Fuel cell with battery, electronic apparatus having fuel cell with battery, and method of utilizing same

• US 20040061474A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozeki, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/427,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061474A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An electronic apparatus has a fuel cell, a battery, a circuit coupled to the fuel cell and the battery, for outputting electric power from at least one of the fuel cell and the battery, and an electronic device coupled to the circuit. The electronic device is operable with the electric power output from the circuit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a fuel cell;

a battery;

a circuit coupled to said fuel cell and said battery, for outputting electric power from at least one of said fuel cell and said battery; and

an electronic device coupled to said circuit, the electronic device being operable with the electric power output from the circuit.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuit is operable for outputting the electric power such that the electric power of said battery supplements a shortage of electric power of said fuel cell.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switch coupled between said fuel cell and said circuit, for disconnecting the power supply from said fuel cell.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a microcomputer coupled to the switch and the electronic device,

wherein said microcomputer controls said switch to disconnect the power supply, and provides said electronic device with a signal informing of the disconnection.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rated power of said fuel cell is larger than that of said battery.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rated power of said fuel cell is smaller than the maximum power demand of said electronic device.

7. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rated power of said fuel cell is approximately equal to electric power that said electronic device uses in a state of normal operation which exclude a power-up operation and an operation in which external devices are connected to said electronic device.

8. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a microcomputer coupled to said electronic device, for receiving power demand.

9. An electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said microcomputer is operable for providing said electronic device with a signal assuming shut down operation of said electronic device under a condition that the battery power of said battery is less than a predetermined level.

10. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery provides the electronic device with the electric power when the fuel supplied to the fuel cell runs out.

11. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery is a primary battery.

12. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said battery is a secondary battery.

13. An electronic apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a charging circuit coupled to said fuel cell and said secondary battery.

14. An electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the charging circuit is operable for charging said secondary battery, using the electric power from said fuel cell, when the power demand of said electronic device is less than the electric power generated by said fuel cell.

15. An electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the charging circuit is operable for stopping charging said secondary battery, when a difference between the power generated by said fuel cell and the power demand is below a threshold.

16. A cell unit, comprising:

a fuel cell;

a battery; and

a circuit coupled to said fuel cell and said battery, for outputting electric power from at least one of said fuel cell and said battery.

17. A cell unit according to claim 16, wherein the electric power of said battery supplements the shortage of the electric power of said fuel cell.

18. A cell unit according to claim 16, wherein a rated power of said fuel cell is larger than that of said battery.

19. A cell unit according to claim 16, further comprising a switch coupled between said fuel cell and said circuit, and a microcomputer coupled to said switch,

wherein said switch disconnects the power supply from said fuel cell based on a signal output from said microcomputer.

20. A cell unit according to claim 19, wherein said microcomputer is operable for outputting the signal when the output voltage of said fuel cell is lower than a predetermined value.

21. A cell unit according to claim 20, further comprising a memory coupled to said microcomputer, for storing a data indicative of the predetermined value.

22. A cell unit according to claim 16, further comprising a display for displaying a status information of at least one of said fuel cell and said battery.

23. A cell unit according to claim 22, wherein the status information includes current operating state, remaining volume of fuel, and battery power of said battery.

24. A cell unit according to claim 23, further comprising a button for changing the displayed status information.

25. A cell unit according to claim 16, wherein said battery provides the electronic device with the electric power when the fuel supplied to the fuel cell runs out.

26. A cell unit according to claim 16, wherein said battery is a primary battery.

27. A cell unit according to claim 16, wherein said battery is a secondary battery.

28. A cell unit according to claim 27, further comprising a charging unit coupled to said fuel cell and said secondary battery, for charging said secondary battery with power supplied from said fuel cell.

29. A method for providing an electronic device with electric power from a fuel cell and a battery, comprising the steps of:

providing the electronic device with electric power from the fuel cell when a rated power of the fuel cell is more than a power demand of the electric power; and

providing the electric device with electric power from both the fuel cell and the battery when the power demand exceeds the rated power of the fuel cell.

30. A method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of stopping providing the electronic device with the power from the fuel cell when the output voltage of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined level.

31. A method according to claim 29, wherein the battery is a secondary battery.

32. A method according to claim 31, further comprising the step of charging the secondary battery with the electric power from the fuel cell when the power demand of the electronic device is less than the electric power generated by the fuel cell.