Dell Products Inc.

Erin Lane Price

Brent Alan McDonald

Chris Morrow Young

Guangyong Zhu

Andrew Thomas Sultenfuss

Yuan-Chang Lo

Carlton A Andrews

Todd Erick Swierk

Stefan Peana

Philip M Seibert

John J Breen

Robert Dan Allen

Asim M Siddiqui

Charles Delbert Robison, Jr

Frank Quintanilla, Iii

James E Dailey

Greg R Fiebrich

Vinod Makhija

Eugen Munteanu

John Matthew Knadler, Iv

John A Billingsley

James Alan Yasukawa

Systems and methods for providing technical support and exporting diagnostic data. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) includes a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: identify a video failure in response to executing a Basic I/O System (BIOS)/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) diagnostics routine prior to the booting of a main Operating System (OS), where the video failure renders the IHS incapable of providing a video interface; and in response to the identification, provide an audio interface to a user, where the audio interface enables the user to perform a troubleshooting operation in the absence of the video interface.

Systems and methods for providing technical support and exporting diagnostic data

An information handling system display backlight illuminates an image with plural strings of LEDs driven by a backlight driver integrated circuit with pulse width modulation. A string detection module detects the number of active LED strings and divides the time period by number of active LED strings into an equal number of time delays or shifts so that the backlight driver sequentially turns on an LED string at a predetermined time period. The active number of LED strings is detected by reading a total number of LED strings from a management interface and subtracting from the total number any detected failed LED strings or any LED strings powered down to reduce power consumption.

System and method for sequential driving of information handling system display backlight LED strings

Systems and methods for backlighting an image display by independently driving multiple backlights for the display. The display may be, for example, a LCD display panel of a portable information handling system such as a battery-powered notebook computer that employs two or more cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) for backlighting the LCD display. The multiple backlights may be independently driven, for example, using a common inverter that is capable of independently driving two or more backlight lamps, or by driving each backlight lamp with a separate inverter.

Systems and methods for backlighting image displays

A current limiting MOSFET monitors power applied to a direct current boost regulator that powers an LED backlight to automatically shut off power to the boost regulator if the current exceeds a predetermined amount. An embedded controller interfaces with the current limiting MOSFET for normal control of operation of the boost regulator by turning the MOSFET on and off. An overcurrent alert is communicated from the MOSFET to the embedded controller if the current exceeds the predetermined amount so that the embedded controller shuts off power to the boost regulator and indicates the failure to an end user.

System and method for information handling system display backlight protection and monitoring

In a power adapter having multiple power outputs, a first information handling system (IHS) is coupled to a first power output included by the multiple power outputs. A second IHS is coupled to a second power output included by the multiple power outputs. A controller is coupled to each IHS and each power output. In response to the first IHS being decoupled from the first power output, an amount of power that is supplied to the second power output is determined.

Power adapter featuring multiple power outputs

An improved system and method for controlling the brightness of indicator lights used on portable information handling systems. Various embodiments of the invention optimize the output of the indicator lights in accordance with detected ambient light levels. The brightness of the indicator lights can be adjusted automatically in accordance with a fixed response curve or manually by user inputs. In some embodiments, the brightness is adjusted in accordance with user-designated preferences that are stored in a brightness preference table and correlated with detected ambient light levels.

Control of indicator lights in portable information handling system using ambient light sensors

An inverter providing power to a load, the inverter receiving a direct current (DC) input. A plurality of switches included in the inverter are controlled by a plurality of control signals to generate an alternating current (AC) output in response to the DC input. A zero crossing of the AC output current provided by the plurality of switches is detected, and the controlling of the plurality of switches is delayed in response to the zero crossing. The amount of delay is adjusted responsive to a change in the DC input to effectively maintain a constant switching frequency of the inverter. The delayed AC output current of the plurality of switches may be filtered to provide power to the load.

Frequency feedforward for constant light output in backlight inverters

In a two stage inverter providing power to a load, a first stage component is operable to receive a first voltage input and a first control input to generate a first voltage output, which is higher than the first voltage input. The first control input is indicative of the power provided to the load. The first voltage output varies in response to a change in the first voltage input by a predefined function. A second stage component of the inverter is operable to receive the first voltage output and a second control input to generate the power as an output. The second control input is indicative of the power provided to the load. A controller component of the inverter is operable to receive a feedback input indicative of the power required by the load and generates the first and second control inputs.

High efficiency two stage inverter

Image quality and power management associated with a LCD panel are balanced with selective enabling and disabling of response time compensation to selection of liquid crystal material states. A power manager disables overdrive voltages for response time compensation with one or more predetermined conditions, such as reliance on internal power or display of non-moving graphics, and enables overdrive voltages with other predetermined conditions, such as reliance on external power or display of moving graphics. Selective enabling and disabling of response time compensation for setting liquid crystal material states ensures highest quality video graphics with appropriate images while reducing unnecessary power consumption when high quality video graphics provide less benefit, such as with lower quality images.

System and method for managing information handling system display response time

An ambient light sensor testing module running on an information handling system verifies that an ambient light sensor managing brightness of an information handling system display is active and responding correctly. The testing module sets the display at first and second manually-selectable brightness levels and compares the brightness set from the first and second manually-selectable brightness levels when the ambient light sensor is engaged to set display brightness. An excessive difference between the brightness set by the ambient light sensor from the first and second manually-selectable brightness levels indicates a faulty ambient light sensor.

System and method for ambient light sensor testing for an information handling system display

Power down to a reduced power state, such as a standby or off state, of an information handling system is delayed by a user-configured time after detection of closing of the cover of the information handling system. In one embodiment, a cover delay module associated with the BIOS of the information handling system delays communication of the detection of the closing of the cover from the BIOS to a power manager of the operating system that commands the reduced power state. In another embodiment, the cover delay module integrates with the operating system power manager.

System and method for a configurable portable information handling system cover switch delay

In a method and system for an improved inverter providing power to a load, the inverter receives a direct current (DC) input. A plurality of switches included in the inverter are controlled by a plurality of control signals to generate an alternating current (AC) output in response to the DC input. A zero crossing of the AC output current provided by the plurality of switches is detected, and the controlling of the plurality of switches is delayed in response to the zero crossing. The amount of delay is adjusted responsive to a change in the DC input to effectively maintain a constant switching frequency of the inverter. The delayed AC output current of the plurality of switches is filtered to provide power to the load.

An information handling system (IHS) is provided which includes an inverter circuit capable of operating over an extended DC input voltage range without substantial degradation in efficiency. A DC input voltage is converted to an AC input voltage. A first turns ratio of an AC transformer is applied to the AC input voltage if the DC input voltage is within a first voltage range. A second turns ratio of an AC transformer is applied to the AC input voltage if the DC voltage is within a second voltage range.

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Pflugerville, TX, United States of America

Erin Lane Price