System and method to improve battery performance with cycled current transfer

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions that process information;

a memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions and information;

a power controller interfaced with the processor and memory and operable to accept power from a power source at a source current and voltage and to provide an operating current and voltage to the processor and the memory;

a battery system interfaced with the power controller, the battery system having plural battery cells configured to provide power to the power controller at the source current and voltage; and

a battery controller interfaced with the power controller and the plural cells, the battery controller having a power saving mode in which the battery controller selectively periodically disconnects each of the plural cells at a predetermined interval for a predetermined time period while the connected battery cells maintain the source voltage, each battery cell disabled from charge and discharge during the disconnects.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

an operating system executing on the processor and interfaced with the power controller;

wherein the operating system selectively enables and disables the power saving mode, the battery controller simultaneously connecting all of the plural cells when the power saving mode is disabled.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein predetermined interval and time period are equal to each other and wherein one-half of the battery cells are disconnected during each interval.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the predetermined interval and time period fall within a range of 15 to 60 seconds.

5. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the battery controller cycles one battery cell off at a time.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the battery controller cycles one battery cell on at a time.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined interval and predetermined time are set based upon the amount of the operating current.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the operating system determines the predetermined interval and predetermined time based upon one or more predetermined conditions and communicates the predetermined time and predetermined interval to the battery controller.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the predetermined conditions comprise anticipated load on the battery to power the processing components.

10. A method for powering an information handling system from a battery having plural battery cells, the method comprising:

powering information handling system components with the battery at a source voltage, the power provided simultaneously by all of the plural battery cells;

commanding a power save mode at the battery; and

in the power saving mode selectively periodically disconnecting each of the plural battery cells at a predetermined interval for a predetermined time period while the connected battery cells maintain the source voltage, each of the plural battery cells disabled from receiving and discharging power when disconnected.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

disconnecting only one of the plural battery cells at a time; and

spacing the disconnecting evenly.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

disconnecting one set of serially-interfaced battery cells at a time; and

reconnecting each disconnected set of serially-interfaced battery cells before disconnecting a next set of serially-interfaced battery cells.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

reconnecting each of the plural battery cells after the predetermined time;

monitoring a voltage drop across each of the plural battery cells following the reconnecting; and

setting the predetermined interval based upon the voltage drop.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

estimating a resistance associated with each of the plural battery cell's cathode; and

applying the estimated resistance to set the predetermined interval and predetermined time period.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein commanding a power save mode further comprises:

detecting at the battery current draw from the battery of less than a threshold; and

in response to the detecting, commanding the power save mode with a controller of the battery.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein commanding a power save mode further comprises:

detecting with the operating system a predetermined condition associated with a transition to a low power consumption state; and

commanding the power save mode as part of the transition to the low power consumption state.

17. A battery comprising:

plural battery cells, each battery cell providing current at a native voltage;

an output port interfaced with the plural battery cells and outputting a source voltage generated by the plural battery cells from the native voltage;

plural switches interfaced with the plural battery cells, each of the plural switches operable to disconnect current into and out from at least one of the plural battery cells to prevent charge and discharge at the at least one of the plural battery cells when disconnected; and

a battery controller interfaced with the plural switches and operable to command the battery to discharge at a full power mode or a power save mode, the full power mode discharging simultaneously from all of the plural battery cells, in the power save mode selectively periodically shutting down each of the plural battery cells at a predetermined interval for a predetermined time while the connected battery cells maintain the source voltage.

18. The battery of claim 17 wherein the predetermined time is selected from a range of between 15 and 60 seconds.

19. The battery of claim 17 wherein:

the plural battery cells are configured in first and second groups, the first and second groups each interfacing battery cells of the group in series; and

the power save mode disconnects the plural battery cells as groups.

20. The battery of claim 19 wherein each battery cell comprises a lithium ion battery cell.