Electronic apparatus, fuel cell unit, and method of controlling the operation of the electronic apparatus

• US 20040234828A1
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozeki, Akihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/805,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20040234828A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04186 of liquid-charged or electrolyte-charged reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04228 during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04303 applied during shut-down
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04492 Humidity; Ambient humidity; Water content
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04955 Shut-off or shut-down of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The DMFC in a fuel cell unit is a power supply unit which causes methanol held in a fuel tank to react with air (oxygen) in the DMFC cell stack to produce electrical energy. The DMFC is provided with a liquid leak sensor which senses whether or not methanol has leaked outside the regular liquid supply path. If the liquid leak sensor has sensed a liquid leak, the microcomputer informs the occurrence of the liquid leak in the DMFC to the electronic apparatus operating on the electrical power supplied from the DMFC.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a body;

a display unit provided on the body;

a fuel cell unit configured to include a fuel cell capable of supplying electrical power to the body and a fuel holding unit for holding fuel used in the fuel cell;

a sensing unit configured to sense whether or not leakage of the fuel has occurred in the fuel cell unit; and

a control unit configured to display information about leakage on the display unit when the sensing unit has sensed the leakage of the fuel.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a secondary cell, wherein

the control unit changes the power supply from the fuel cell to the secondary cell when the sensing unit has sensed leakage of the fuel.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a secondary cell, wherein

the control unit displays, on the display unit, information to prompt switching of the power supply from the fuel cell to the second battery when the sensing unit has sensed leakage of the fuel, and effects the switching when the switching is specified in accordance with the information.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays, on the display unit, information to prompt shutdown of the body, and carrying out the shutdown when the shutdown is specified in accordance with the information.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays, on the display unit, information to prompt a standby process of saving a work environment of the body and stopping the body temporarily, and carrying out the standby process when an execution of the standby process is specified in accordance with the information.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit displays, on the display unit, information that the fuel cell unit cannot be used when the sensing unit has sensed leakage of the fuel at activation of the body.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the body is provided with a second display unit whose power consumption is lower than that of the display unit, and

the control unit displays information about leakage on the second display unit when the sensing unit has sensed the leakage of the fuel during stoppage of the body.

8. A fuel cell unit comprising:

a fuel cell;

a fuel holding unit configured to hold fuel used in the fuel cell;

a liquid leak sensor configured to sense leakage of the fuel; and

a notifying unit configured to notify leakage to the electronic apparatus operating on the electrical power supplied from the fuel cell when the liquid leak sensor has sensed the leakage of the fuel.

9. The fuel cell unit according to claim 8, further comprising a memory, wherein

the notifying unit stores information that the liquid leak sensor has sensed leakage of the fuel in the memory.

10. The fuel cell unit according to claim 9, further comprising a sensing unit configured to sense a presence or an absence of a connection with the electronic apparatus, wherein

the notifying unit notifies an occurrence of an abnormality when the sensing unit has sensed a connection with the electronic apparatus and the information has been stored in the memory.

11. A method of controlling the operation of an electronic apparatus in which a fuel cell unit including a fuel cell and a fuel holding unit for holding fuel used in the fuel cell can be installed, the method comprising:

sensing whether or not leakage of the fuel has occurred in the fuel cell unit; and

displaying information about leakage on a display unit included in the electronic apparatus when leakage of the fuel has been sensed.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, on the display unit, information to prompt switching of the power supply from the fuel cell to a secondary cell provided in the electronic apparatus, and

effecting the switching when the switching is specified in accordance with the information.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, on the display unit, information to prompt shutdown of the electronic apparatus, and

carrying out the shutdown when shutdown is specified in accordance with the information.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, on the display unit, information to prompt a standby process of saving a work environment of the electronic apparatus and stopping the apparatus temporarily, and

carrying out the standby process when an execution of the standby process is specified in accordance with the information.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying, on the display unit, information that the fuel cell unit cannot be used when leakage of the fuel has been sensed at activation of the electronic apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying information about leakage on a second display unit whose power consumption is lower than that of the display unit when the leakage of the fuel has been sensed during stoppage of the electronic apparatus.