Battery Management System Cycle Count Balancing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile computing devices face challenges in balancing performance and battery life due to inefficient power management strategies, leading to user dissatisfaction and potential device shutdowns from thermal issues and battery drain.

Innovation Solution

A battery management system that assesses multiple factors to set control parameters for power management, allowing for intelligent control of battery utilization and charge current distribution, including the use of multiple batteries in combination to service loads and balancing cycle counts, thereby enhancing reliability and longevity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If power management strategies control processor and battery utilization, then battery life is extended, but device performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery lifeVSAvoiddevice performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts power management control based on battery cycle count differences. When cycle counts are balanced, the system allows higher performance operation. When imbalance detects, the system dynamically shifts to favor the battery with lower cycle count, adjusting processor utilization and power distribution in real-time to maintain performance while protecting the more vulnerable battery

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters (processor frequency, voltage levels, power distribution ratios) based on battery cycle count status. Control parameters are adjusted to optimize the trade-off between performance and battery protection, transitioning between performance-optimized and battery-protected modes depending on the cycle count differential

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If one battery is used preferentially to balance cycle counts, then reliability is improved, but battery utilization efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery system reliabilityVSAvoidbattery utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial preferential treatment to the battery with lower cycle count rather than completely excluding the other battery. Power distribution is adjusted to favor the more vulnerable battery partially, allowing both batteries to remain active and charge/discharge, thereby maintaining reasonable utilization efficiency while still protecting system reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors battery cycle counts and uses this feedback to adjust power distribution in real-time. The feedback loop ensures that preferential treatment is applied only to the extent necessary to maintain reliability, automatically reducing the bias when cycle counts converge, thus optimizing utilization efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3278194B1Battery management in a device with multiple batteries
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3278194B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3278194B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3278194B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques for battery management of a device having multiple batteries are described herein. In one or more implementations, management for increased battery reliability involves assessing a combination of factors that influence a control policy for multiple batteries in a battery system. Based on the assessment, values of control parameters for power management of the battery system are set to reflect a tradeoff between performance and reliability. Then, at least one of battery utilization or charge current distribution is controlled in dependence upon the values that are set. Control of the battery system can be based in part upon differences in cycle counts for multiple batteries of a battery system for a device, such that cycle counts of the multiple batteries are managed for improved reliability.