Electronic apparatus, electronic apparatus system, and operation mode switching method

• US 20040164713A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozeki, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,348,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• 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 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/30 The power source being a fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems

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. On the other hand, the electronic apparatus has at least two operation modes having different power consumption amounts such as a normal mode and power saving mode. Upon switching the operation mode, the electronic apparatus advises the fuel cell unit accordingly. Upon reception of this advice, the fuel cell unit compares the current output electric power of the DMFC with the power consumption amount in the operation mode after switching, and returns a message based on that comparison result. The electronic apparatus switches the operation mode based on the returned message.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus which can operate by electric power supplied from a cell unit that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, comprising:

a switching unit which can switch an operation mode between a first operation mode that makes an operation with a first power consumption amount, and a second operation mode that makes an operation with a second power consumption amount lower than the first power consumption amount;

a notification unit configured to send a signal indicating that the operation mode is switched to the cell unit; and

a control unit configured to switch the operation mode on the basis of a signal sent back from the cell unit in response to the signal of the notification unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies of switching of the operation mode to the cell unit, upon switching from the second operation mode to the first operation mode.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit aborts switching to the first operation mode, when a received signal indicates that a power supply amount from the cell unit is short upon switching to the first operation mode.

4. An electronic apparatus system which comprises an electronic apparatus which can operate by electric power supplied from a cell unit that can produce electricity by chemical reaction,

the electronic apparatus comprising:

a switching unit which can switch an operation mode between a first operation mode that makes an operation with a first power consumption amount, and a second operation mode that makes an operation with a second power consumption amount lower than the first power consumption amount; and

a notification unit configured to send a signal indicating that the operation mode is switched to the cell unit,

the cell unit comprising;

a response unit which is responsive to the signal from the notification unit to send back information based on the signal to the electronic apparatus, and the electronic apparatus further comprising;

a control unit configured to switch the operation mode on the basis of the information received from the cell unit.

5. An electronic apparatus system which includes a cell unit comprising 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,

the electronic apparatus comprising:

a switching unit which can switch an operation mode between a first operation mode that makes an operation with a first power consumption amount, and a second operation mode that makes an operation with a second power consumption amount lower than the first power consumption amount;

a notification unit configured to send a signal indicating that the operation mode is switched to the cell unit; and

a control unit configured to switch the operation mode on the basis of a signal sent back from the cell unit in response to the signal of the notification unit, and

the cell unit comprising;

a reception unit configured to receive the signal from the notification unit;

a comparison unit configured to compare a power consumption amount upon operating the electronic apparatus in the operation mode after switching with output electric power that can be output from the cell unit on the basis of the signal received by the reception means; and

a response unit configured to send a signal based on a comparison result of the comparison unit to the electronic apparatus.

6. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 5, wherein the response unit sends a signal that permits switching of the operation mode to the electronic apparatus, when the comparison result of the comparison unit indicates that the output electric power of the fuel cell is larger than the power consumption amount.

7. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 6, wherein the cell unit further comprises a power control unit configured to control the fuel cell to lower the output electric power, when the comparison result of the comparison unit indicates that the output electric power of the fuel cell is larger than the power consumption amount by a value beyond a predetermined value.

8. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 5, wherein the cell unit further comprises a power control unit configured to control the fuel cell to raise the output electric power, when the comparison result of the comparison unit indicates that the power consumption amount is larger than the output electric power of the fuel cell, and

the response unit sends a signal indicating that the output electric power of the fuel cell has been changed to the electronic apparatus, when the output electric power of the fuel cell has reached the power consumption amount under the control of the power control unit.

9. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 5, wherein the response unit sends a signal that inhibits switching of the operation mode, when the comparison result of the comparison unit indicates that the power consumption amount is larger than rated electric power guaranteed by the fuel cell.

10. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 5, wherein the cell unit further comprises:

a rechargeable secondary battery; and

a power control unit configured to control the fuel cell to raise the output electric power to the rated electric power, and to control the secondary battery to compensate for a difference between the power consumption amount and rated electric power, when the comparison result of the comparison unit indicates that the power consumption amount is larger than rated electric power guaranteed by the fuel cell.

11. The electronic apparatus system according to claim 5, wherein the cell unit further comprises:

a rechargeable secondary battery; and

a power control unit configured to charge the secondary battery by electric power as a difference between the output electric power of the fuel cell and the power consumption amount, when the comparison result of the comparison unit indicates that the output electric power of the fuel cell is larger than the power consumption amount by a value beyond a predetermined value.

12. An operation mode switching method for an electronic apparatus system which includes a cell unit that can produce electricity by chemical reaction, and an electronic apparatus which has a switching unit which can switch an operation mode between a first operation mode that makes an operation with a first power consumption amount, and a second operation mode that makes an operation with a second power consumption amount lower than the first power consumption amount, and can operate by electric power supplied from the cell unit, comprising:

sending a signal indicating the operation mode is switched to the cell unit, by the electronic apparatus;

comparing a power consumption amount upon operating the electronic apparatus in the operation mode after switching with output electric power that can be output from the cell unit on the basis of the signal from the electronic apparatus, and sending a signal based on the comparison result to the electronic apparatus, by the cell unit; and

switching the operation mode on the basis of the signal sent back from the cell unit, by the electronic apparatus.