manager module is also configured to apply a discharge mode prior to initiating a charge mode for the battery based on one or more current battery conditions, the duration being greater than a time threshold, and the value indicative of an average temperature being greater than a temperature threshold, the discharge mode being configured to discharge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of discharge profiles, for example to relax and refresh an anode structure of the battery. Additionally, the battery manager module is configured to apply a charge mode to charge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of charge profiles after completion of the discharge mode.

[0007] This Summary is provided to introduce simplified concepts of extending battery life after long-term and high temperature storage, which are further described in the Detailed Description below. This Summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Details of one or more aspects of extending battery life after long term and high temperature storage are described in this document with reference to the following drawings, in which like numbers are used throughout to reference like features and components. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example implementation of a battery-powered electronic device in accordance with techniques described herein. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example implementation of the electronic device from FIG. 1 in more detail. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary basic structure of a lithium-ion battery. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary implementation of graphite anode material charge / discharge kinetics for a Li-ion battery. [Diagram 5] 2 illustrates an example implementation of the battery manager module from FIG. 1 in greater detail. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary method for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 illustrates a method for generally relaxing and refreshing the anode surface of a battery prior to charging the battery in an electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Detailed Description This document describes techniques for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. The techniques described herein track how long the battery has been idle or operating at low power before its next charging cycle, and how long it has been exposed to higher temperatures for a relatively long period of time. When charging, immediate charging is delayed until the system can calculate and determine whether normal charging is acceptable or if a battery long-life technique is to be implemented. If a battery long-life technique is available, depending on the chemistry platform and the SOC of the battery, the battery is first discharged at a slow or pulsed rate, and then charged at a slow or pulsed rate to allow the anode structure to relax and refresh before commencing a normal charging profile.

[0011] The approaches described herein provide enhanced safety, reliability, performance, and durability / longevity for batteries. For example, implementing the described approaches reduces lithium plating on the anode structure of the battery, which in turn reduces potential exothermic energy release. Using these approaches also provides a wider outdoor operating temperature range for the device by increasing the durability of the device after high temperature storage. Additionally, these approaches reduce the capacity degradation of the battery, which enhances the long-term performance and durability of the battery, provides longer cycle life, and enhances battery longevity.

[0012] In a first example, a battery-powered device is exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time while the battery is at a mid-range SOC. In such an example, assume that a battery-powered camera located in Phoenix, Arizona during the summer is fully charged and placed in a relatively low activity area leaving the camera idle for the majority of the time. At some point, a user takes the camera indoors to charge, which reduces the temperature of the camera's battery and slows the battery dynamics. The user plugs in the camera to charge. The battery manager module detects that (i) the battery has not discharged at a rate greater than a threshold discharge rate (e.g., discharge rate C / 50) for an extended period of time, (ii) the battery SOC is at a mid-range SOC (e.g., 30%-80% SOC), and (iii) the battery temperature has averaged above a threshold temperature (e.g., 70° C.) for a longer than a threshold amount of time (e.g., greater than a week). Due to these conditions, the battery manager module implements a charge delay and initiates a battery health check. Then, instead of immediately charging the battery, the battery manager module first discharges the battery, for example at a discharge rate of C / 50 for 5 minutes, then at a discharge rate of C / 5 for 1 minute. Following the discharge, a pre-charge is performed, for example at a charge rate of C / 50 for 30 seconds, then at a charge rate of C / 5 for 3 minutes. After the discharge and pre-charge are completed, the battery manager module begins the normal charging profile.

[0013] In another example, a battery-powered camera is exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time while the battery is in an idle or low-power state with a low range SOC. In this case, the battery-powered camera is located in Phoenix, Arizona (in the summer), fully charged, and placed near a moderately high activity area. There is initially significant activity that drives the battery to less than 30% SOC, and then the family goes on vacation for two weeks. During this two-week period, the camera is idle the majority of the time. The family returns home and brings the camera inside to charge. The battery manager module detects that (i) the battery has not discharged for an extended period of time, e.g., at a rate greater than a discharge rate of C / 50, (ii) the battery SOC is less than, e.g., 30%, and (iii) the battery temperature has averaged, e.g., 67° C., for more than a week. Based on these conditions, the battery manager module triggers a charge delay and initiates a battery health check. The battery manager module then initiates a low frequency pulse discharge at, for example, 1 Hertz (Hz) at a discharge rate of C / 50 for 5 minutes, followed by a high frequency pulse discharge at, for example, 1 kilohertz (kHz) at a discharge rate of C / 5 for 1 minute, followed by a pre-charge at, for example, a charge rate of C / 50 for 30 seconds, followed by a charge rate of, for example, C / 5 for 3 minutes. After completion of the pulse discharge and pre-charge, the battery manager module initiates a normal charge profile.

[0014] In yet another example, a battery-powered camera is exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time while the battery is drained. In this example, the battery-powered camera is placed in a high activity area with activity triggering the camera's operation (e.g., via a motion detection sensor) so that the battery is drained to 0% SOC and the camera is turned off. A family member then goes on vacation for two weeks without charging the camera. During this two-week period, the camera remains off. The family member then returns home, takes the camera inside, and plugs it into a power source for charging. Initially, there is a charging delay because the system powers up using an external power source, but the battery is too low for the system to start up. The battery may also be in an undervoltage protection (UVP) state and have zero voltage output. The battery manager module triggers a battery health check, and the system checks to estimate whether the battery was likely exposed to high temperatures based on geographic location and location temperature correlation with internal device temperature (historically or to similar devices in close proximity). The battery manager module detects that (i) the battery has not discharged for an extended period of time, e.g., at a rate greater than a discharge rate of C / 50, (ii) the battery SOC is, e.g., below 0% (e.g., in the range of 3.0 volts (V) to 1.0 V), and (iii) the battery temperature has averaged, e.g., perhaps 71° C., for more than a week. Due to these conditions, the battery manager module initiates a default pre-charge profile to slowly charge the battery, e.g., at C / 50 for 60 seconds or until a UVP threshold is reached and the battery can stably close the discharge field-effect transistor (FET) (e.g., there is no voltage bounce to open it again), and then charges the battery, e.g., at C / 5 for 5 minutes at a threshold of >3.0 V or when the chemistry has transitioned from the pre-charge state to the fast-charge state.After the pre-charge sequence, the battery manager module discharges the battery (e.g., at a discharge rate of C / 50 for 5 minutes, then at a discharge rate of C / 5 for 1 minute) and then pre-charges the battery (e.g., at a charge rate of C / 50 for 30 seconds, then at a charge rate of C / 5 for 3 minutes) before entering normal charge mode at room temperature to charge the battery to 100% SOC.

[0015] While the features and concepts of the described approaches for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage may be implemented in any number of different environments, several aspects are described in the context of the following examples.

[0016] Exemplary Devices FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary implementation 100 of a battery-powered electronic device according to the techniques described herein. The illustrated example includes an electronic device 102 having a battery 104 that provides power to the electronic device 102. The electronic device 102 also includes a battery manager module 106, which is configured to monitor and manage the battery 104, including controlling charging events of the battery 104 and monitoring battery health. The battery manager module 106 is configured to check the battery health and provide notifications (e.g., alerts) upon detecting a problem with the battery 104. By controlling charging events, the battery manager module 106 can optimize charging of the battery 104 to reduce chemical degradation and ion consumption within the battery 104, thereby extending the life of the battery 104. In aspects, a charging event occurs when the electronic device 102 is coupled to an external power source 108 (e.g., an outlet, a power bank, a computing device) that provides current to the electronic device 102. The coupling to the external power source 108 may be a wired connection (eg, a cable) or may be a wireless connection (eg, using an induction coil).

[0017] The battery 104 may be any suitable rechargeable battery. An exemplary battery 104 as described herein (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. Any suitable Li-ion battery chemistry may be implemented.

[0018] The battery manager module 106 includes a battery charge manager 110 and a battery status manager 112. The battery charge manager 110 is configured to create and select a pre-charge profile 114, a charge profile 116, and a discharge profile 118 for charging and discharging the battery 104, respectively. The pre-charge profile 114 and the charge profile 116 define a charge rate and a corresponding time period for charging the battery 104. Any of the pre-charge profile 114 and / or the charge profile 116 may be a step profile that adjusts (e.g., increases or decreases) the charge rate and / or the corresponding time period of each step. The discharge profile 118 defines a discharge rate and a corresponding time period for discharging the battery 104. Any of the discharge profiles 118 may be a step profile that adjusts (e.g., increases or decreases) the discharge rate and / or the corresponding time period of each step.

[0019] The battery status manager 112 determines battery usage data 120 over a first period of time from the most recent charging event to when a connection to the external power source 108 is detected (or when a battery charging request is received). The battery usage data 120 may indicate a duration (e.g., a second period within the first period) that the battery 104 was in an idle state (including an off state) or in a low power state. During an idle or low power state, the electronic device 102 is effectively "stored" rather than "in use."

[0020] The battery status manager 112 may also determine temperature data 122 and state of charge data 124 (SOC data 124) during the first time period. In another example, the battery status manager 112 may determine temperature data 122 and SOC data only during the second time period, which may reduce latency and computational requirements.

[0021] The temperature data 122 may include an internal temperature (e.g., historical temperature) of the battery 104 over a first period of time or a second period of time. The battery status manager 112 may calculate a value indicative of an average temperature of the battery 104 over the second period of time, which may be used to determine whether the battery 104 has been exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time. In some aspects, the temperature data 122 may be estimated based on an environmental temperature in an area corresponding to the location (e.g., geographic location) of the electronic device 102. The environmental temperature may be obtained from a server over a network (e.g., network 126).

[0022] The SOC data 124 may include the current SOC (e.g., 0%, 2%, 10%, 23%, 30%, 50%, 80%, 98%) of the battery 104 when the electronic device 102 is electrically coupled to the external power source 108. In another example, the current SOC data may represent the SOC of the battery 104 at the time of a charging event (e.g., some time after the external power source 108 was connected to the electronic device 102).

[0023] The electronic device 102 may also be configured to communicate with one or more devices or servers through the network 126. By way of example and not limitation, the electronic device 102 may communicate data through a local-area-network (LAN), a wireless local-area-network (WLAN), a personal-area-network (PAN), a wide-area-network (WAN), an intranet, the Internet, a peer-to-peer network, a point-to-point network, or a mesh network.

[0024] Consider now Fig. 2, which illustrates in more detail one exemplary implementation of the electronic device from Fig. 1. The electronic device 102 of Fig. 2 is shown with various exemplary devices, including a smartphone 102-1, a tablet 102-2, a laptop 102-3, a security camera 102-4, a computing watch 102-5, computing glasses 102-6, a gaming system 102-7, a video recording doorbell 102-8, and a speaker 102-9. The electronic device 102 may also include other devices, such as televisions, entertainment systems, audio systems, projectors, automobiles, drones, track pads, drawing pads, netbooks, e-readers, home security systems, and other home appliances. It should be noted that the electronic device 102 may be mobile, wearable, non-wearable but mobile, or relatively non-mobile (e.g., desktop and appliances).

[0025] The electronic device 102 includes a battery (e.g., battery 104). The battery 104 may be any suitable rechargeable battery. In one example, the battery 104 may be a Li-ion battery. A variety of different Li-ion battery chemistries may be implemented, some examples of which include lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4 spinel, or Li2MnO3-based lithium-rich layered material, LMR-NMC), and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNiMnCoO2, Li-NMC, LNMC, NMC, or NCM). Many batteries are susceptible to chemical degradation at higher voltages (e.g., above 80% SOC) and lower voltages (e.g., below 20% SOC). Due to this susceptibility, battery life can be significantly extended if the battery is maintained (used and stored) at a mid-range SOC (e.g., 20%-80%, including about 50%). Many batteries are also susceptible to thermal events above 60°C, including thermal runaway. Due to their chemistry, some batteries can withstand temperatures up to 80°C before experiencing a thermal event. Additional thermal events have been observed when batteries are stored in the mid-range SOC (e.g., idle or at lower power states) at elevated temperatures (e.g., above 60°C or 80°C) for extended periods of time. In such conditions, cells within the battery may expand with gas and, in some cases, open the seals and thermally decompose the outer nylon pouch material.

[0026] The electronic device 102 includes one or more processors 202 (e.g., any of a microprocessor, controller, or other controller) capable of processing various computer-executable instructions to control the operation of the electronic device 102 and to enable techniques for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. Alternatively or in addition, the processor 202 may be implemented using any one or combination of hardware elements, firmware, or fixed logic circuitry implemented in association with processing and control circuits. Although not shown, the electronic device 102 may include a system bus or data transfer system that couples various components within the device. The system bus may include any one or combination of different bus structures, such as a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a universal serial bus, and / or a processor or local bus utilizing any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0027] The electronic device 102 also includes computer-readable media (CRM) 204, such as one or more memory devices that allow for persistent and / or non-transitory (i.e., as opposed to merely signal transmission) data storage, examples of which include random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., any one or more of read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and disk storage devices. The disk storage devices may be embodied as any type of magnetic or optical storage device, such as a hard disk drive, a recordable and / or rewritable compact disc (CD), any type of digital versatile disc (DVD), etc.

[0028] The computer readable medium 204 provides various device applications 206, an operating system 208, memory / storage, and data storage mechanisms for storing other types of information and / or data related to operational aspects of the electronic device 102. For example, the operating system 208 may be maintained as a computer application in the computer readable medium 204 and executed by the processor 202 to provide some or all of the functionality described herein. The device applications 206 may include a device manager, such as any form of control application, software application, or signal processing and control module. The device applications 206 may also include system components, engines, or managers for implementing techniques for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage, such as the battery manager module 106. The electronic device 102 may also include or have access to one or more machine learning systems.

[0029] In addition to the battery manager module 106, the CRM 204 may also include a cycle counter 210 and a temperature module 212. The cycle counter 210 tracks the amount of charge and discharge cycles of the battery 104. The cycle counter 210 may also account for partial cycles, such as when the battery 104 is not fully discharged before charging begins, or when the battery 104 is not fully charged before discharging begins. The cycle counter 210 may also track when charging events (e.g., charging the battery 104) occur and provide an indication of when the most recent charging event occurred. Such an indication may be used to determine the amount of time between two charging events, including between a current charging event and a most recent charging event.

[0030] The temperature module 212 determines the temperature of the battery 104. In aspects, the temperature module 212 monitors the temperature of the battery 104 over time to provide temperature data 122 (e.g., temperature data 122 of FIG. 1). The temperature data 122 may be used to determine the temperature of the battery 104 over the length of time between two charging events. The temperature data 122 is also used to determine whether the battery 104 was exposed to high temperatures while it was in an idle or low power state for an extended period of time (e.g., a period greater than a time threshold).

[0031] The temperature module 212 may also estimate a temperature to which the battery 104 was likely exposed during the off state of the electronic device 102. For example, the temperature module 212 may use weather information (e.g., weather information obtained from a server for a geographic region (e.g., place, location, area, city) corresponding to the location of the electronic device 102) in combination with historical temperature data of the electronic device 102 to estimate (e.g., extrapolate) a temperature to which the battery 104 was likely exposed during the off state. For example, if the battery temperature typically reaches, e.g., 70° C. when the ambient temperature is about 40° C., the temperature module 212 may estimate that the battery temperature was likely about 70° C., assuming that the ambient temperature was 40° C. when the battery was in the off state. The estimated battery temperature may be determined in any suitable manner, including algorithmically or using a lookup table.

[0032] Various implementations of the battery manager module 106 may include or communicate with a system-on-chip (SoC), one or more integrated circuits (ICs), a processor having embedded processor instructions or configured to access processor instructions stored in memory, hardware having embedded firmware, a printed circuit board having various hardware components, or any combination thereof.

[0033] The electronic device 102 may also include a communication module 214 (e.g., a network interface). The electronic device 102 may use the communication module 214 to communicate data over a wired, wireless, or optical network (e.g., the network 126). By way of example and not limitation, the communication module 214 may communicate data over a local area network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a personal area network (PAN), a wide area network (WAN), an intranet, the Internet, a peer-to-peer network, a point-to-point network, or a mesh network. The communication module 214 may be implemented as one or more of a serial and / or parallel interface, a wireless interface, any type of network interface, a modem, or any other type of communication interface. Using the communication module 214, the electronic device 102 may communicate via a cloud computing service (e.g., the network 126) to access a platform having resources. In some aspects, the electronic device 102 may use the communication module 214 to search for software updates, allowing the battery manager module 106 to be updated and / or implemented on the electronic device 102.

[0034] The electronic device 102 also includes one or more sensors 216, which may include any of a variety of sensors including an audio sensor (e.g., a microphone), a touch input sensor (e.g., a touch screen, a fingerprint sensor, a capacitive touch sensor), an image capture device (e.g., a camera or video camera), a proximity sensor (e.g., a capacitive sensor), or an ambient light sensor (e.g., a photodetector).

[0035] The electronic device 102 may also include a display device (e.g., display device 218). The display device 218 may include any suitable touch-sensitive display device, such as a touch screen, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor (TFT) LCD, an in-place switching (IPS) LCD, a capacitive touch screen display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, a Super AMOLED display, etc. The display device 218 may be referred to as a display or a screen, such as digital content is displayed on the screen.

[0036] Although not shown, the electronic device 102 also includes an I / O interface for receiving and providing data. For example, the I / O interface may include one or more of a touch-sensitive input, a capacitive button, a microphone, a keyboard, a mouse, an accelerometer, a display, a light-emitting diode (LED) indicator, a speaker, or a haptic feedback device.

[0037] In addition to the above, a user may be provided with controls that allow the user to select both when the systems, programs, or features described herein may enable the collection of user information (e.g., information about the user's social network, social actions or activities, occupation, user preferences, the user's current location, the user's calendar schedule, or the user's scheduled activities) and when the user is sent content or communications from the server. In addition, some data may be processed in one or more ways such that personally identifiable information is removed before it is stored or used. For example, the user's identity may be processed such that personally identifiable information about the user cannot be determined, or if location information is obtained, the user's geographic location may be generalized (e.g., to the city, zip code, or state level) such that the user's specific location cannot be determined. Thus, a user may have control over what information is collected about the user, how that information is used, and what information is provided to the user.

[0038] These and other capabilities and configurations, and the manner in which the entities of Figures 1 and 2 act and interact, are described in more detail below. These entities may be further divided or combined. The implementation 100 of Figure 1 and the detailed illustrations of Figures 2-9 show some of the many possible environments, devices, and methods in which the described techniques may be employed individually or in combination with one another.

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary basic structure 300 of a lithium-ion battery. The battery 104 includes an anode 302 (e.g., graphite) and a cathode 304 (e.g., metal oxide) separated by an electrolyte solution 306 (e.g., lithium salt in an organic solvent) and a porous separator 308 (e.g., polyethylene film, polypropylene film). Upon discharging and / or charging the battery 104, lithium ions 310 migrate through the electrolyte 306. Under storage, a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer 312 grows on the anode 302. Over time, the SEI layer 312 begins to establish an equilibrium and grow on the anode 302, which reduces the capacity of the battery 104 by preventing Li ions from intercalating into the anode 302. As described herein, the discharge / charge sequence of the battery 104 can be manipulated to accommodate the timing associated with the SEI layer.

[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates one exemplary implementation 400 of graphite anode material charge / discharge kinetics for a Li-ion battery. Generally, a Li-ion battery includes a graphite layered structure (e.g., anode 302). In the illustrated example, the graphite layered structure is shown at various stages of charge (e.g., stage-1 402, stage-2 404, stage-3 406, stage-4 408, stage-5 410). Stage-1 402 represents a fully discharged battery (e.g., low SOC) where the graphite layered structure (e.g., anode 302) is substantially free of lithium. On the other side, stage-5 410 represents a fully charged battery (e.g., high SOC) where the graphite layered structure is filled with lithium. Stage-3 406 represents an intermediate SOC (e.g., about 50% charge) where the graphite layered structure is half filled with lithium.

[0041] As shown, at mid-range and low-range SOC, the graphite structure is more closed versus the more open graphite structure at higher SOC. For example, the distance 412-1 between the graphite layers at mid-range and lower SOC is less than the distance 412-2 between the graphite layers at higher SOC. Thus, after longer high-temperature storage and subsequent charging at room temperature, the anode / graphite surface with the SEI layer (e.g., SEI layer 312 from FIG. 3) and structure require time to relax and refresh before commencing a “normal” charging profile. The methodology to relax and refresh the anode / graphite surface after high-temperature storage is via a unique conditioned discharge that occurs prior to the normal charging profile, as described herein.

[0042] Figure 5 illustrates in more detail an example implementation 500 of the battery manager module 106 from Figure 1. The battery manager module 106 controls the charging operation of the battery 104 of the electronic device 102. In aspects, the battery manager module 106 switches between a discharge mode 502, a pre-charge mode 504, and / or a charge mode 506 upon initiating a charging event for the battery 104.

[0043] The discharge mode 502 includes a plurality of discharge profiles 118 (e.g., discharge profile-A 118-1, discharge profile-B 118-2, ..., discharge profile-N 118-3). The discharge mode 502 is selected and applied to discharge the battery 104. The discharge profile 118 is selected to define at least one discharge rate and a corresponding duration for discharging the battery 104 at the discharge rate. In some aspects, the discharge profile 118 defines a sequence of discharge rates and corresponding time periods such that application of the discharge profile 118 sequentially applies the discharge rates according to the corresponding time periods. The discharge profile 118 may be a step profile that steps from one discharge rate to the next discharge rate in a step-by-step manner. A particular discharge profile 118 may be selected based on the battery state (e.g., SOC, usage, high temperature exposure, current temperature) determined by the battery state manager 112 from FIG. 1. In this manner, the discharge profile 118 is selectable to tailor the discharge to the current state of the battery 104.

[0044] In operation, the discharge profile 118 first starts at a slow discharge rate for a first predefined amount of time, and then increases (e.g., steps up) the discharge rate to a faster rate for a second predefined amount of time. Any suitable discharge rate may be used. In one example, the discharge profile 118 starts at a discharge rate of C / 50 for 5 minutes, and then steps up (or increases) to a discharge rate of C / 5 for 1 minute.

[0045] The pre-charge mode 504 includes multiple pre-charge profiles 114 (e.g., pre-charge profile-A 114-1, pre-charge profile-B 114-2, ..., pre-charge profile-N 114-3). A pre-charge profile may initiate a slow charge rate for a first amount of time and then step up the charge rate to an increased charge rate for a second amount of time. Typically, the pre-charge mode 504 is applied after the discharge mode 502 and before the charge mode 506. Any suitable charge rate that is significantly slower than the normal charge rate may be used. In one example, the pre-charge profile 114 may mirror a previously applied discharge profile 118 (e.g., the pre-charge profile 114 may specify the same rate and time as the discharge profile 118 for charging the battery 104 rather than discharging it). However, the selected pre-charge profile 114 may specify a charge rate that is different from the discharge rate specified by the selected discharge profile 118. In one example, a pre-charge profile 114 is selected that defines a first pre-charge rate of C / 50 for 30 seconds and a second pre-charge rate of C / 5 for 3 minutes.

[0046] The charging mode 506 includes multiple charging profiles 116 (e.g., charging profile-A 116-1, charging profile-B 116-2, ..., charging profile-N 116-3). The charging profiles 116 define a "normal" charging profile, which may be an industry standard charging rate. A typical normal charging profile may include a fast charging rate, which may step down as the battery approaches full charge. An exemplary normal charging profile 116 may charge at a 3C charging rate, then step down to a 2C charging rate, then to a 1C charging rate, then to a C / 2 charging rate as the device slowly begins to match the voltage and balance the polarization.

[0047] Exemplary Methods 6, 7, and 8 depict exemplary methods 600, 700, and 800, respectively, for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. Methods 600, 700, and 800 can be performed by electronic device 102, which uses battery manager module 106 to apply battery longevity techniques to loosen and refresh the anode surface of battery 104 after long-term and high-temperature storage before charging battery 104 according to a normal charging profile. Methods 600, 700, and 800 collectively provide enhanced safety, reliability, performance, and durability / longevity for battery 104 and electronic device 102. Methods 600 and 800 are complementary to and are optionally performed together with method 700.

[0048] Methods 600, 700, and 800 are illustrated as a set of blocks that specify operations to be performed, but are not necessarily limited to the order or combination shown for performing the operations by each block. Also, any one or more of the operations may be repeated, combined, rearranged, or linked to provide a wide range of additional and / or alternative methods. In parts of the following description, reference may be made to the example implementation 100 of FIG. 1, or to entities or processes as detailed in FIGS. 2-5. Such references are made for illustrative purposes only. The methodology is not limited to execution by one entity or multiple entities operating on one device.

[0049] At 602, an electrical connection to an external power source for charging the battery is detected. For example, the battery manager module 106 detects that the electronic device 102 is plugged into a power source (e.g., a wall outlet, a power bank, another electronic device). In aspects, the detection is based on a request to charge the battery 104 received from another component of the electronic device 102. The detection may also, or alternatively, be based on an increase in voltage and / or current provided to the battery 104 from an external power source (e.g., the external power source 108).

[0050] At 604, charging of the battery is delayed to perform a health check on the battery. For example, the battery manager module 106 delays charging of the battery 104 to request or initiate a battery health check.

[0051] At 606, the current battery status is determined. For example, the battery manager module 106 communicates with the battery status manager 112 to perform a battery health check to determine the current battery status. The battery health check may include measuring or detecting the current SOC of the battery 104 and the current temperature of the battery 104.

[0052] At 608, a previous battery state is determined between the most recent charging event and the current time (e.g., when an electrical connection was detected). In one example, the battery state manager 112 frequently determines the battery 104 usage (e.g., operating state), SOC, temperature, and corresponding timestamps and stores this information in raw form in memory (e.g., buffer, storage medium, memory medium, cache). Using this raw data, the battery state manager 112 (or battery manager module 106) can obtain information regarding whether the battery 104 was exposed to high temperatures for a relatively long duration during an idle or low power state between the most recent charging event and the current time. Method 600 then proceeds to "A", which leads to 702 of FIG. 7.

[0053] 7 illustrates a method 700 for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage. At 702, it is determined that the battery has been in an idle or low-power state for a duration within a period between the most recent charging event and the current time. For example, the battery manager module 106 determines that the battery 104 has not discharged at a rate greater than a threshold discharge rate for an extended period of time (e.g., greater than a threshold amount of time) over the duration. The threshold discharge rate defines a maximum discharge rate at which the battery 104 is still considered "idle" or "low-powered." Alternatively, the threshold discharge rate defines a minimum discharge rate at which the battery 104 is still considered "in use." In effect, if the battery 104 does not discharge at a rate greater than the threshold discharge rate, the battery 104 is "stored."

[0054] At 704, a value indicative of an average temperature (T-avg) of the battery is determined over the duration based on the temperature data. For example, the battery manager module 106 utilizes the temperature data 122 obtained by the battery state manager 112 to determine the average temperature T-avg of the battery over the entire duration. In some aspects, such as when the battery 104 is at or below 0% SOC, temperature data may not be available. In such cases, the battery state manager 112 may use the communication module 214 to communicate with an online resource (e.g., a server, a weather service) over the network 126 to obtain local weather information (based on the geographic location of the device) that occurred during the duration. The weather information (e.g., local temperature per hour) may be used to estimate the average battery temperature over the duration. This estimated average battery temperature is used to determine whether the battery 104 was likely exposed to high temperatures during the time when the battery was not depleted and discharging at a rate greater than the threshold discharge rate and remained effectively idle (or off).

[0055] At 706, the battery manager module 106 determines whether a value indicative of the average temperature T-avg of the battery over the duration exceeds a temperature threshold T1. The temperature threshold T1 defines the lowest temperature that is considered "hot" for the battery 104. Alternatively, the temperature threshold T1 may define the highest temperature of a tolerable range of temperatures that is considered "safe" for the battery 104. For many batteries, the temperature threshold T1 may be 60° C. If the average temperature T-avg over the duration is less than or equal to the temperature threshold T1 ("No" at 706), the method 700 proceeds to "B", which leads to 806 in FIG. 8, where a normal charging profile is applied. However, if the average temperature of the battery 104 over the duration was greater than the temperature threshold T1 ("Yes" at 706), the method proceeds to 708.

[0056] At 708, the battery manager module 106 determines whether the duration is greater than a threshold time length H1 that defines a "long duration." Any suitable threshold time length H1 may be used. In one example, the threshold time length is approximately one week. In another example, the threshold time length may be approximately two weeks. In aspects, the threshold time length H1 may depend on the average temperature of the battery, such that a higher temperature corresponds to a shorter time length and a lower temperature corresponds to a larger time length. In one example, the threshold time length H1 may be one week for an average temperature of 70° C. In another example, the threshold time length H1 may be two weeks for an average temperature of 61° C.

[0057] If the duration (e.g., the amount of time that the battery 104 was in an idle or low power state and, in that respect, the temperature was, on average, above the temperature threshold T1) is less than or equal to the threshold time length H1 ("No" at 708), the method 700 proceeds to "B", which leads to 806 in FIG. 8, where a normal charging profile is applied. However, if the duration is greater than the threshold time length H1 ("Yes" at 708), the method proceeds to 710.

[0058] At 710, the battery manager module 106 determines whether the current SOC of the battery is less than a first threshold level SOC C1 (e.g., 80%). If the current SOC is greater than or equal to the first threshold level SOC C1 ("No" at 710), the method 700 proceeds to "B", which leads to 806 in FIG. 8, where the normal charging profile is applied. However, if the current SOC is less than the first threshold level SOC C1 ("Yes" at 710), the method proceeds to 712.

[0059] At 712, the battery manager module 106 determines whether the SOC is less than a second threshold level SOC C2 (e.g., 30%). If the SOC is greater than or equal to the second threshold level SOC C2 (712, no), the battery manager module 106 determines that the SOC is a mid-range SOC (e.g., 30%-80% SOC) and the method proceeds to 714.

[0060] At 714, the battery manager module 106 selects a discharge profile from a plurality of discharge profiles (e.g., discharge profile 118 of FIG. 5). In one example, the battery manager module 106 selects a particular discharge profile based on a current battery condition (e.g., current SOC, current temperature).

[0061] At 716, the battery manager module 106 applies the discharge mode 502 to discharge the battery 104 according to the selected discharge profile 118. While the electronic device 102 is electrically connected to the external power source 108, the battery manager module 106 first discharges the battery 104 based on the conditions described above. Any suitable manner of discharging the battery 104 may be utilized, including, for example, having the processor 202 spin or execute commands in a queue, having an application perform cleanup tasks, illuminating or increasing the brightness of the display device 218, playing an audio recording, and the like. The discharge occurs at a slow discharge rate defined by the selected discharge profile 118, and may step up (or increase) to one or more greater discharge rates. This discharge before charging allows the anode structure of the battery 104 to relax and refresh before commencing the normal charging profile. After completion of the discharge mode according to the discharge rate and time defined by the selected discharge profile, the method 600 proceeds to "C", which leads to 802 of FIG. 8.

[0062] If the SOC at 712 is less than the second threshold level SOC C2 (YES at 712), the method proceeds to 718. At 718, the battery manager module 106 determines whether the SOC is less than a third threshold level SOC C3 (e.g., 0% SOC). If the current SOC is greater than the third threshold level SOC C3 (NO at 718), the battery manager module 106 determines that the battery is currently in a low range SOC (e.g., 0%-30% SOC) and the method proceeds to 720.

[0063] At 720, the battery manager module 106 selects a pulse discharge profile from a plurality of discharge profiles (e.g., discharge profile 118 of FIG. 5). In one example, the battery manager module 106 selects a particular pulse discharge profile based on a current battery condition (e.g., current SOC, current temperature). The selected pulse discharge profile releases a relatively small amount of energy compared to other discharge profiles, such as a direct current (DC) discharge profile, to loosen and refresh the anode surface of the battery. After selecting the pulse discharge profile, the method proceeds to 716 to apply a discharge mode according to the selected discharge profile (e.g., pulse discharge profile).

[0064] The pulse discharge (also called alternating current (AC) discharge) may be prescribed or modified based on frequency and / or based on combining the pulse with DC discharge. In one example, when considering a conventional frequency response profile, frequencies greater than approximately 1 Hz may be considered to be in the AC time domain, and frequencies less than or equal to approximately 1 Hz may be considered DC. The discharge profile 118 may prescribe a frequency (e.g., greater than 1 Hz) for a particular duration (e.g., 1 second on, 1 second off, 2 seconds on, 1 second off). The discharge profile 118 may also, or instead, prescribe different frequencies in different time domains to discharge the battery using AC. For example, the discharge profile 118 may prescribe a low frequency pulse discharge at 1 Hz, e.g., for 4 minutes, with a discharge rate of C / 50, followed by a high frequency pulse discharge at 1 kHz, e.g., for 35 seconds, with a discharge rate of C / 5. The pulse discharge uses a relatively small amount of energy compared to the DC discharge to effectively loosen and refresh the SEI layer on the anode surface.

[0065] If the SOC of the battery is below the third threshold level SOC C3 at 718 ("No" at 718), then a pre-charge mode is applied at 722 to slowly charge the battery according to a default pre-charge profile. In general, if the SOC is below 0%, the battery 104 may not be able to discharge. Thus, a (default or pre-selected) pre-charge profile is applied to slowly charge the battery 104 at a charge rate significantly less than the normal charge rate. In one example, the pre-charge profile is a step profile that defines a charge rate of C / 50 for 60 seconds, followed by a charge rate of C / 5 for 5 minutes. Pre-charging the battery 104 in this manner partially fills the anode structure without plating occurring. Then, after completion of the pre-charge mode according to the default pre-charge profile, which only partially charges the battery 104, the method proceeds to select (at 720) a pulsed discharge profile and discharge the battery 104 by applying (at 716) a discharge mode according to the selected discharge profile (e.g., the pulsed discharge profile) to loosen and refresh the anode surface of the battery 104.

[0066] 8, 802, the battery manager module 106 selects a pre-charge profile 114 to pre-charge the battery 104 before applying the normal charge profile. In one example, the pre-charge profile 114 defines a first slow charge rate of C / 50 for 30 seconds and a second slow charge rate of C / 5 for 3 minutes. Slowly charging the battery 104 before applying the normal fast charge allows the battery 104 to safely ramp up to the fast charge without damaging the battery 104.

[0067] At 804, the battery manager module 106 applies the pre-charge mode 504 to charge the battery 104 according to the selected pre-charge profile 114. After completion of the pre-charge mode 504 according to the selected pre-charge profile 114, the method proceeds to 806 to initiate normal fast charging.

[0068] At 806, the battery manager module 106 selects a charging profile. In one example, the charging profile 116 may be selected from a plurality of charging profiles 116 based on a current battery condition of the battery 104. For example, if the battery 104 has a low SOC (e.g., <30%), the battery manager module 106 may select a charging profile 116 that prescribes fast charging (e.g., a charge rate of 3C). In another example, if the battery 104 has an intermediate SOC (e.g., SOC greater than 30% and less than 80%), the battery manager module 106 may select a charging profile 116 that prescribes less aggressive charging (e.g., 1C).

[0069] At 808, a charging mode is applied to charge the battery according to the selected charging profile. For example, the battery manager module 106 applies the charging mode 506 to charge the battery 104 according to the selected charging profile 116.

[0070] 9 illustrates a method 900 for generally loosening and refreshing the anode surface of a battery prior to charging the battery of an electronic device. Method 900 may be performed by electronic device 102, which uses battery manager module 106 to apply a battery longevity technique for loosening and refreshing the anode surface of battery 104 prior to charging battery 104 at a normal rate. Method 800 (of FIG. 8) is complementary to method 900 and is optionally performed in conjunction with method 900. Method 900 (combined with method 800) provides enhanced safety, reliability, performance, and durability / longevity of battery 104 and electronic device 102.

[0071] The method 900 is illustrated as a set of blocks that, although they specify operations to be performed, are not necessarily limited to the order or combination shown for performing the operations by each block. Also, any one or more of the operations may be repeated, combined, rearranged, or linked to provide a wide range of additional and / or alternative methods. In parts of the following description, reference may be made to the example implementation 100 of FIG. 1, or to entities or processes as detailed in FIGS. 2-5. Such references are made for illustrative purposes only. The methodology is not limited to execution by one entity or multiple entities operating on one device.

[0072] In the method 900, the battery 104 may be relaxed and refreshed regardless of the previous battery state that occurred since the most recent charging event. Rather, the discharge mode may be automatically applied when a connection to an external power source is detected. In another example, the method 900 may be triggered after a timer expires (e.g., after three years). In aspects, the timer may correspond to the life of the battery 104 and may be used to indicate the life at which the battery 104 will likely begin to lose capacity due to, for example, SEI plating and / or Li-ion consumption. The timer may expire before the time at which battery degradation will likely begin due to life. In this manner, the method 900 is implemented to extend the life of the battery 104 regardless of the previous battery state.

[0073] At 902, an electrical connection to an external power source for charging the battery is detected. For example, the battery manager module 106 detects that the electronic device 102 has been coupled to the external power source 108. Alternatively, the battery manager module 106 may receive an indication of the electrical connection to the external power source from another component of the electronic device 102.

[0074] At 904, the battery manager module 106 determines whether timer A1 has expired. Timer A1 may be set to expire at or before the end of the battery 104 life when battery degradation is expected to begin. If timer A1 has not expired ("NO" at 904), the method 900 proceeds to "B", which leads to 806 of FIG. 8 to implement (e.g., select (at 806) and apply (at 808)) a normal charging profile. If timer A1 has expired ("YES" at 904), the method 900 proceeds to 906.

[0075] At 906, charging of the battery is slowed. For example, the battery manager module 106 slows charging of the battery 104 to allow the anode surface of the battery 104 to relax and refresh.

[0076] At 908, a current battery status is determined. For example, the battery manager module 106 communicates with the battery status manager 112 to determine the current battery status. The current battery status may include, for example, a current SOC of the battery 104, a current temperature of the battery 104, etc.

[0077] At 910, a discharge profile is selected. For example, the battery manager module 106 selects a discharge profile from a plurality of discharge profiles (e.g., discharge profile 118 of FIG. 5). The battery manager module 106 may select a particular discharge profile based on a current battery condition (e.g., current SOC, current temperature).

[0078] At 912, a discharge mode is applied to discharge the battery according to the selected discharge profile. For example, the battery manager module 106 applies the discharge mode 502 to discharge the battery 104 according to the selected discharge profile 118. The method 900 then proceeds to "C", which is connected to 802 of FIG. 8, to pre-charge and charge the battery 104 according to the selected pre-charge profile and selected charge profile, respectively.

[0079] Some examples are given below. and determining a previous battery state of the battery between a most recent charging event and a time of detecting the electrical connection to the external power source, the previous battery state including temperature data of the battery and battery usage data, the battery usage data indicating that the battery was in an idle or low power state for a duration, the method further including determining a value indicative of an average temperature of the battery over the duration based on the temperature data, and applying a discharge mode prior to initiating a charge mode for the battery based on the one or more current battery states, the duration being greater than a time threshold and the value indicative of the average temperature being greater than a temperature threshold, the discharge mode being configured to discharge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of discharge profiles to relax and refresh an anode structure of the battery, the method further including applying a charge mode to charge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of charge profiles after completion of the discharge mode.

[0080] Example 2: The method of Example 1, wherein the plurality of discharge profiles includes a first discharge profile configured to cause the electronic device to discharge the battery at a first discharge rate for a first predefined period of time.

[0081] Example 3: The method of Example 2, wherein the first discharge profile is a step profile having multiple discharge rates each having a corresponding period.

[0082] Example 4: The method of Example 3, wherein the multiple discharge rates of the first discharge profile are applied sequentially according to the corresponding time periods.

[0083] Example 5: The method of any one of Examples 2-4, wherein the one or more current battery states include a current state of charge of the battery, and the method further includes selecting a first discharge profile from the plurality of discharge profiles based on the current state of charge being below a threshold level state of charge, and applying the discharge mode includes applying the discharge mode according to the first discharge profile.

[0084] Example 6: The method of any one of Examples 5, wherein the threshold level state of charge defines a range between 80% state of charge and 30% state of charge.

[0085] Example 7: The method of any one of Examples 2-4, wherein the plurality of discharge profiles includes a second discharge profile different from the first discharge profile, and the one or more current battery states includes a current state of charge of the battery, and the method further includes selecting the second discharge profile from the plurality of discharge profiles based on the current state of charge being below a second threshold level state of charge different from a first threshold level state of charge associated with the first discharge profile, and applying the discharge mode includes applying the discharge mode according to the second discharge profile.

[0086] Example 8: The method of Example 7, wherein the second discharge profile is configured to discharge the battery at least at a second discharge rate for a second predefined period of time, the second discharge rate being different from the first discharge rate.

[0087] Example 9: The method of Example 8, wherein the second discharge profile is a step profile having multiple discharge rates each having a corresponding duration, and the multiple discharge rates of the second discharge profile are applied sequentially according to the corresponding durations.

[0088] Example 10: The method of Example 9, wherein the second threshold level state of charge defines a 30% state of charge.

[0089] Example 11: The method of any one of the preceding examples, further comprising applying a pre-charge mode to charge the battery according to a pre-charge profile in response to completion of the discharge mode and prior to applying the charge mode.

[0090] Example 12: The method of Example 11, wherein the pre-charge profile defines at least a first slow charge rate for a first predefined period of time.

[0091] Example 13: The method of Example 12, wherein the pre-charge profile further defines a second, slower charge rate for a second predefined period of time, the second, slower charge rate being greater than the first, slower charge rate.

[0092] Example 14: The method of any one of Examples 11-13, further comprising selecting a pre-charge profile from a plurality of pre-charge profiles based on at least one of a plurality of discharge profiles used to discharge the battery.

[0093] Example 15: An electronic device including a battery for providing power to the electronic device, a memory for storing computer-executable instructions, and a processor for executing the instructions stored in the memory to implement a battery manager module, the battery manager module configured to detect an electrical connection to an external power source for charging a battery of the electronic device, and in response to the detection, delay charging of the battery to perform a health check of the battery, determine one or more current battery conditions, and determine a previous battery condition of the battery between a most recent charging event and a time of detection of the electrical connection to the external power source, the previous battery condition including temperature data and battery usage data of the battery, the battery usage data indicating that the battery has been idle for a duration. or a low power state, the battery manager module is further configured to determine a value indicative of an average temperature of the battery over the duration based on the temperature data, and apply a discharge mode before initiating a charge mode for the battery based on one or more current battery conditions, the duration being greater than a time threshold and the value indicative of the average temperature being greater than a temperature threshold, the discharge mode being configured to discharge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of discharge profiles to loosen and refresh an anode structure of the battery, and the battery manager module is further configured to apply a charge mode to charge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of charge profiles after completion of the discharge mode.

[0094] Example 16: The electronic device of Example 15, wherein the multiple discharge profiles include at least a first discharge profile and a second discharge profile, and the first discharge profile or the second discharge profile includes a step profile having multiple discharge rates each having a corresponding period.

[0095] Example 17: The electronic device of Example 16, wherein the one or more current battery conditions include a current state of charge of the battery, and the battery manager module is further configured to select a first discharge profile from the plurality of discharge profiles based on the current state of charge being below a first threshold level state of charge.

[0096] Example 18: The electronic device of Example 17, wherein the first threshold level state of charge defines a range between 80% state of charge and 30% state of charge.

[0097] Example 19: The electronic device of Example 17, wherein the battery manager module is configured to select a second discharge profile from the plurality of discharge profiles based on the current state of charge falling below a second threshold level state of charge that is different from a first threshold level state of charge associated with the first discharge profile, and the second discharge profile includes a pulse discharge profile that defines at least one frequency pulse discharge, at least one discharge rate, and at least one corresponding time period for discharging the battery.

[0098] Example 20: The electronic device of Example 17, wherein the battery manager module is configured to apply a pre-charge mode to slowly charge the battery according to a default pre-charge profile before applying the discharge mode if the current charge state is equal to or less than 0% charge state.

[0099] Example 21: An electronic device comprising: a battery for providing power to the electronic device; a memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and a processor for executing the instructions stored in the memory to implement a battery manager module, the battery manager module being configured to perform a method according to any one of Examples 1 to 14.

[0100] conclusion Although aspects of extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage have been described in feature and / or method-specific language, the subject matter of the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the particular features or methods described. Rather, the particular features or methods are disclosed as example implementations of the techniques for extending battery life after long-term and high-temperature storage, and other equivalent features and methods are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims. Also, it should be understood that a variety of different aspects have been described, and that each described aspect can be implemented independently or in conjunction with one or more of the other described aspects.

Claims

1. A method performed by an electronic device, the method comprising: detecting an electrical connection to an external power source for charging a battery of the electronic device; delaying charging of the battery in response to the detecting step; determining one or more current battery conditions; and determining a previous battery state of the battery between a most recent charging event and a time of detection of the electrical connection to the external power source, the previous battery state including temperature data and battery usage data of the battery, the battery usage data indicating that the battery was in an idle or low power state for a duration of time, the method further comprising: determining a value indicative of an average temperature of the battery over the duration based on the temperature data; applying a discharge mode prior to initiating a charge mode for the battery based on the one or more current battery conditions, the duration being greater than a time threshold, and the value indicative of the average temperature being greater than a temperature threshold, the discharge mode configured to discharge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of discharge profiles, the method further comprising: After completion of the discharge mode, applying the charge mode to charge the battery according to at least one of a plurality of charge profiles.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of discharge profiles includes a first discharge profile configured to cause the electronic device to discharge the battery at a first discharge rate for a first predefined period of time.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first discharge profile is a step profile having a plurality of discharge rates each having a corresponding duration.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the multiple discharge rates of the first discharge profile are applied sequentially according to the corresponding time periods.

5. the one or more current battery conditions include a current state of charge of the battery; The method further includes selecting the first discharge profile from the plurality of discharge profiles based on the current state of charge being below a threshold level state of charge; The method of claim 2 , wherein applying the discharge mode comprises applying the discharge mode according to the first discharge profile.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the threshold level state of charge defines a range between 80% state of charge and 30% state of charge.

7. the plurality of discharge profiles includes a second discharge profile different from the first discharge profile; the one or more current battery conditions include a current state of charge of the battery; The method further includes selecting the second discharge profile from the plurality of discharge profiles based on the current state of charge being below a second threshold level state of charge that is different from a first threshold level state of charge associated with the first discharge profile; The method of claim 2 , wherein applying the discharge mode comprises applying the discharge mode according to the second discharge profile.

8. the second discharge profile is configured to discharge the battery at at least a second discharge rate for a second predefined period of time; The method of claim 7 , wherein the second discharge rate is different from the first discharge rate.

9. the second discharge profile is a step profile having a plurality of discharge rates each having a corresponding duration; The method of claim 8 , wherein the multiple discharge rates of the second discharge profile are applied sequentially according to the corresponding time periods.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second threshold level state of charge defines a 30% state of charge.

11. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to the completion of the discharge mode and prior to applying the charge mode, applying a pre-charge mode to charge the battery according to a pre-charge profile.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-charge profile defines at least a first slow charge rate for a first predefined period of time.

13. The pre-charge profile further defines a second, slower charge rate for a second predefined period of time; 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second slower charge rate is greater than the first slower charge rate.

14. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the pre-charge profile from a plurality of pre-charge profiles based on the at least one of the plurality of discharge profiles used to discharge the battery.

15. 1. An electronic device comprising: a battery for providing power to the electronic device; a memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and a processor for executing the instructions stored in the memory to implement a battery manager module, the battery manager module being configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 14.

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