Portable Information Handling System Battery Charge Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable information handling systems face challenges with limited battery life and delayed startup due to inadequate charge reserves, as they rely on low-power charging and aggressive power management, leading to increased current draw during power transitions that exceed external power adapter capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that monitor power consumption during transitions to disconnect the battery at a critical charge level, allowing rapid startup with external power and modify operations to stay within power constraints, ensuring adequate current is available for system functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If low-power charging is used to extend battery life, then battery life is improved, but startup time increases due to inadequate charge reserves
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging actions during idle periods or when connected to external power, building up charge reserves in advance. The power management module monitors battery charge levels and pre-charges the battery to critical thresholds before startup is needed, ensuring adequate charge reserves are available when startup occurs, thus reducing startup time without requiring continuously high-power charging.
2Duration of action of moving object
If aggressive power management is implemented to conserve battery charge, then battery life is improved, but current draw during power transitions exceeds external power adapter capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The power management module dynamically adjusts power consumption parameters during power transitions based on real-time monitoring of battery charge levels and external power availability. When transitioning from battery to external power or during state changes, the system temporarily modifies current draw profiles to match external adapter capabilities, preventing power surges while maintaining aggressive power management benefits for battery life extension.
3Volume of moving object
If thin lithium ion batteries are used to minimize housing thickness, then device portability is improved, but battery capacity decreases leading to limited battery life under heavy usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes operational parameters of the thin battery by implementing dynamic voltage and current management during charging and discharging cycles. The power management module adjusts charging currents, voltage regulation, and power distribution to maximize the energy density utilization of the thin lithium ion battery, extracting optimal performance from the limited capacity battery without requiring thicker housing.
4Ease of operation
If USB charging is used for convenience, then ease of operation is improved, but charging time increases due to lower available charge rate
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes USB charging convenience while performing preliminary charging actions during all available connection periods. The power management module monitors USB power input and accumulates charge reserves progressively, using the convenient USB connection to pre-charge the battery whenever connected, thereby reducing overall charging time without sacrificing operational convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable information handling system manages battery charge to maintain a minimum level that supports boot by disconnecting the battery from a battery discharge path so that battery charge is lost substantially only to self-discharge. The battery automatically reconnects to the battery discharge path if external power becomes available to charge the battery. The minimum battery charge level provides adequate power in combination with the external power to support boot of the portable information handling system to an operational state. A power manager monitors power transition events to track power consumption information that a battery charge manager applies to modify the power transition events if external power and available battery charge are not sufficient to perform the power transition event without modification.