Battery pack including multiple battery cell technologies

A battery pack includes a housing. A first battery is located in the housing, the first battery using a first cell technology. A second battery is located in the housing, the second battery using a second cell technology that is different from the first cell technology. The battery pack can be connected to a portable computer chassis to provide an extended life power source. Each battery is coupled to an independent battery management unit (BMU). Each BMU shares a common connector.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to a battery pack for an information handling system.

In order to increase portability, information handling systems may rely on batteries to provide their power. Battery packs are used to house batteries and provide easy connection of the batteries to the information handling system. It is desirable for the information handling system to operate on the battery power for as long as possible, which may require larger battery packs that hold more batteries. This is in conflict with the desire to reduce the size of the information handling system as much as possible to further increase portability.

One solution to this problem is to provide multiple battery packs for the information handling system. This allows a user to choose between a standard battery pack which provides power to the information handling system over a given period of time, and an extended life battery pack which provides power to the information handling system over a longer period of time than the standard battery pack but takes up more space than the standard battery pack.

Extended life battery packs may use different battery cell technologies than the standard battery packs, the result being that an extended battery pack battery will have a different chemistry, different shape, different capacity, and generally different properties than the standard battery pack battery. The extended life battery packs may be larger in size than the standard battery packs, and may not fit in the battery port in the information handling system chassis which is designed for the standard battery pack. However, it is desirable for the extended battery pack to use the same battery connection on the information handling system that the standard battery pack uses. Typically a connector is extended from the extended life battery and through the battery port to the battery connection on the information handling system. The result is that the portion of the extended life battery pack containing the battery may be situated external to the information handling system chassis when it is connected to the battery connection.

Situating the extended life battery pack partially external to the information handling system, then extending the battery connector through the battery port to the battery connection on the information handling system in order to connect the extended life battery, results in wasted volume in the unused portion of the battery port.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a battery pack for an information handling system absent the disadvantages found in the prior systems and methods discussed above.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a battery pack includes a housing. A first battery is located in the housing, the first battery using a first cell technology. A second battery is located in the housing, the second battery using a second cell technology that is different from the first cell technology.

A principal advantage of this embodiment is that two batteries with different cell technologies may be used in the same battery pack. This allows different type and sized batteries to be implemented in a battery pack to optimize the use of available volume in an information handling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment, information handling system10,FIG. 1, includes a microprocessor12, which is connected to a bus14. Bus14serves as a connection between microprocessor12and other components of computer system10. An input device16is coupled to microprocessor12to provide input to microprocessor12. Examples of input devices include keyboards, touchscreens, and pointing devices such as mouses, trackballs and trackpads. Programs and data are stored on a mass storage device18, which is coupled to microprocessor12. Mass storage devices include such devices as hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy drives and the like. Computer system10further includes a display20, which is coupled to microprocessor12by a video controller22. A system memory24is coupled to microprocessor12to provide the microprocessor with fast storage to facilitate execution of computer programs by microprocessor12. It should be understood that other busses and intermediate circuits can be deployed between the components described above and microprocessor12to facilitate interconnection between the components and the microprocessor.

A battery pack100,FIG. 2, includes a housing102. Housing102houses a number of components, including a battery management unit104, a battery106coupled to the unit104, and a battery108coupled to the unit104. Battery management unit104is a local controller that may monitor and control cell temperature, charge cycle, charge level, and other operating parameters of the batteries. Battery106and108use conventional cell technologies such as prismatic, cylindrical, polymer, or nickel metal hydride, with battery108using a cell technology that is different from the cell technology used by battery106. Battery108may be larger than battery106depending on the power requirements of the system. A battery connector110is included on the battery pack100, the connector110being coupled to the unit104. The battery pack100may include a section112housing battery106, and a section114housing battery108which may be larger than section112due to the size of the battery108needed to satisfy the power requirements of the system. The battery connector110may be housed in the housing102or may be totally or partially external to the housing102, and provides a connection for connecting the battery pack100to an information handling system such as the information handling system10ofFIG. 1.

Within the scope of the embodiments described herein, battery technology used in batteries106or108may be conventional commercially available prismatic batteries such as, for example, Sanyo 125280 cells; conventional commercially available cylindrical batteries such as, for example, Sony 18650 cells; conventional commercially available polymer batteries such as, for example, Sanyo 5540100 cells; or conventional commercially available nickel metal hydride batteries such as, for example, Eveready Energizer NiMH M cells.

In an embodiment, a battery pack200,FIG. 3, includes a housing202. Housing202houses a number of components, including a battery204coupled to a battery management unit206, and a battery208coupled to a battery management unit210. Battery management units206and210are local controllers that may monitor and control cell temperature, charge cycle, charge level, and other operating parameters of the batteries. Batteries204and208use conventional cell technologies such as prismatic, cylindrical, polymer, or nickel metal hydride, with battery204using a cell technology that is different from the cell technology used by battery208. Battery208may be larger than battery204depending on the power requirements of the system. A battery connector212is included on the battery pack200, the connector212being coupled to the battery management units206and210. The battery pack200may include a section214housing battery204, and a section216housing battery208which is larger than section214due to the size of battery208needed to satisfy the power requirements of the system. The battery connector212may be housed in the housing202or may be totally or partially external to the housing202, and provides a connection for connecting the battery pack200to an information handling system such as the information handling system10ofFIG. 1. While one battery management unit may be used to manage multiple batteries using different cell technologies in the battery pack, such as inFIG. 2, dedicating a battery management unit to each battery using different cell technologies provides a simpler battery management unit design.

Within the scope of further embodiments described herein, battery technology used in batteries204or208may be similar to the battery technology described above with reference to batteries106and108.

In operation,FIGS. 4 and 5, an information handling system300, which may be the information handling system10ofFIG. 1, includes a battery port302with a system connector304. A battery pack400, which may be the battery pack100ofFIG. 1or the battery pack200ofFIG. 2, includes a section402with a pack connector406on it's surface, and a section404adjacent to the section402. As shown in the three dimensional illustrations ofFIGS. 4 and 5, section404is of a larger volume than section402such that section404is capable of housing a battery of a larger volume than section402. Connection of battery pack400to information handling system300is accomplished by placing section402of battery pack400in battery port302, such that pack connector406engages system connector304. With pack connector406engaged with system connector304, battery pack400is coupled to microprocessor306in information handling system300through a bus308such as a system management bus. The bus308controls the operation of the batteries by communicating with the battery management units, shown inFIG. 2 and 3, connected to the batteries in the battery pack. With the battery pack400connected, section404of the battery pack400sits external to the information handling system300.