Patent ID: 8370659

Claim:
An information handling system, comprising: a storage memory controller circuit for controlling the transfer of data to and from an external data storage system, the storage memory controller circuit including a back up battery system coupled to memory controller system-side circuitry, the backup battery system including one or more battery cells and a battery management unit (BMU), the memory controller system-side circuitry including one or more system load components that include a memory controller, and each of the BMU and the system load components being coupled by a power path to receive electrical power from the one or more battery cells; at least one switching device coupled in the power path between the one or more battery cells and each of the BMU and one or more of the system load components; and at least one processing device; wherein the at least one processing device is coupled to monitor the status of the memory controller and is coupled to control the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from each of the BMU and the one or more of the system load components when the at least one processing device detects that the status of the memory controller has been inactive for greater than a predetermined period of time; and wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: measure the elapsed time since last memory controller activity, perform one or more gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is less than or equal to the predetermined period of time, and control the at least one switching device to selectively electrically isolate the one or more battery cells from each of the BMU and the one or more of the system load components, and perform no gas gauge and charge/discharge routine functions when the measured elapsed time is greater than the predetermined period of time.