Battery Thermal Management via Graduated Power Unloading

Solution Overview

Problem

Small-sized high-performance batteries in portable electronic devices can cause damage or explosion due to overheating, and existing battery protection methods that set a cut-off temperature often result in abrupt shutdowns, leading to user inconvenience and potential data loss.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a battery temperature detector and a control module that conducts graduated unloading actions (such as underclocking, reducing screen brightness, and throttling) when the battery temperature rises, and halts these actions when the temperature drops below a lowest critical level, preventing abrupt shutdowns and minimizing data loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a battery cut-off temperature is set to prevent overheating, then battery safety is improved, but device shutdown becomes abrupt causing user inconvenience and data loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery safetyVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature protection range is segmented into multiple stages with different response actions. The first temperature range triggers a first unloading action, the second temperature range triggers a second unloading action, and only when the cut-off temperature is reached does the battery shut down. This segmentation allows gradual response to heating conditions, preventing abrupt shutdowns while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The unloading action is made dynamic by adjusting its intensity based on temperature levels. The control module determines different unloading actions based on which temperature range is exceeded, allowing the system to adapt the response intensity to the actual thermal condition, thereby avoiding unnecessary abrupt shutdowns while maintaining protective function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If a battery cut-off temperature is set to prevent overheating, then battery safety is improved, but program or processing files may be damaged or lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery safetyVSAvoiddata loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature protection range is segmented into multiple stages with different response actions. The first temperature range triggers a first unloading action, the second temperature range triggers a second unloading action, and only when the cut-off temperature is reached does the battery shut down. This segmentation allows gradual response to heating conditions, preventing abrupt shutdowns while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Before reaching the cut-off temperature, the system performs preliminary unloading actions to reduce power consumption and lower battery temperature. This preliminary action prevents the need for abrupt shutdowns that would cause data loss, as the temperature is reduced to safe levels before critical thresholds are reached.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If graduated unloading actions are implemented to avoid abrupt shutdown, then user convenience is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature protection range is segmented into multiple stages with different response actions. The first temperature range triggers a first unloading action, the second temperature range triggers a second unloading action, and only when the cut-off temperature is reached does the battery shut down. This segmentation allows gradual response to heating conditions, preventing abrupt shutdowns while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control module automatically determines and executes appropriate unloading actions based on temperature readings from the detection module. The system serves itself by autonomously adjusting power consumption levels without user intervention, simplifying the user interface while maintaining complex internal control logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution effectively manages battery temperature to prevent overheating, reducing the risk of damage and data loss while maintaining device functionality, by implementing a series of power reduction measures that are halted once the battery temperature stabilizes below a critical threshold.

Implementation Method 1

a battery temperature detector and used to detect the temperature of the battery

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTemperature sensing:

Data Source

PatentUS8089250B2Method and device for protecting battery of electronic device from overheating

Publication Date: 2012.01.03 MITAC TECH CORP

AI summary

A method for protecting a battery of an electronic device from overheating is provided. The method senses the temperature of the battery and conduct an unloading action when the temperature of the battery ascends to an unloading temperature. The method further halts the unloading action when the temperature of the battery descends to a lowest critical temperature, wherein the unloading temperature is not lower than the lowest critical temperature.