Replaceable fuel cell apparatus having information storage device

• US 7,306,863 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Issued: 12/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited (Lb-shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bullock, Michael L., Childers, Winthrop D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S.
• Application Number:
  US10/957,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20050084722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/462
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04208 Cartridges, cryogenic media or cryogenic reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0494 of fuel cell stacks
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1007 with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised H01M8/12 takes precedence
• 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

A fuel cell apparatus in accordance with a present invention includes an information storage device. A method of operating a host device in accordance with a present invention includes the step(s) of writing data to, and/or accessing data on, a fuel cell apparatus information storage device. A system in accordance with a present invention includes a host device and a fuel cell apparatus with an information storage device.

Claims

1. A replaceable fuel cartridge for use with a host device including a processor, a processor link and at least one fuel cell, the fuel cartridge comprising:

a cartridge housing;

a fuel reservoir within the cartridge housing;

a connector that connects the fuel reservoir to the at least one fuel cell when the fuel cartridge is received by the host device;

an information storage device carried by the housing; and

an information storage device link, operably connected to the information storage device and carried by the housing, configured to operably connect the information storage device to the processor link when the fuel cartridge is received by the host device.

2. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a bi-product reservoir within the cartridge housing; and

a connector that connects the bi-product reservoir to the at least one fuel cell when the fuel cartridge is received by the host device.

3. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device link comprises an electrical connector.

4. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device link comprises a non-contact link.

5. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device comprises non-volatile memory.

6. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device defines a data structure and stores data indicative of the data structure.

7. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device stores data that is used by the host device to determine whether the fuel cartridge is acceptable for use with the host device.

8. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device stores data that represents at least one of an initial fuel level, a current fuel level, and a low fuel warning threshold.

9. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device stores data that represents current fuel level in a decrementable data field.

10. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device stores data that represents non-operative information.

11. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information storage device stores data that will trigger a predetermined host device function.

12. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 11, wherein the host device includes a display and the predetermined host function comprises a displaying a message on the display corresponding to data stored in the information storage device.

13. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the at least one fuel cell comprises a plurality of fuel cells;

and

the connector connects the fuel reservoir to the plurality of fuel cells when the fuel cartridge is received by the host device.

14. A replaceable fuel cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the at least one fuel cell comprises a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells;

and

the connector connects the fuel reservoir to the fuel cell stack when the fuel cartridge is received by the host device.