SMART BATTERY BALANCING FOR REDUCED ENERGY LOSS
In one aspect, a device includes a processor assembly and storage accessible to the processor assembly. The storage includes instructions executable by the processor assembly to determine that a first battery cell of a battery pack has a higher voltage than a second battery cell of the battery pack and, based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell. For instance, based on the determination, system load may be used to discharge the first battery cell while the second battery cell is not discharged at all with system load or other power draws external to the second battery cell.
1 . A device, comprising:
a processor assembly; and
storage accessible to the processor assembly and comprising instructions executable by the processor assembly to:
determine that a first battery cell of a battery pack has a higher voltage than a second battery cell of the battery pack; and
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not discharge the second battery cell.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, neither discharge nor charge the second battery cell.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not use any system load to discharge the second battery cell.
5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, neither use any system load to discharge the second battery cell nor charge the second battery cell.
6 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not use any system load to discharge the second battery cell but charge the second battery cell.
7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination and concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, incrementally charge the second battery cell by increasingly greater amounts.
8 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination:
use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell; and
incrementally charge both the first battery cell and the second battery cell.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is established by a gas gauge.
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first battery cell is a good battery cell, and wherein the second battery cell is a weak battery cell.
11 . The device of claim 1 , comprising the battery pack.
12 . A method, comprising:
determining that a first battery cell of a battery pack has a higher voltage than a second battery cell of the battery pack; and
based on the determination, using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell.
13 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:
based on the determination, using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, neither using any system load to discharge the second battery cell nor charging the second battery cell.
14 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:
based on the determination, using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not using any system load to discharge the second battery cell but charging the second battery cell.
15 . The method of claim 14 , comprising:
based on the determination and concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, incrementally charging the second battery cell by increasingly greater amounts.
16 . The method of claim 12 , comprising:
based on the determination:
using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell; and
incrementally charging both the first battery cell and the second battery cell.
17 . At least one computer readable storage medium (CRSM) that is not a transitory signal, the at least one CRSM comprising instructions executable by a processor assembly to:
determine that a first battery cell of a battery pack has a different voltage than a second battery cell of the battery pack; and
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell.
18 . The CRSM of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, neither use any system load to discharge the second battery cell nor charge the second battery cell.
19 . The CRSM of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination, use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell and, concurrent with using system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell, not use any system load to discharge the second battery cell but charge the second battery cell.
20 . The CRSM of claim 17 , wherein the instructions are executable to:
based on the determination:
use system load to discharge the first battery cell more than the second battery cell;
incrementally charge both the first battery cell and the second battery cell until a maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell is identified; and
responsive to identifying the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell, subsequently charge both the first and second battery cells to the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell but not beyond the maximum current charge potential of the second battery cell.