Electronic apparatus, electronic system, and method of controlling operation of the same

• US 20040183501A1
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozeki, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/758,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20040183501A1
• 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: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An electronic apparatus is equipped with a fuel cell capable of generating power by chemical reaction and a chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery. The electronic apparatus determines whether a capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than a predetermined value when a power supply of the electronic apparatus turns off, and causes the secondary battery to be charged when the determination indicates that the capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than the predetermined value.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus with a fuel cell capable of generating power by chemical reaction and a chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery, comprising:

a determining unit to determine whether a capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than a first value when a power supply of the electronic apparatus turns off; and

a controlling unit to cause the secondary battery to be charged when the determining unit determines that the capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than the first value.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit stops charging the secondary battery when a specific instruction is issued while the secondary battery is being charged.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit stops charging the secondary battery and turns on the power supply of the electronic apparatus if a specific instruction is issued while the secondary battery is being charged.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit stops charging the secondary battery when a predetermined period of time elapses after the secondary battery starts to be charged.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit stops charging the secondary battery when the capacity of the secondary battery exceeds a second value after the secondary battery starts to be charged.

6. A method of controlling an operation of an electronic apparatus with a fuel cell capable of generating power by chemical reaction and a chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery, the method comprising:

determining whether a capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than a first value when a power supply of the electronic apparatus turns off; and

charging the secondary battery when the determination indicates that the capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than the first value.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising stopping charging the secondary battery when a specific instruction is issued while the secondary battery is being charged.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising stopping charging the secondary battery and turning on the power supply of the electronic apparatus if a specific instruction is issued while the secondary battery is being charged.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising stopping charging the secondary battery when a predetermined period of time elapses after the secondary battery starts to be charged.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising stopping charging the secondary battery when the capacity of the secondary battery exceeds a second value after the secondary battery starts to be charged.

11. An electronic system, comprising:

a fuel cell unit which has a fuel cell capable of generating power by chemical reaction and a repeatedly chargeable/dischargeable secondary battery; and

an electronic apparatus operable using the fuel cell unit,

the electronic apparatus comprising,

a determining unit to determine whether a capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than a first value when a power supply of the electronic apparatus turns off, and

a controlling unit to give an instruction to charge the secondary battery when the determining unit determines that the capacity of the secondary battery is smaller than the first value,

the cell unit comprising,

a charging control unit to charge the secondary battery using power generated by the fuel cell in response to the instruction.

12. The electronic system according to claim 11, wherein the charging control unit stops charging the secondary battery and the controlling unit turns on the power supply of the electronic apparatus if a specific instruction is issued while the secondary battery is being charged.

13. The electronic system according to claim 11, wherein the charging control unit stops charging the secondary battery when a predetermined period of time elapses after the secondary battery starts to be charged.

14. The electronic system according to claim 11, wherein the charging control unit stops charging the secondary battery when the capacity of the secondary battery exceeds a second value after the secondary battery starts to be charged.