Electronic apparatus system, and operation control method

• US 20040170875A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Koji, Ozeki, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/740,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20040170875A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/003 of fuel cells with other electrochemical devices, e.g. capacitors, electrolysers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04201 Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04559 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04567 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04589 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04597 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04947 of auxiliary devices, e.g. batteries, capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1011 Direct alcohol fuel cells [DAFC], e.g. direct methanol fuel cells [DMFC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An electronic apparatus system of this invention includes an electronic apparatus, and a fuel cell unit which is detachable from the electronic apparatus. The fuel cell unit incorporates a DMFC that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, and a rechargeable secondary battery. The fuel cell unit has a function of informing the electronic apparatus of the states of the DMFC and secondary battery incorporated in it as state information. The electronic apparatus has a function of executing its operation control on the basis of the state information sent from the fuel cell unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus system comprising:

a cell unit which has a fuel cell that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, and an output unit that outputs state information of the fuel cell; and

an electronic apparatus which can operate based on electric power produced by the cell unit, and has a control unit that executes operation control on the basis of the state information output from the output unit.

2. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel cell comprises:

a reactor which produces electric power by chemical reaction; and

a fuel tank which is detachably provided to the fuel cell, and stores fuel which is to be supplied to the reactor and is required for the chemical reaction, and

the output unit outputs information indicating attachment/detachment of the fuel tank as the state information.

3. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 2, wherein the output unit outputs information indicating a remaining fuel amount in the fuel tank as the state information.

4. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs, as the state information, information indicating one of an inactive state in which the reactor does not make chemical reaction, a state in which the reactor produces electric power, but a rated output cannot be guaranteed, and a state in which the reactor produces electric power, and the rated output can be guaranteed.

5. An electronic apparatus system comprising:

a cell unit which has a fuel cell that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, and an output unit that outputs state information of the fuel cell; and

an electronic apparatus which can operate based on electric power produced by the cell unit, and has an informing unit that can inform the state of the cell unit on the basis of the state information output from the output unit.

6. An electronic apparatus system comprising:

a cell unit which has a fuel cell that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, a rechargeable secondary battery, and an output unit that outputs state information of the fuel cell and the secondary battery; and

an electronic apparatus which can operate based on electric power produced by the cell unit and supplied by the secondary battery, and executes operation control on the basis of the state information output from the output unit.

7. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 6, wherein the fuel cell comprises:

a reactor which produces electric power by chemical reaction; and

a fuel tank which is detachably provided to the fuel cell, and stores fuel which is to be supplied to the reactor and is required for the chemical reaction, and

the output unit outputs information indicating attachment/detachment of the fuel tank as the state information.

8. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 7, wherein the output unit outputs information indicating a remaining fuel amount in the fuel tank as the state information.

9. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 6, wherein the output unit outputs, as the state information, information indicating one of an inactive state in which the reactor does not make chemical reaction, a state in which the reactor produces electric power, but a rated output cannot be guaranteed, and a state in which the reactor produces electric power, and the rated output can be guaranteed.

10. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 6, wherein the output unit outputs a remaining battery amount of the secondary battery as the state information.

11. An electronic apparatus system comprising:

a cell unit which has a fuel cell that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, a rechargeable secondary battery, and an output unit that outputs state information of the fuel cell and the secondary battery; and

an electronic apparatus which can operate based on electric power produced by the cell unit, and has an informing unit that can inform the state of the cell unit on the basis of the state information output from the output unit.

12. An operation control method for an electronic apparatus system which includes a cell unit which incorporates a fuel cell that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, and an electronic apparatus which can operate by electric power supplied from the cell unit and has an informing unit, comprising:

transmitting state information to the electronic apparatus by the cell unit, when a state of the fuel cell has changed; and

informing the state of the cell unit via the informing unit in accordance with the state information received from the cell unit by the electronic apparatus.

13. The operation control method according to claim 12, wherein the state information is information indicating attachment/detachment of a fuel tank which stores fuel that is supplied to a reactor and is required for the chemical reaction.

14. The operation control method according to claim 12, wherein the state information is information indicating a remaining amount of the fuel tank.

15. The operation control method according to claim 12, wherein the cell unit further comprises a secondary battery, and

the state information is information indicating a remaining amount of the secondary battery.