Abstract

Combined EBL Technologies Offering Significant Benefits

Battery run-time is a major concern for users of mobile computing devices. In a notebook PC, the CPU accounts for around 10% of total electricity consumption; it is the LCD display and backlight module that account for the largest share of total power consumption, at around 47%. Intel's new EBL technologies have already gone a long way towards improving panel module energy consumption, but the ultimate goal of the Intel Mobile PC EBL WG is to achieve all day and beyond battery run-time. However, ensuring widespread adoption of these new technologies will require the active support of suppliers in various related industries.

Intel's Penryn notebook PC architecture already makes it possible to achieve a 30% saving in power consumption. Furthermore, Penryn's pin locations are compatible with those of Merom, which should encourage widespread adoption. Adoption of the new EBL technologies will be less trouble-free. For example, DPST provides a 25% saving in electricity consumption, while maintaining a level of image presentation in energy-saving mode that is almost as good as image presentation during regular operation. However, the presentation of darker colors is not sufficiently detailed; there is still significant room for improvement in this area.

Another issue that may affect adoption of the new EBL technologies is the cost of LED backlight modules. LED backlight modules are still significantly more expensive than CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) backlight modules. It will be at least three years before LED backlight modules become a mainstream backlight module type, and even then their use will be largely confined to high-end models. Given the high cost of converting to DPST, it is unlikely that this technology will be coming into widespread use in the near future.

If used individually, most of the new technologies that Intel Mobile PC EBL WG has developed to extend notebook PC battery life increase run-time by only a few minutes. However, Intel Mobile PC EBL WG is now collaborating with notebook PC panel makers to modularize its EBL technologies. Intel Mobile PC EBL WG anticipates that, by putting the different technologies together in modular form, it will be possible to increase notebook PC battery run-time by around 51 minutes, which would represent a significant improvement.

Increased Importance of Battery Capacity and Security

Battery Capacity

Reflecting the growing global awareness of the importance of environmental protection and energy conservation, Intel's innovative EBL technologies have become a major focus of attention within the notebook PC industry. However, if the Intel Mobile PC EBL WG's goal of expanding battery run-time to a full day and beyond is to become a reality, then battery manufacturers will also need to increase battery capacity.

Safety

2006 saw a number of incidents in which notebook PC batteries burst into flames or exploded. Besides performance and battery run-time, safety is now also an important consideration when purchasing a notebook PC. Safety and the development of alternative energy sources have become important goals in notebook PC battery development and manufacturing.

Currently, mobile device batteries mainly use cobalt as the raw material, with a LiCoO2 positive electrode and graphite negative electrode. Battery capacity is usually 2.6 Amp Hours; battery stability is high, but safety can be an issue. Panasonic's next-generation battery technology aims to develop batteries will use NNP (Nickel-based New Platform) positive electrode that will have 2.9 Amp-hour capacity, providing a significant improvement in both stability and safety. The long-term objective is to develop batteries with an NNP positive electrode and alloy negative electrode that would have a capacity of up to 3.6 Amp Hours, giving notebook PCs battery run-time of eight to ten hours.