WO2021216053A1

WO2021216053A1 - Orientation based charging

Info

Publication number: WO2021216053A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/029210
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kuang-Chun Chen; Yow-Wei CHENG
Original assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Priority date: 2020-04-22
Filing date: 2020-04-22
Publication date: 2021-10-28

Abstract

Examples for charging a device based on a charging profile, are described. In an example, based on the detected orientation, a charging profile is obtained. The charging profile includes a charging parameter, for charging an energy storage device of the computing device, corresponding to the orientation of the device. Thereafter, the device may be caused to charge the energy storage device based on the charging profile.

Description

ORIENTATION BASED CHARGING

BACKGROUND

[0001] Electronic devices may be powered through an energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery. The energy storage device provides electrical energy to power different components of the electronic device. When expended, the electronic device may be coupled to an electric power source for recharging the electronic device. The energy storage device of the electronic device may be charged by providing an appropriate charging current or voltage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0002] The detailed description is provided with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein:

[0003] FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device to be charged based on a charging profile, according to an example;

[0004] FIG.2 illustrates a computing device to be charged based on a charging profile, according to an example;

[0005] FIG.3 illustrates a computing device to be charged based on a charging profile, according to another example;

[0006] FIG. 4 illustrates a computing device in different orientations, according to an example;

[0007] FIG. 5 illustrates another computing device to be charged based on a charging profile, according to yet another example;

[0008] FIG. 6 illustrates a method for charging a computing device based on a charging profile, according to an example; and

[0009] FIG. 7 illustrates a non-transitory computer readable medium for enabling charging of a computing device based on a charging profile, according to an example.

[0010] Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and the size of some parts may be exaggerated to more clearly illustrate the example shown. Moreover, the drawings provide examples and/or implementations consistent with the description; however, the description is not limited to the examples and/or implementations provided in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Electronic or computing devices operate on electric energy, which may be provided through an energy storage device, such as a rechargeable battery, installed therein. As the device is used, the energy storage device may get expended. When expended the energy storage device may be charged by plugging the device into a main power supply. During recharging, the energy storage device may get heated up owing to its internal resistances. As the energy storage device charges, the heat generated as a result of the charging may be transferred to adjacent components. The transfer of heat generally occurs through convection currents. This, in turn, may result in certain components of the electronic device being subjected to temperatures greater than their prescribed operating temperatures. In such cases, the components may function in an undesired manner, which in turn may impact the efficiency and the operation of the electronic device. With the electronic device becoming more compact in their form factor, a greater number of components may be provided within a defined space of the electronic device. Such devices may be more affected due to the thermal effects caused by the charging of the energy storage device.

[0012] Certain electronic device, such as laptops, are generally operated and charged while disposed in a certain position with respect to a horizontal plane. For example, a laptop may be generally placed on a flat surface (such as a desk), while it is being used. This position is generally maintained, irrespective of whether the laptop is operating on its energy storage device or while it is being charged. As mentioned previously, while charging the energy storage device may get heated up. [0013] The heat generated by the energy storage device may get transferred to adjoining components, Heat transfer due to convection currents may occur in the vertical direction. As a result, it is likely that components which are located vertically above the energy storage device (i.e., when the electronic device is in a specific orientation), may experience higher temperatures as compared to components which are located at other points within housing of the electronic device. To counter the effects of heating caused due to the charging of the energy storage device, certain protection measures may be provided for selected components. For example, the components may be provided with a thermal protective covering which prevents heating due to the charging of the energy storage device. Other examples of such measures include, but are not limited to, fabric casing, heat absorbent covering, and heat flow paths.

[0014] With advancement in digital technologies, electronic devices are becoming more compact and portable. Such electronic devices weigh less as compared to their predecessors and may be used in different orientations. For example, modem tablet PCs in different scenarios may be used while positioned horizontally or vertically by different users. The electronic device may be charged in multiple orientations. As a result, components which otherwise lie vertically above the energy storage device when the electronic device is being used horizontally, may not do so when the orientation of the electronic device changes. Therefore, different components within the circuitry of the electronic device may be subject to the heating effects caused due to electronic device being charged in different orientations. The thermal protection measures may not have been provided for all components within the electronic device, for reasons of costs and other manufacturing efficiencies. Consequently, components without thermal protection measures would be subject to the heating effects of the energy storage device. When subject to such heating effects, internal heat dissipation of such components gets reduced which in turn reduces the operational efficiency and life of the components. If allowed to persist, this may impact the operation of the electronic device itself. [0015] Examples for charging the electronic device based on a charging profile, are described, in an example, a charging profile prescribes a predefined charging parameter, such as voltage or current, for charging the energy storage device of the electronic device when the electronic device is in a specific orientation. In operation, when the electronic device is plugged in for charging, the electronic device may initially determine whether it is in a first orientation. In an example, the orientation may be determined using a sensor, such as an accelerometer, if the electronic device is determined to be in the first orientation, the energy storage device of the electronic device may be charged as per a charging profile corresponding to the first orientation, in an example, the charging profile provides a value of a charging parameter corresponding to the orientation of the electronic device. Based on the orientation, an appropriate charging profile is selected, and accordingly the electronic device is charged based on the corresponding charging parameters specified in the charging profile.

[0016] in the event that the orientation of the electronic device is different from the first orientation, a different charging profile may be selected. The different charging profile may prescribe a different value of the charging parameter for charging the energy storage device. The different charging parameters may be such that, when being charged, the temperature of the energy storage device does not exceed a predetermined value. As a result, the energy storage device may tend to get heated less when being charged in a different orientation.

[0017] A change in the charging profile results in controlling the charging of the energy storage device which in turn may further result in reducing the heat produced by the energy storage device. Since the consequent heating of the energy storage device is less, the resulting heat transfer to other components of the electronic device is also reduced. As a result, components which may otherwise have been exposed to higher temperatures while the electronic device was charging in a certain orientation, are now subjected to lower temperatures in that orientation. As a result, the components may function In an expected manner and are not impacted by the beating of the energy storage device during charging in a specific orientation.

[0018] In another example, the energy storage device may further include a plurality of cells which may stacked together. During charging, the individual ceils may also heat up. Depending on the orientation of the electronic device, it is possible that the stack of the individual cells (constituting the energy storage device) may be verticaliy aligned. In such a case, the heat generated by the cells positioned lower in the stack may impact the operation or charging of the cells which are positioned higher up in the stack. In an example, the present approaches may be utilized for charging a specific cell, such as the lower-most cell, based on charging profile which provides charging parameters that are lower than the charging parameters for the cells which are positioned higher in the stack. Since the specific cell is charged using a lower valued charging parameters, the heat generated as a result of the charging is also less. Consequently, the cells which are positioned higher up in the stack are subject to less heat, and hence, are not impacted by heat produced by the lower cells during charging.

[0019] The manner in which the example computing devices are implemented are explained in detail with respect to FIGS. 1-7. While aspects of described computing devices can be implemented in any number of different electronic devices, environments, and/or implementations, the examples are described in the context of the following example system(s). St is to be noted that drawings of the present subject matter shown here are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the subject matter claimed.

[0020] FIG. 1 Illustrates an electronic device 100 which is to charge an energy storage device 102 based on its orientation, as per one example. Examples of electronic device 100 include, but are not limited to a portable computer, convertible laptops, and other laptop computers. The electronic device 100 may further include sensor(s) 104 for detecting the orientation of the electronic device 100. Examples of sen sorts ) 104 include, but are not limited to, an accelerometer and a gyroscope. As the electronic device 100 is used, the stored electrical power available within the energy storage device 102 may have to be recharged. In an example, the charging of the energy storage device 102 may be implemented by a power management circuitry 106,

[0021] The power management circuitry 106 is to control the charging of the energy storage device 102 within the electronic device 100. The power management circuitry 106 may provide a variety of functions related to power management of the electronic device 100. The power management circuitry 106 may be configured to fetch and execute instructions stored in a memory (not shown in FIG. 1 ), for example, in order to control the charging of the energy storage device 102 of the electronic device 100 based on its orientation.

[0022] Other functions which may be enabled by the power management circuitry 106 include, but are not limited to, turning off, powering on, or controlling other processing components of the electronic device 100. In an example, the power management circuitry 106 may be circuitry which is integrated within the main circuitry of the electronic device 100. In another example, the power management circuitry 106 may be implemented by way of an integrated circuit chip present on a motherboard of the electronic device 100. In an example, the power management circuitry 106 may be in communication with a processor within the electronic device 100. Although not depicted, the power management circuitry 106 may include circuitry for power related functions such as DC-DC conversion, power source selection, and voltage control, in an example, the power management circuitry 106 may be implemented as power management integrated circuits (PMICs), or a Power Management Unit (PMU). The foregoing examples are only indicative and should not be construed as a limitation, in an example, the power management circuitry 106 may be coupled to the sensor{s) 104.

[0023] In an example, the sensor(s) 104 may initially detect the orientation of the electronic device 100. The orientation thus determined is obtained by the power management circuitry 106 from the sensor(s) 104. The power management circuitry 106, based on the detected orientation, may further obtain a charging profile (represented as block 108). A charging profile may include, amongst other things, a value of charging parameter corresponding to an orientation. Examples of charging parameter include, but are not limited to, charging voltage, charging current, charging interval, or charging rate. In an example, the charging profile maybe stored within a memory (not shown in FIG, 1) of the electronic device 100, [0024] Once the appropriate charging profile is obtained, the power management circuitry 106 may charge the energy storage device 102 based on the obtained charging profile (represented as block 110). In an example, the power management circuitry 106 may control various power delivery circuitry within the electronic device 100. Such a power delivery circuitry may accordingly regulate the power provided by a power adapter of the electronic device 100 to provide a charging voltage or current per the values of charging parameters provided in the charging profile.

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a computing device 200. Examples of computing device 200 include, but are not limited to a portable computer, convertible laptops, and hybrid laptop computers, The computing device 200 further includes an energy storage device 202 which is to power other components of the computing device 200, The energy storage device 202 may be a rechargeable battery installed within the electronic device 200, in an example, the energy storage device 202 may further include a plurality of cells 208-1, 2, .... N (collectively referred to as ceils 208). The ceils 208 may be arranged within the energy storage device 202 such that certain cells may be located within close proximity with each other.

[0026] The computing device 200 further includes sensor(s) 204, and a power management circuitry 206. The sensor(s) 204 are to determine an orientation of the computing device 200. The power management circuitry 206 is to control the charging of the ceiis 208 of the energy storage device 202. Besides controlling the charging of the cells 208 of the energy storage device 202, the power management circuitry 206 may provide a variety of power management functions of the computing device 200. in an example, the power management circuitry 206 may be configured to fetch and execute instructions stored in a memory (not shown in FIG. 2), to charge the cells 208 of the energy storage device 202, based on its orientation. In an example, the power management circuitry 206 may be implemented as power management integrated circuit (PMIC) or as a Power Management Unit (PMU).

[0027] The computing device 200 may be compact in size which allows the computing device 200 to be held and used in different orientations, in an example, the sensor(s) 204 may initially determine the orientation of the computing device 200. The orientation of the computing device 200 may then be obtained by the power management circuitry 206. Based on the obtained orientation, the power management circuitry 206 may obtain a charging profile for a cell, say the first ceil 208-1 (represented as block 210). In an example, the charging profile for the first cell 208-1 may be obtained from a repository in the memory of the computing device 200, which maintains and stores a plurality of charging profile. Returning to the present example, the power management circuitry 206 may obtain a first charging profile for charging the first cell 208-1.

[0028] Once the first charging profile is obtained, the power management circuitry 106 may charge the first cell 208-1 based on the first charging profile (represented as block 212). In an example, the power management circuitry 206 may control various power delivery circuitry within the computing device 200 to provide a charging voltage or current per the values of charging parameters provided in the first charging profile for charging the first ceil 208-1. In a similar manner, the power management circuitry 206 may obtain charging profiles for charging other cells 208 based on the orientation of the computing device 200. The different charging profiles result in the charging each cells 208 differently. In an example, the cells 208 may be charged at different time instances or different charging rates. For example, a set of every alternate cells may be charged first, with the other alternate set of cells may be charged subsequently, i.e., once the charging of the prior set of cells has completed. In a similar manner, various combinations of charging parameters may also be used without deviating from the scope of the present subject matter. In another example, the power management circuitry 206 may charge a set of cells within the energy storage device 202 based on the first charging profile.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates a computing environment 300 comprising a computing device 302. The computing device 302 may include processor(s) 304, interface(s) 306, orientation sensor(s) 308, power management circuitry 310, and memory 312. In addition, the computing device 302 may further include an energy storage device 314. The computing device 302 may be coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source 316, through a power adapter 318. The power adapter 318, amongst other functions, converts the AC power from the power source 316 to a direct current (DC) power for charging the energy storage device 314 of the computing device 302.

[0030] The processor(s) 304 may foe implemented as microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. Among other capabilities, the processors) 304 is configured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory 312 to implement charging of the computing device 302 based on its orientation through the power management circuitry 310. The manner in which the charging of the energy storage device 314 of the computing device 302 is explained subsequently,

[0031] The interface(s) 306 may allow the connection or coupling of the computing device 302 with one or more other devices, through a wired (e.g., LAN) connection or through a wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi). The interface(s) 306 may also enable intercommunication between different logical as well as hardware components of the computing device 302. In an example, the interface(s) 306 may also enable couple or connection with a power source. The orientation sensor(s) 308 and the power management circuitry 310 enable the charging of the energy storage device 314.

[0032] The power management circuitry 310 may be any circuitry or instruction-based logic. In an example, the power management circuitry 310 may include circuitry for power related functions such as DC-DC conversion, power source selection, and voltage control. In an example, the power management circuitry 310 may be implemented as power management integrated circuits (PMICs), or a Power Management Unit (PMU). The power management circuitry 310 may be capable of performing specific functions through its instruction-based logic or may perform such functions based on control instructions generated by the processor(s) 304.

[0033] In operation, the orientation sensor(s) 308 determine the orientation of the computing device 302. Based on the orientation of computing device 302, the power management circuitry 310 is to obtain a charging profile, and accordingly implement the charging of the energy storage device 314 based on the charging profile, as is explained subsequently. The energy storage device 314 may further include a plurality of ceils 320-1, 2, ..., N (collectively referred to as cells 320). Each of the cells 320 may be a singular energy storage unit, connected either serially or in parallel, and houses in an enclosure to form the energy storage device 314. Although the cells 320 of the energy storage device 314 have been depicted as stacked linearly, any arrangement of the cells 320 is possible without deviating from the scope of the present subject matter.

[0034] The data utilized and generated as a result of the functioning of the various components of the computing device 302 is stored in the memory 312. The memory 312 may be implemented as a computer-readable medium known in the art including, for example, volatile memory (e.g., RAM), and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., EPROM, flash memory, etc,). The memory 312 may also be an external memory unit, such as a flash drive, a compact disk drive, an external hard disk drive, or the like. The memory 312 may include data which is either utilized and/or is generated during the operation of the computing device 302. in one example, the memory 312 may include cell ID(s) 322, charging profiie(s) 324 and other data 326.

[0035] In operation, the power management circuitry 310 is to charge the energy storage device 314 based on the orientation of the computing device 302. In an example, the processor(s) 304 may initially determine whether the computing device 302 is being charged or not. To such an end, the processors) 304 may monitor whether the computing device 302 has been plugged into the power source 316. On the computing device 302 being plugged into the power source 316, the processor(s) 304 may initialize the orientation sensor(s) 308. At this stage, the orientation sensor(s) 308 may determine orientation of the computing device 302. Examples of an orientation sensor(s) 308 may include, but are not limited to, a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

[0036) As described previously, in certain instances during charging, the energy storage device 314 (such as the rechargeable battery) may get heated up. The heating of the energy storage device 314 may further generate thermal convectional currents. The thermal convections! currents generally tend to travel vertically upwards, i.e., orthogonally to a horizontal plane. As the thermal convectional currents travel, they may cause heating of components which may lie in the path of convectional currents. However, as the orientation changes, the components which thus lie in the path of the convectional currents may also change. As a result, different set of components are likely to be exposed to the convectional currents when the orientation of the computing device 302 changes. [0037] Certain types of computing device 302, such as tablet PCs, hybrid laptops, and convertible laptops (i.e., laptops in which a keyboard modules may be detached from the screen module, enabling the laptop to be used as a tablet PC), may be used in multiple orientations. For example, such devices may be used either in a landscape mode (i.e., when the display screen may be aligned in a substantially horizontal direction) or a portrait mode (i.e., when the display screen may be aligned in a substantially vertical direction),

[0038] Once the orientation sensor(s) 308 determines the orientation, it is passed to the power management circuitry 310. Based on the orientation determined by the orientation sensor(s) 308, the power management circuitry 310 may determine a charging profile from the charging profiie(s) 324. The charging profiie(s) 324 may be considered as a mapping between specific orientations and corresponding charging parameters. To determine the appropriate charging profile(s) 324, the power management circuitry 310 may compare the orientation with various orientation values provided in the different charging profile(s) 324, Once the matching orientation in the charging profife(s) 324 is identified, the corresponding charging profile(s) 324 is retrieved. Charging parameters may include values of voltages, currents, charging rate, or charging interval. Charging rate may specify the amount of current for charging any specific cell from amongst the cells 320. Furthermore, a charging interval may specify a time duration for which electrical power is to be applied to a specific cell while charging the energy storage device 314,

[0039] The retrieved charging profile(s) 324 provides the charging parameter based on which the energy storage device 314 may be charged. Based on the charging parameter corresponding to the determined orientation, the power management circuitry 310 may result in charging the energy storage device 314. In an example, the power management circuitry 310 may further control various power delivery circuitry within the computing device 302. The power delivery circuitry may accordingly regulate the power provided by the power adapter 318 such that its output is in line with the values of charging parameters provided in the charging profile(s) 324, in an example, a plurality of charging profile(s) 324 corresponding to each of the cells 320 may be retrieved. In this manner, the charging of the cells 320 may be individually controlled. In an example, the power management circuitry 310 may correlate the charging profile(s) 324 with the cells 320 based on the cell ID(s) 322.

[0040] in an example, the charging profile(s) 324 may be predefined and may be prescribed based on the type and make of the computing device 302. For example, the charging profile(s) 324 for computing device 302 which is generally used in a default orientation may specify values of charging parameters which may be different from the charging parameters which are prescribed for another less used orientation. For example, if a computing device 302 is used predominantly in a landscape mode, it is possible that its components are arranged in such a manner such that the impact due to heating of the energy storage device 314 of the computing device 302 is minimal. As a result, the computing device 302 may be charged using charging profile(s) 324 which includes charging parameters as per the rated values for the computing device 302.

[0041] In case the orientation of the computing device 302 changes to another orientation (which is different from the default orientation), it is possible that other components may not be adequately shielded from the thermal effects caused due to the heating of the energy storage device 314. Since the thermal energy produced during the charging of the energy storage device 314 is a function of the value of the charging parameters, charging using charging parameters whose values are less than the rated value for the computing device 302 may result in less heating of the energy storage device 314. For such instances, the charging profile(s) 324 may map the other orientations with charging parameters that are less than the rated values of the charging parameter for the computing device 302. Such charging profiie(s) 324 may be utilized for charging the energy storage device 314 in a different orientation.

[0042] The above aspects are further explained in the context of another example. The present example Is only for the sake of clarity and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present subject matter. For instance, a user may be charging the computing device 302 while using it in a landscape mode (a default orientation). For the landscape mode, the charging profile(s) 324 may have corresponding values of the charging parameters which may be equivalent to the rated value (say a charging voltage of 20V) prescribed for the computing device 302. Similarly, for the portrait mode (i.e., an orientation which is other than the default orientation), the charging profile(s) 324 may prescribe corresponding values of the charging parameter which may be less than rated value. For example, while being charged in the portrait mode, the charging profile(s) 324 may specify a charging voltage of, say, 15V.

[0043] The energy storage device 314 may further include a plurality of ceils 320. Each of the cell 320 is capable of being charged independently of the other cells. During the charging, it is possible that the cells 320 may heat up, and consequently may result in production of the thermal convection currents. Depending on the orientation of the computing device 302, it is possible that certain ceils from amongst the cells 320 may be subjected to thermal convectional currents when the computing device 302 is in an orientation which is different from the default orientation, in such a case, different charging profile(s) 324 may be obtained for each cell 320, based on which they may be charged. These aspects are further explained in conjunction with FIG. 4. FIG. 4 depicts an example of computing device 302 (similar to the computing device 302 illustrated in FIG. 3) in different orientations. For example, the computing device 302 is depicted as being placed horizontally (represented in position 402). Thereafter, during use, the computing device 302 may be rotated such that its orientation may change, as represented by position 404.

[0044] While the computing device 302 is in position 402, the different cells 320 of the energy storage device 314 may be arranged as illustrated, in one example. In such a case, heating of the cells 320 may result in generation of thermal convection currents which may travel vertically upwards, as depicted by the arrow 406. While the computing device 302 is In the position 402, the thermal convention currents produced due to the charging of one of the cells 320, say cell 320-1 , is not likely to have a thermal effect on the adjoining cell, say cell 320-2. In such cases, each of the cells 320 may be charged based on their respective rated charging parameters. Consequently, the charging profile(s) 324 for each of the cells 320 corresponding to the orientation of the computing device 302, in position 402 may be obtained. Thereafter, the power management circuitry 310 may implement charging of each of the cells 320 based on the retrieved charging profile(s) 324.

[0045] In certain cases, the computing device 302 may be rotated and used in a different orientation, such as in position 404. While in position 404, the ceils 320 may be arranged vertically, with certain cells, such as cell 320-1 being positioned above as compared to other ceils, such as ceils 320-N, During charging, each of the cells 320 may get heated with each of them resulting in generation of thermal convections! currents. Owing to the orientation of the computing device 302, the thermal convention currents will travel along the direction indicated by arrow 408, which also is in the direction in which cells 320 are arranged. As would be noted, the heating of the lower cells, such as cell 320-M, will result in additional heating of the cells which are located vertically above it. For example, cell 320-1 will be exposed to the thermal convectional currents produced by all the remaining cells (i.e., cells 320-1, ..., N-1 ) within the energy storage device 314. In a similar manner, all intervening cells will also be exposed to the thermal effects caused due to the heating of the cells which lie vertically below their respective positions. As also described previously, subjecting the cells 320 to thermal effects caused due to charging of the energy storage device 314 may impact the conditions and operability of the cells 320.

[0040] In an example, the power management circuitry 310 may implement charging of the cells 320 based on charging profile(s) 324 corresponding to each of the cells 320 within the energy storage device 314. The power management circuitry 310 may determine the change in orientation to determine the relative position of each the cells 320 with respect to each other. In the example as depicted in FIG. 4, the computing device 302 has been shown to rotate clockwise by an angle of 90° , owing to which cell 320-1 may be located to be vertically. In case the computing device 302 is to rotate by an angle of 90° in a counter clockwise manner, the ceil 320-N will occupy a position which is vertically above the other ceils 320. In an example, the orientation sensor(s) 308 may determine how the change in orientation has occurred to determine the relative position of the cells 320 with respect to each other.

[0047] In the present example (i.e., with the cell 320-1 located above the other cells 320), the power management circuitry 310 based on the orientation of the computing device 302, may retrieve the corresponding charging profile(s) 324. To such an end, the power management circuitry 310 may initially determine the cell ID(s) 322 of each of the corresponding cells 320. Based on the orientation and the relative position of the cells 320 within the energy storage device 314, the power management circuitry 310 may retrieve the corresponding charging profile(s) 324. In an example, the charging profile(s) 324 may provide a mapping between the cell !D{s) 322, their relative position and a charging parameter based on which the corresponding cells 320 may be charged. In the context of the present example, the charging profile(s) 324 for the ceil 320-N may be such that it prescribes charging parameters whose values may be less than its rated charging parameter. In a similar manner, the charging profile(s) 324 for each of the intervening cells, such as cell 320-2, 3, ..., N-1, may be such that they are charged using charging parameter with values which are less than the rated values for such cells,

[0048] Charging the lower positioned cells using different charging parameter, for example, a lower charging voltage wilt result in lesser heating and consequently will result in a lesser thermal impact onto the other cells (i.e., cells 320-1 , N-1 ),

As a result, the thermal heating of the lower positioned cells (e.g., cell 320-N) may be controlled to reduce the thermal impact on cells which are located vertically above (e.g., cell 320-1). In an example, the charging profile(s) 324 for each of the cells 320 may constructed based on a thermal profile of the cell. A thermal profile may refer to the amount of heat which may be generated by any one of the cells 320 for a varying values of charging parameter. In an example, the thermal profile may also depend on the attributes, such as age or state of charge, of the ceils. For instance, as the age of a cell within the energy storage device 314 increases, it is more likely to get heated quicker. In such instances, the charging profile(s) 324 may further provide values of charging parameter based on the attributes of the cells 320. In an example, the charging of the computing device 302 in the second orientation may be performed after passage of a threshold time interval. This prevents any change in the charging of the computing device 302 due to any accidental or temporary changes in orientation.

[0049] In an example, in addition to the power management circuitry 310, the computing device 302 may further include additional power management circuitry for controlling the charging of specific sets of cells. For example, a first power management circuitry may manage and control the charging of a first set of cells, while the other power management circuitry may manage and control the charging of another set of cells within the energy storage device 314, An example of a computing device having multiple power management circuitries is depicted in FIG. 5.

[0050] FIG. 5 illustrates computing environment 500 with computing device 502, The computing device 502 further includes plurality of power management circuitries, namely a first power management circuitry 504 (referred to as the first circuitry 504) and a second power management circuitry 506 (referred to as the second circuitry 506), The first circuitry 504 and the second circuitry 506 may further control the charging of an energy storage device 508. The energy storage device 508 includes plurality of cells. Of the cells included in the energy storage device 508,a first set of cells 510 may be coupled to the first circuitry 504, whereas the second set of cells 512 may be coupled to the second circuitry 506. Similar to the computing device 302, the computing device 502 may be further coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source 514, through a power adapter 516. The computing device 502 further includes other components which are described in FIG. 3 without limiting the scope of the present subject matter.

[0051] In operation, the first and the second power management circuitries (504 and 506) are to charge the energy storage device 508 based on the orientation of the computing device 502. In an example, the orientation may be determined through an orientation sensor (e.g,, the orientation sensor(s) 308), Once orientation of the computing device 502 is determined, the first circuitry 504 may retrieve a plurality of charging profiie(s) corresponding to the set of cells represented as cells 510. In a similar manner, the second circuitry 506 may retrieve another set of charging profile(s) from the memory (not shown in FIG. 5) of the computing device 502. Once the charging profile(s) are retrieved, the first circuitry 504 and the second circuitry 506 may charge the cells 510 and the cells 512 based on the different charging proile(s). Charging using the first circuitry 504 and the second circuitry 506 allows charging of the energy storage device 508 through different power streams also reduces the amount of heat which may be generated by the ceils 510, 512 during charging.

[0052] FiG. 8 illustrates a detailed method for charging an energy storage device based on orientation, as per one example of the present subject matter. Although the method 600 may be implemented in a variety of electronic or computing devices, for the ease of explanation, the present description of the example method 600 is provided in reference to the above-described electronic device 100, computing device 200, or computing device 302, or computing device 502 (collectively referred to as devices 100, 200, 302, or 502).

[0053] The order in which the method 800 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be combined in any order to implement the method 600, or an alternative method. The blocks of the method 600 may be performed by any one of the devices 100, 200, 302, or 502. The blocks of the method 600 may be executed based on instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non- transitory computer-readable medium may include, for example, digital memories, magnetic storage media, such as magnetic disks and magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media.

[0054] At block 602, a determination may be made to ascertain whether a computing device is connected to a power source. For example, the computing device 302 may be connected to a power source 318 for recharging the energy storage device 314. In an example, the processor(s) 304 may monitor whether the computing device 302 has been plugged into the power source 316.

[0055] At block 604, an orientation of the computing device may be determined. For example, on determining the computing device 302 to be plugged into the power source 316, the processor(s) 304 may Initialize the orientation sensor(s) 308. The orientation sensor(s) 308 on being initialized, determines the orientation of the computing device 302. The computing device 302 may be so positioned such that it is either in a landscape or a portrait mode. Once detected, the power management circuitry 310 obtains the orientation of the computing device 302.

[0056] At block 806, a charging profile corresponding to the orientation is obtained. The charging profile may provide a mapping between certain specific orientations and corresponding charging parameters. In an example, the power management circuitry 310 may compare the orientation of the computing device 302 (determined through the orientation sensor(s) 308) with corresponding orientation values provided in the charging profile(s) 324. On locating a matching orientation, the corresponding charging profile(s) 324 is retrieved. In certain cases, the energy storage device 314 may further include a plurality of cells 320. To such an end, the power management circuitry 310 may obtain charging profile(s) 324 for each of the ceils 320, or for a group of cells from amongst the cells 320. In an example, the charging profile(s) 324 may be predefined and may be prescribed based on the thermal profile, type, and make of the computing device 302 or the energy storage device 314.

[0057] At block 808, the computing device may be charged based on the determined charging profile. For example, the power management circuitry 310 may charge the energy storage device 314. To such an end, the power management circuitry 310 may further control various power delivery circuitry within the computing device 302. The power delivery circuitry may accordingly regulate the power provided by the power adapter 318 such that its output is as per the values of charging parameters provided in the charging profile(s) 324. in cases where the energy storage device 314 includes a plurality of cells 320, the power management circuitry 310 may perform charging of the different cells 320 based on the different charging profile(s) 324 retrieved. In an example, the charging profile(s) 324 may be retrieved based on the ceil ID(s) 322 of the cells 320.

[0058] FIG. 7 illustrates a computing environment 700 implementing a non- transitory computer readable medium for charging a power source of a computing device based on its orientation. In an example, the computing environment 700 includes processor(s) 702 communicatively coupled to a non-transitory computer readable medium 704 through communication link 706. In an example implementation, the computing environment 700 may be for a charging environment comprising a computing device 200, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In an example, the processors) 702 may have one or more processing resources for fetching and executing computer-readable instructions from the non-transitory computer readable medium 704. The processor(s) 702 and the non-transitory computer readable medium 704 may be implemented, for example, in devices 100 or 200 or 302 or 502.

[0059] The non-transitory computer readable medium 704 may be, for example, an interna! memory device or an external memory. In an example implementation, the communication link 706 may be a network communication link, or other communication links, such as a PCS (Peripheral component Interconnect) Express or USB-C interfaces. The processors) 702 and the non- transitory computer readable medium 704 may also be communicatively coupled to a computing device 708 over the network. The computing device 708 may be implemented, for example, as computing device 200 or computing device 302 or computing device 502. In an example implementation, the non-transitory computer readable medium 704 includes a set of computer readable instructions 710 which may be accessed by the processor(s) 702 through the communication link 706 and subsequently executed to perform charging of the computing device 708 based on its orientation.

[0060] Referring to FIG. 7, in an example, the non-transitory computer readable medium 704 includes computer readable instructions 710 that cause the processor(s) 702 to implement charging of the computing device, such as the computing device 302, based on its orientation. In an example, the instructions 710 when executed charge the computing device 302 positioned in a first orientation based on a first charging profile. The first charging profile includes a charging parameter based on which an energy storage device 314 of the computing device 302, may be charged. In an example, the first charging profile is obtained from the charging profile(s) 324. While the computing device 302 remains connected to a power supply and continues to charge, the instructions 710 may cause to detect if the orientation of the computing device 302 has changed. In an example, the orientation of the computing device 302 may change to a second orientation.

[0061] Based on the second orientation, the instructions 710 may cause to retrieve a second charging profile, say from the charging profile(s) 324. The second charging profile is such that it provides charging parameters which different from the charging parameters included within the first charging profile. Once the second charging profile is obtained, the instructions 710 may cause the power management circuitry 310 to carry out the charging of the energy storage device 314 based on the second charging profile. In an example, Instructions 710 may cause the power management circuitry 310 to control various power delivery circuitry within the computing device 302. The power delivery circuitry may accordingly regulate the power provided by a power adapter of the computing device 302 to provide a charging voltage or current in accordance with the values provided in charging parameters provided in the charging profile [0062] Although examples for the present disclosure have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, the appended claims are not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed and explained as examples of the present disclosure.

Claims

We claim:

1. An electronic device comprising: an energy storage device; a sensor to detect an orientation of an electronic device; power management circuitry coupled to the sensor, wherein the power management circuitry is to: based on the detected orientation, obtain a charging profile, wherein the charging profile includes a value of a charging parameter, for charging the energy storage device, corresponding to the detected orientation; and charge the energy storage device, based on the charging profile .

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the charging parameter is a current, voltage, a charging interval, or a combination thereof.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a value of the charging parameter for the detected orientation is based on a thermal profile of the energy storage device of the electronic device,

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises a plurality of ceils,

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the power management circuitry is power management integrated circuits (PMICs), or a Power Management Unit (PMU).

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or a combination thereof.

7. A computing device comprising: an energy storage device, wherein the energy storage device comprises a plurality of cells; a sensor to detect an orientation of a computing device; power management circuitry, coupled to the sensor, wherein the power management circuitry is to: based on the detected orientation, obtain a first charging profile for charging a first cell selected from the plurality of ceils, wherein the first charging profile includes a value of a charging parameter, for charging the energy storage device, corresponding to the detected orientation; and charge the first ceil of the energy storage device, based on the first charging profile.

8. The computing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the charging parameter comprises a current, voltage, a charging rate, or a combination thereof.

9. The computing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the power management circuitry is to further: obtain a second charging profile for charging a second cell from the plurality of cells, wherein the second charging profile is different from the first charging profile; and charge the second cell, based on the second charging profile.

10. The computing device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first cell and the second cell are charged at different time instances or different charging rates.

11. The computing device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a second power management circuitry to: obtain a second charging profile for charging a second cell from the plurality of cells, wherein the second charging profile is different from the first charging profile; and charge the second cell, based on the second charging profile

12. The computing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a value of the charging parameter in the first charging profile is based on a thermal profile of the first cell.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer- readable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to: charge a computing device positioned in a first orientation based on a first charging profile, wherein the first charging profile includes a charging parameter for charging an energy storage device of the computing device; while connected to a power supply, detect a change in orientation of the computing device to a second orientation; retrieve a second charging profile based on the second orientation, wherein the second charging profile is different from the first charging profile; and charge the computing device, based on the second charging profile.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the charging parameter is a charging rate, current, voltage, or a combination thereof.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the computing device in the second orientation is charged after passage of a threshold time interval.