Granted Patent B2

US 11,340,678 · App. 17/028,453 · Granted May 24, 2022

Inventors: Richard Christopher Thompson (Cedar Park, TX); Tyler Ryan Cox (Austin, TX); Adolfo Sandor Montero (Pflugerville, TX); Thanh Thien Tran (Houston, TX)

Assignee: Dell Products L.P.

G06F1/28G06N20/00H02J7/0047H02J7/0068H02J7/00714

Abstract

Claims (91)

1. An information handling system, comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory medium, coupled to the at least one processor, that stores instructions of an operating system that are executable by the at least one processor;

an embedded controller coupled to the at least one processor;

a battery configured to provide electrical power to one or more components of the information handling system; and

a battery charger coupled to the embedded controller;

wherein the embedded controller is configured to:

receive a first plurality of analog signals from the battery charger, wherein the first plurality of analog signals are proportional to current of the battery;

receive a second plurality of analog signals from the battery charger, wherein the second plurality of analog signals are proportional to current from a power supply;

receive a third plurality of analog signals from the battery charger, wherein the third plurality of analog signals are proportional to power consumption of a plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery;

convert the first plurality of analog signals to a first plurality of digital values;

convert the second plurality of analog signals to a second plurality of digital values;

convert the third plurality of analog signals to a third plurality of digital values;

determine a first mean digital value from the first plurality of digital values, a second mean value from the second plurality of digital values, and a third mean digital value from the third plurality of digital values; and

provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to at least one of information handling system firmware of the information handling system, an application of the information handling system, and the operating system.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 ,

wherein, to provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the at least one of the information handling system firmware, the application, and the operating system of the information handling system the embedded controller is further configured to provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the information handling system firmware; and

wherein the information handling system firmware is configured to provide the first mean digital value, the mean second digital value, and the third mean digital value to at least one of the application and the operating system via a management information exchange.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 , wherein, to provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the at least one of the application and the operating system via the management information exchange, the information handling system firmware is further configured to provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the at least one of the application and the operating system via at least one of a Windows Management Interface and a Common Information Model.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the embedded controller is further configured to, after determining the first mean digital value from the first plurality of digital values, the second mean value from the second plurality of digital values, and the third mean digital value from the third plurality of digital values:

convert the first mean digital value to an electrical current value of the current of the battery;

convert the second mean digital value to an electrical current value of the current from the power supply; and

convert the third mean digital value to a power value of the power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 ,

wherein, to convert the first mean digital value to the electrical current value of the current of the battery, the embedded controller is further configured to scale the first mean digital value by a first scalar value;

wherein, to convert the second mean digital value to the electrical current value of the current from the power supply, the embedded controller is further configured to scale the mean second digital value by a second scalar value; and

wherein, to convert the third mean digital value to the power value of the power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery, the embedded controller is further configured to scale the third mean digital value by a third scalar value.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 , wherein the embedded controller is further configured to:

determine that second mean digital value is not zero; and

in response to determining that second mean digital value is not zero, determine a fourth value of power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system via subtracting the first mean digital value from the third mean value; and

provide the fourth value to the at least one of the information handling system firmware, the application, and the operating system of the information handling system.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 , further comprising:

the power supply.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an embedded controller of an information handling system, a first plurality of analog signals from a battery charger of the information handling system, wherein the first plurality of analog signals are proportional to current of a battery of the information handling system;

receiving, by the embedded controller, a second plurality of analog signals from the battery charger, wherein the second plurality of analog signals are proportional to current from a power supply;

receiving, by the embedded controller, a third plurality of analog signals from the battery charger, wherein the third plurality of analog signals are proportional to power consumption of a plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery;

converting, by the embedded controller, the first plurality of analog signals to a first plurality of digital values;

converting, by the embedded controller, the second plurality of analog signals to a second plurality of digital values;

converting, by the embedded controller, the third plurality of analog signals to a third plurality of digital values;

storing, by the embedded controller, the first plurality of digital values, the second plurality of digital values, and the third plurality of digital values via a memory medium; and

retrieving, by the embedded controller, the first plurality of digital values, the second plurality of digital values, and the third plurality of digital values from the memory medium;

determining, by the embedded controller, a first mean digital value from the first plurality of digital values, a second mean value from the second plurality of digital values, and a third mean digital value from the third plurality of digital values; and

providing, by the embedded controller, the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to at least one of information handling system firmware of the information handling system, an application of the information handling system, and an operating system of the information handling system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the providing the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the at least one of the information handling system firmware, the application, and the operating system of the information handling system includes:

providing the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the information handling system firmware; and

providing the first mean digital value, the mean second digital value, and the third mean digital value to at least one of the application and the operating system via a management information exchange.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the providing the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the at least one of the application and the operating system via the management information exchange includes providing the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the at least one of the application and the operating system via at least one of a Windows Management Interface and a Common Information Model.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

after the determining the first mean digital value from the first plurality of digital values, the second mean value from the second plurality of digital values, and the third mean digital value from the third plurality of digital values:

converting the first mean digital value to an electrical current value of the current of the battery;

converting the second mean digital value to an electrical current value of the current from the power supply; and

converting the third mean digital value to a power value of the power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery.

12. The method of claim 11 ,

wherein the converting the first mean digital value to the electrical current value of the current of the battery includes scaling the first mean digital value by a first scalar value;

wherein the converting the second mean digital value to the electrical current value of the current from the power supply include scaling the mean second digital value by a second scalar value; and

wherein the converting the third mean digital value to the power value of the power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery includes scaling the third mean digital value by a third scalar value.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining that second mean digital value is not zero;

in response to the determining that second mean digital value is not zero, determining a fourth value of power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system via subtracting the first mean digital value from the third mean value; and

providing the fourth value to the at least one of the information handling system firmware, the application, and the operating system of the information handling system.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information handling system includes the power supply.

15. An embedded controller, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory medium, coupled to the at least one processor, that stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the embedded controller system to:

receive a first plurality of analog signals from a battery charger of an information handling system, wherein the first plurality of analog signals are proportional to current of a battery of the information handling system;

receive a second plurality of analog signals from the battery charger, wherein the second plurality of analog signals are proportional to current from a power supply;

receive a third plurality of analog signals from the battery charger, wherein the third plurality of analog signals are proportional to power consumption of a plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery;

convert the first plurality of analog signals to a first plurality of digital values;

convert the second plurality of analog signals to a second plurality of digital values;

convert the third plurality of analog signals to a third plurality of digital values;

store the first plurality of digital values, the second plurality of digital values, and the third plurality of digital values via a memory medium; and

retrieve the first plurality of digital values, the second plurality of digital values, and the third plurality of digital values from the memory medium;

determine a first mean digital value from the first plurality of digital values, a second mean value from the second plurality of digital values, and a third mean digital value from the third plurality of digital values; and

provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to at least one of information handling system firmware of the information handling system, an application of the information handling system, and an operating system of the information handling system.

16. The embedded controller of claim 15 , wherein, to provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the at least one of the information handling system firmware, the application, and the operating system the instructions further cause the embedded controller to provide the first mean digital value, the second mean digital value, and the third mean digital value to the information handling system firmware.

17. The embedded controller of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the embedded controller to, after determining the first mean digital value from the first plurality of digital values, the second mean value from the second plurality of digital values, and the third mean digital value from the third plurality of digital values:

convert the first mean digital value to an electrical current value of the current of the battery;

convert the second mean digital value to an electrical current value of the current from the power supply; and

convert the third mean digital value to a power value of the power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery.

18. The embedded controller of claim 17 ,

wherein, to convert the first mean digital value to the electrical current value of the current of the battery, the instructions further cause the embedded controller to scale the first mean digital value by a first scalar value;

wherein, to convert the second mean digital value to the electrical current value of the current from the power supply, the instructions further cause the embedded controller to scale the mean second digital value by a second scalar value; and

wherein, to convert the third mean digital value to the power value of the power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system and the battery, the instructions further cause the embedded controller to scale the third mean digital value by a third scalar value.

19. The embedded controller of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the embedded controller to:

determine that second mean digital value is not zero; and

in response to determining that second mean digital value is not zero, determine a fourth value of power consumption of the plurality of components of the information handling system via subtracting the first mean digital value from the third mean value; and

provide the fourth value to the at least one of the information handling system firmware, the application, and the operating system of the information handling system.

20. The embedded controller of claim 15 , further comprising:

at least one analog to digital converter;

wherein, to convert the first plurality of analog signals to the first plurality of digital values, the at least one analog to digital converter is configured to convert the first plurality of analog signals to the first plurality of digital values.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (1)

Cited By (1)

US 12,199,461