IEEE Begins Revision of Laptop Battery Standard

Business Wire, Nov 7, 2006

IEEE 1625[TM] Sets Guidelines for Design, Manufacture and Testing of Lithium-Ion Battery Cells and Packs in Laptops

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The IEEE will revise its laptop battery standard, IEEE 1625[TM], "IEEE Standard for Rechargeable Batteries for Portable Computing", which was approved in 2004. This update targets an improvement in the overall performance of laptop battery systems and seeks to address recent calls to make these systems more reliable and robust.

The revised standard, a part of the IEEE Livium[TM] family of battery standards, will be created within the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Corporate Program. The project is expected to be completed within 18 months.

IEEE 1625 guides the industry in planning and implementing controls for battery design and manufacture. It also defines approaches for evaluating and qualifying such batteries, verifying their quality and reliability, and educating and communicating with end users.

"In revising IEEE 1625 to further safeguard the reliability of these batteries," says Edward Rashba, Manager, New Technical Programs at the IEEE-SA, "we will leverage the streamlined corporate standards process and incorporate lessons learned in developing the IEEE 1725[TM] standard for cellular telephone batteries. We have an opportunity to further strengthen the Livium[TM] portfolio, which already incorporates hundreds of man-hours of technical work and represents consensus views on best practices from leading industry experts."

The IEEE 1625 working group is considering updates to the existing IEEE 1625 laptop battery specification that will help establish compliance to the standard.

"We believe that the IEEE-SA and its 1625 Working Group, working with IEEE-ISTO (IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization) and other organizations, should evaluate compliance and enable marking for consumer recognition," says Chuck Adams of IBM who chairs the Corporate Advisory Group at IEEE-SA. One potential partner is the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), which recently created a compliance program for cell phone batteries based on IEEE 1725.

IEEE 1625 adopts a systems approach by addressing the battery envelope from cells to the mobile computers they power, both alone and in concert. It encompasses such areas as battery pack electrical and mechanical construction, cell chemistries, packaging, pack and cell controls, and overall system considerations.

"The 1625 update will be a global effort," says Rashba. "The leading laptop OEMs and battery manufacturers such as Apple, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, Panasonic, Sanyo, and Sony have indicated strong interest to participate." The group will meet bi-monthly in the U.S. and Asia to complete the work. The first working group meeting is scheduled for 15 and 16 November at the Intel Corporation Santa Clara 12 Campus in Santa Clara, California. Those interested in attending should email t.steenweg@ieee.org or call 1 732 562-3836 by 10 November to register. A follow-on meeting is planned for 16 to 18 January 2007 in Japan.

Completed standards in the IEEE Livium family include the original IEEE 1625[TM] mobile computer battery standard and the IEEE 1725[TM] the mobile cell phone battery standard. Another Livium standard, IEEE P1825[TM], has been initiated for mobile batteries in digital cameras and camcorders.

IEEE Livium standards are developed within the IEEE Corporate Standards Program which involves company-based working groups in which each organization has one vote. This industry-oriented program is focused on rapid standards development and has an average standard completion time of 16 months. IEEE 1625 and the other IEEE Livium[TM] standards are sponsored by the Stationary Batteries Committee of the IEEE Power Engineering Society, with support from the IEEE-SA Corporate Advisory Group.

About the IEEE Standards Association

The IEEE Standards Association (SA), a globally recognized standards-setting body, develops consensus standards through an open process that brings diverse parts of an industry together. These standards set specifications and procedures based on current scientific consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed standards and more than 400 standards in development. For information on IEEE-SA see: http://standards.ieee.org/.> In addition, the IEEE-SA and IEEE-ISTO are partnering on post-development activities in support of approved IEEE standards, including conformance and compliance programs.

About IEEE-ISTO

The IEEE Industry Standards and Technology Organization was established in 1999 to offer the standards industry flexible operational forum support for development and post-development technology development initiatives. It provides comprehensive management, legal and operational support for creating industry standards, as well as activities that support the implementation and acceptance of standards in the marketplace. It is an independent 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization affiliated with the IEEE and the IEEE-SA. The IEEE-ISTO website is www.ieee-isto.org.