Battery Management Unit Ship Mode Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Information handling system batteries often experience leakage current, reducing their maximum capacity and making them an unreliable power source, especially during shipping and initial startup without an AC power source.
Innovation Solution
A power supply system with a battery management unit (BMU) and switches maintained in a 'ship mode' state during shipping, which disconnects the battery from system components, and a power-on device generates a signal to activate the switches, connecting the battery only when needed, allowing the system to power up without AC power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the battery is connected to system components during shipping, then the system can be powered immediately upon delivery, but the battery experiences leakage current that reduces its capacity and reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is extracted from the active power supply circuit during shipping by opening switches controlled by the BMU. This separates the battery from the system components it would normally power, preventing leakage current while maintaining the ability to connect it later for immediate startup.
Solution Approach 2:
The BMU is pre-configured with shipping mode settings before delivery. The switches are pre-positioned to disconnect the battery during shipping, and the system is prepared to automatically or manually reconfigure the battery connection upon detecting AC power availability or user initiation of startup.
2Loss of energy
If the battery is disconnected from system components during shipping, then battery capacity is maintained, but the system cannot power up without AC connection
Solution Approach 1:
The BMU acts as an intermediary between the battery and system components, intelligently controlling the connection state. It monitors AC power availability and system startup requests, then appropriately connects or disconnects the battery through controlled switches, enabling both capacity preservation and startup flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery connection state is made dynamic rather than fixed. The BMU can transition the battery between disconnected (during shipping) and connected (for startup) states based on real-time conditions such as AC power detection or user power-on requests, providing adaptability to different operational scenarios.
3Reliability
If switches are added to control battery connection, then battery leakage is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The BMU is designed as a multi-functional unit that performs both battery management (controlling connection/disconnection) and AC power detection. By combining these functions in a single integrated component rather than adding separate dedicated switches and controllers, the increase in complexity is minimized while achieving the desired battery protection and startup capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, a method for activating an information handling system battery without using AC power is provided. One or more switches associated with a battery are maintained in a ship mode state during shipping of the information handling system such that the battery remains disconnected from particular information handling system components during shipping. In response to a user input, a power-on device generates and communicates a power-on signal to a battery management unit (BMU) of the battery. In response to receiving the power-on signal, the BMU activates the one or more switches from the ship mode state, which connects the battery to the particular information handling system components. The power-on device generates and communicates the power-on signal to the BMU, and the BMU activates the one or more switches from the ship mode state, while the information handling system is not connected to any AC power source.