Battery Emulator System for Information Handling Power Subsystem Testing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for testing information handling system power subsystems rely heavily on physical batteries, leading to high inventory costs, environmental concerns, and inefficiencies due to battery deterioration and varied compatibility issues.
Innovation Solution
A battery emulator system that couples with the information handling system's battery port to imitate a battery, reducing the need for physical batteries by using a programmable load and power supply to simulate charge and discharge characteristics, and communicate through the management bus to test power subsystem functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical batteries are used for testing information handling system power subsystems, then the testing process can verify actual battery charging and discharging functionality, but it leads to high inventory costs, environmental concerns, and inefficiencies due to battery deterioration and varied compatibility issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the battery through software emulation that replicates battery behavior, characteristics, and responses without requiring physical battery hardware. This virtual battery model allows testing of power subsystems while eliminating the need to maintain inventories of various physical battery types, thus resolving the contradiction between testing reliability and inventory complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual battery layer as an intermediary between the power subsystem under test and the testing system. This virtual battery acts as a mediator that simulates battery interactions, allowing comprehensive power subsystem testing without direct reliance on physical batteries, thereby reducing inventory management complexity while maintaining testing validity
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple types of physical batteries are maintained in inventory for testing different information handling system configurations, then compatibility testing can be performed, but it increases costs and creates environmental issues due to battery deterioration and disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal virtual battery testing platform that can simulate multiple different battery types, chemistries, and characteristics through software configuration. This single virtual battery system replaces the need to maintain inventories of various physical battery types, enabling comprehensive compatibility testing across different information handling system configurations without generating physical battery waste
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the virtual battery model to simulate different battery types, capacities, discharge rates, and chemical characteristics. By dynamically adjusting virtual battery parameters rather than physically changing battery hardware, the system achieves versatile compatibility testing while eliminating the material waste associated with disposing of deteriorated physical batteries
3Measurement precision
If physical batteries are used during testing, then actual charge and discharge performance can be measured, but batteries deteriorate over time requiring frequent replacement and increasing testing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual replica of the battery that can be repeatedly tested without deterioration. This virtual battery copy maintains consistent characteristics indefinitely, allowing continuous measurement of charge-discharge performance without the lifespan limitations and replacement costs associated with physical batteries, while still providing meaningful performance data through simulated electrical characteristics
4Adaptability or versatility
If a large inventory of different battery types is maintained for testing purposes, then all system-battery compatibility scenarios can be tested, but it increases storage requirements and shipping limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical battery inventory with virtual battery models stored as software data. This virtual inventory requires minimal storage space compared to maintaining physical batteries, while still providing comprehensive coverage of different battery types, capacities, and characteristics through configurable software parameters, thus eliminating the volume constraints of physical inventory storage
Data Source
AI summary
Information handling systems are tested for proper interaction with integrated batteries by simulating a battery connection at a battery port of the information handling system. A battery connector couples to the battery port and communicates through cables with a management bus, a programmable power source and a programmable load. The management bus supports communication with a battery management unit that imitates responses for the information handling system that are expected from a battery. A battery emulator controls the programmable power source and load to provide the information handling system with an expected battery response for confirming proper operation of the information handling system power subsystem without requiring insertion of an actual battery.