Patent Publication Number: US-2023152870-A1

Title: Electronic apparatus and load adjusting method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 110142626, filed on Nov. 16, 2021. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Technical Field 
     This disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus and a power management method thereof, in particular to an electronic apparatus and a load adjusting method thereof. 
     Description of Related Art 
     In the laptop market, there is a growing demand for gaming models, which require higher performance and higher power consumption. Laptops have both AC and DC power supply architectures. Under AC power supply, the system can be fully loaded, while under DC power supply, due to the limitation of the battery specification, some power reduction mechanism must be used, i.e. throttling, to extend the operation time while maintaining the normal operation of the system. 
     However, under extreme conditions where the power difference between AC and DC is too large or the throttling is not large enough, the system may still not be able to react in time, resulting in the battery being forced into overcurrent protection after the AC adaptor is unplugged, thus causing the system to shut down instantaneously. 
     For example,  FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of a conventional electronic apparatus entering an overcurrent protection state. In a waveform diagram  10  shown in  FIG.  1   , waveform no.  1  is the system voltage, waveform no.  2  is the processor hot (Prochot) protection mechanism of hardware, waveform no.  3  is the processor hot protection mechanism of software, and waveform no.  4  is the system current. From the waveform changes in  FIG.  1   , it is found that during the moment when the AC adaptor is unplugged, the degree of power reduction generated by the protection mechanism of the hardware and software is not large enough, resulting in the system voltage dropping to 3.8 V and the system power consumption is  0  (as shown in the waveform in block  12 ), making the system shut down directly without warning. 
     SUMMARY 
     An embodiment of the disclosure provides a load adjusting method of an electronic apparatus, applicable to an electronic apparatus with a processor and a battery. The method includes the following steps. Powering of an external power supply is detected. A self-power consumption time of the battery from a full capacity to a preset capacity is calculated and recorded when the powering of the external power supply is detected. A first average value of multiple self-power consumption times recorded within a preset period from a current time is calculated, and the first average value is compared with a second average value of the self-power consumption times of a previous preset period of the preset period. A value of a power limit for controlling the electronic apparatus to enter a load adjusting state is adjusted according to a comparison result. 
     An embodiment of the disclosure provides an electronic apparatus including a battery, a storage device, and a processor. The battery is configured to power the electronic apparatus. The storage device is configured to store computer programs. The processor is coupled to the battery and the storage device, and is configured to load and execute the computer programs to detect powering of an external power supply; calculate a self-power consumption time of the battery from a full capacity to a preset capacity and record the self-power consumption time in the storage device when the powering of the external power supply is detected; calculate a first average value of a plurality of self-power consumption times recorded within a preset period from a current time, and compare the first average value with a second average value of the self-power consumption times of a previous preset period of the preset period; and adjust a value of a power limit for controlling the electronic apparatus to enter a load adjusting state according to a comparison result. 
     To make the aforementioned more comprehensible, several embodiments accompanied with drawings are described in detail as follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of a conventional electronic apparatus entering an overcurrent protection state. 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a flow chart of a load adjusting method of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4 A  and  FIG.  4 B  are schematic diagrams of detecting powering of an AC adaptor according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a diagram of a battery power consumption state according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a schematic diagram of a power limit for adjusting an electronic apparatus to enter a load adjusting state according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the disclosure propose an electronic apparatus and a load adjusting method thereof. By calculating a self-power consumption time of a battery from a full capacity to a preset capacity during a period when the electronic apparatus is connected to AC power, using a simple moving average (SMA) method to obtain an average value of the self-power consumption time based on a preset period (e.g., one month), and automatically adjusting a system load when self-power consumption during the current preset period is reduced by a preset ratio compared with self-power consumption during a previous preset period, a system is ensured not go into overcurrent protection due to difference in power or energy saving when switching power, resulting in a direct shutdown of the system. 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to  FIG.  2   , an electronic apparatus  20  according to an embodiment of the disclosure is, for example, a computing device such as a laptop, a desktop computer, a server, a workstation, or a mobile device such as a cell phone or a tablet computer that has computing capabilities and supports alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) power. The electronic apparatus  20  includes elements such as a battery  22 , a storage device  24 , and a processor  26 , and functions of the elements are described as follows. 
     The battery  22  is, for example, formed by multiple battery cells connected in series. Types of the battery cells include lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, or lithium polymer (Li-polymer) batteries, but not limited thereto. 
     The storage device  24  is, for example, any type of fixed or removable random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk or similar elements or a combination of the elements, and is configured to store computer programs that can be executed by the processor  26 . 
     The processor  26  is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), or other programmable general-purpose or special-purpose microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), programmable controller, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device (PLD) or other similar devices or a combination of the devices, and the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to this embodiment, the processor  24  may load computer programs from the storage device  22  to execute the load adjusting method of the electronic apparatus according to the embodiment of the disclosure. 
       FIG.  3    is a flow chart of a load adjusting method of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to  FIG.  2    and  FIG.  3    at the same time, the method according to this embodiment is applicable to the electronic apparatus  20 . The following are the detailed steps of the load adjusting method of the electronic apparatus according to this embodiment with various elements of the electronic apparatus  20 . 
     In step S 302 , in the electronic apparatus  20 , the processor  26  detects powering of an external power supply. According to an embodiment, the external power supply is, for example, an AC adaptor, the electronic apparatus  20  is provided, for example, with a jack for connecting to the AC adaptor, and the processor  26  uses, for example, a detection pin in the jack to detect connection of the AC adaptor. When electric potential of the detection pin changes from high to low, the processor  26  may determine that the powering of the external power supply is detected. According to other embodiments, the electronic apparatus  20  may also use other methods (e.g., using a sensor) to detect the powering of the external power supply, and this embodiment does not limit its implementation. 
     For example,  FIG.  4 A  and  FIG.  4 B  are schematic diagrams of detecting powering of an AC adaptor according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to  FIG.  4 A , in a structure of the AC adaptor, a plug  42  of the AC adaptor includes a positive terminal  422  and a ground terminal GND, while a jack  44  on the electronic apparatus includes a positive terminal  442 , a ground terminal GND, and a detection pin  444 . When the plug  42  is plugged into the jack  44 , as shown in  FIG.  4 B , the ground terminal GND of the plug  42  first contacts the ground terminal GND of the jack  44 , then the positive terminal  422  of the plug  42  contacts the positive terminal  442  of the jack  44 , and finally the ground terminal GND of the plug  42  contacts the detection pin  444  of the jack  44 . When the plug  42  is not plugged into the jack  44 , a signal of the detection pin  444  is high, and when the plug  42  is plugged into the jack  44 , the signal of the detection pin  444  becomes low. With the above mechanism, the electronic apparatus may send a signal to the battery to inform a connection status of the AC adaptor according to a detection result of the detection pin  444 . 
     In step S 304 , the processor  26  calculates and records a self-power consumption time of the battery  22  from a full capacity to a preset capacity when the powering of the external power supply is detected. The preset capacity is, for example, any value between 80% and 98% of the full capacity, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. 
     When powered by the external power supply, the battery  22  is charged by the external power supply, and stops charging when relative state of charge (RSOC) is 100%. In order to prevent the battery from being in a state of cyclic charging and discharging, the electronic apparatus is set, for example, with a recharge limit. That is, charging stops when the relative state of charge of the battery reaches 100%, and does not recharge until the relative state of charge drops to, for example, 95% of the preset capacity due to self-power consumption of the battery. Self-power consumption current of the battery varies with aging of the battery, and as internal resistance of the battery increases after aging, the self-power consumption time of the battery (i.e., the time from 100% to 95% of RSOC) becomes shorter and shorter. 
     For example,  FIG.  5    is a diagram of a battery power consumption state according to an embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in a battery power consumption state diagram  50  of  FIG.  5   , when AC power is present (i.e., the AC adaptor is plugged in), the system is basically powered by the AC power, and the battery enters a self-power consumption state after the RSOC reaches 100%. When the RSOC of the battery reaches 95% and the AC adaptor is unplugged, the battery is used to supply power to the system at this time, and the capacity of the battery decreases as system discharge current increases. If the AC power is still plugged in at this time, the AC power charges the battery. 
     In step S 306 , the processor  26  calculates a first average value of multiple self-power consumption times recorded within a preset period from a current time, and compares the first average value with a second average value of the self-power consumption times of a previous preset period of the preset period. The preset period ranges from one week to three months, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. 
     In detail, as can be seen from the embodiment of  FIG.  5   , in the presence of AC power, the battery is self-consuming during a period from 100% to 95% of the RSOC value. By calculating the self-power consumption period and obtaining the average value of the self-power consumption period using simple moving average (SMA) method, a basis for adjusting the load of the electronic apparatus may be obtained. Since it is not possible to charge to 100% of RSOC every day in a single month, only data of a month in which this condition is reached is used to calculate the self-power consumption time. 
     If a month is used as a benchmark, an average value of the self-power consumption time SMA x  in an x th  month is calculated as follows. 
     
       
         
           
             S 
             M 
             
               A 
               x 
             
             = 
             
               
                 t 
                 1 
                 + 
                 t 
                 2 
                 + 
                 t 
                 3 
                 + 
                 ⋯ 
                 t 
                 n 
               
               n 
             
           
         
       
     
     t1 to tn are the self-power consumption times calculated when the RSOC drops from 100% to 95% in the x th  month, where n is a positive integer. 
     In step S 308 , the processor  26  adjusts a value of a power limit for controlling the electronic apparatus  20  to enter a load adjusting state according to a comparison result. According to one embodiment, the processor  26  adjusts the value of the power limit, for example, when a ratio of the first average value to the second average value is less than a preset ratio. The preset ratio has a value, for example, between 80% and 95%, and adjusting the value of the power limit is, for example, multiplying the power limit by the preset ratio or subtracting the preset value, and the embodiment does not limit the adjusting method. 
     According to one embodiment, the processor  26  adjusts, for example, at least one of four power limits PL1 to PL4 currently set for a system on a chip (SoC). PL1 is an average power, a value of which is close to the thermal design power (TDP), and the processor  26  is allowed to remain at this power level all the time. PL2 is higher than PL1. The processor  26  may be allowed to maintain operation at power of PL2 for, e.g. 100 seconds, and general boost is in the PL2 state. PL3 is a higher level, and the processor  26  may be allowed to remain at power of PL3, for e.g. 10 milliseconds. PL4 is an upper power limit, and the processor  26  is not allowed to exceed this power limit, which means that when system power consumption is about to exceed the power limit of PL4, the system will immediately down load, but the processor may maintain 10 milliseconds of power discharge between PL2 and PL4. 
     For example,  FIG.  6    is a schematic diagram of a power limit for adjusting an electronic apparatus to enter a load adjusting state according to an embodiment of the disclosure. Referring to  FIG.  6   , in a system power variation diagram  60  according to this embodiment, waveform  62  shows variation of system power consumption, and PL1, PL2, and PL4 are, for example, the power limits set for the system on a chip. PL1 is the power limit for normal system power consumption. Since the system power consumption generates different peak power depending on the hardware configuration, the embodiment sets higher power limits PL2 and PL4 respectively for this condition. 
     It should be noted that as the battery ages, its discharge capacity deteriorates. In this case, if the system still maintains the same load, the battery may enter power-off protection due to battery overload, which will cause the system to shut down instantly. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when a ratio of a SMA value calculated in the latest month to a SMA value calculated in a previous month drops to less than or equal to 90%, the system adjusts the power limits PL2 and PL4 by a 10% downward adjustment. This is equivalent to setting the battery to age by 10%, and the discharge capacity also decreases by 10%, such as an adjusted power limits of 0.9×PL2 and 0.9×PL4. By lowering the power limit, when the system power consumption increases, the system may adjust the load earlier (i.e., down load) to avoid shutdown due to battery overload. 
     In summary, the electronic apparatus and the load adjusting method thereof according to the embodiment of the disclosure are able to detect battery aging early and make appropriate adjustments by continuously monitoring, recording and counting the self-power consumption time required for battery self-power consumption, thus preventing the system from shutting down due to the battery overload. The method according to this embodiment may be realized by modifying a battery management system (BMS) of the battery and software/firmware of an embedded controller (EC), which may ensure that the system will not experience instantaneous power failure, the user will not noticeably feel the reduction in performance, and the protection of the battery will not be compromised. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the disclosure covers modifications and variations provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.