Battery life challenges on future mobile notebook platforms

Abstract

Summary form only given. With the introduction of Intel/spl reg/ Centrino/spl trade/ Mobile Technology in 2003, Intel redefined mobile computing to deliver the outstanding mobile performance, integrated wireless capability, while enabling extended battery life and thin and light designs that end users demand. In developing Intel Centrino Mobile Technology, Intel took an aggressive goal of enabling at least 3.5 hours (210 minutes) of battery life given typical usage of "thin and light" class notebooks with 6-cell lithium ion batteries. Compared with Intel/spl reg/ Pentium/spl reg/ 4 processor-M-based systems, this would be at least an hour more battery life. This goal was exceeded by the majority of the Intel Centrino mobile technology-based notebooks introduced at the launch in March 2003, with these notebooks delivering some of the longest battery run times available on mobile PCs. However, the industry is facing new challenges. Current battery technologies are topping out in capacity, while demands for new mobile PC capabilities and higher performance are driving higher average power consumption. This talk will address the opportunity to innovate on lower power silicon and platform designs as well as higher density and renewable power sources to enable 8-hour or greater battery life for "all-day" computing. Techniques used today to deliver lower average power at the silicon as well as platform levels will be discussed, (e.g., voltage and frequency scaling techniques are use in today's silicon to provide performance-on-demand while consuming lowest average power when the processor is idle, lower power display technologies such as LTPS reduce power by at least 30% over conventional displays) as well as alternative battery chemistries that may deliver higher capacity and renewable/quick rechargeable sources will also be discussed.