Author: claimsbot

1-5. (canceled)
6. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, instruct the one or more processors to perform acts for enabling permissible transfer of access rights to digital goods among different users each having an account stored at a network resource server accessible by user devices associated with said users, the acts comprising:
storing a digital good obtained from an authorized source in a cloud data store, wherein the digital good in the cloud data store is accessible by a user device associated with a first user through an account of the first user in the form of a stream in which the digital good is accessed by the user device associated with the first user without storing the digital good at the user device associated with the first user and the digital good is present in the user device associated with the first user only temporarily during the act of streaming, wherein the access rights stored in the account of the first user determine the first user’s access to the digital good, and wherein the digital good is a digital good in which the first user has legitimately obtained access rights;
determining that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer from the account of the first user;
providing an indication that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer from the account of the first user;
receiving a request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to the account of a second user, wherein the digital good in the cloud data store is accessible by a user device associated with the second user through said account of said second user wherein the access rights stored in the account of the second user determine the second user’s access to the digital good;
authorizing transfer of the access rights to the digital good to the account of the second user based on satisfaction of one or more business rules;
upon authorization of the request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to the account of the second user, exclusively transferring the access rights to the digital good from the account of the first user to the account of the second user while said digital good remains in said cloud data store without transferring the digital good, such that the digital good is accessible by the user device associated with the second user in the form of a stream in which the digital good is accessed by the user device associated with the second user without storing the digital good at the user device associated with the second user and the digital good is present in the user device associated with the second user only temporarily during the act of streaming; and
deleting the access rights to the digital good from the account of the first user, thereby excluding the account associated with the first user from accessing the digital good.
7. A non-transient, tangible computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed on a processor, instruct the processor to perform acts with respect to a digital good associated with access rights, wherein the digital good is stored in a cloud data store separate from the non-transient computer-readable storage media, comprising:
determining that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer from an account of a first user at a network resource server accessible by a user device associated with the first user, wherein the digital good is available to the user device associated with the first user in the form of a stream in which the digital good is accessed by the user device associated with the first user without storing the digital good at the user device associated with the first user and the digital good is present in the user device associated with the first user only temporarily during the act of streaming, and wherein the access rights stored in the account of the first user determine the first user’s access to the digital good;
providing an indication that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer from the account of the first user;
receiving a request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to an account of a second user at a network resource server accessible by a user device associated with the second user;
authorizing transfer of the access rights to the digital good to the account of the second user based on satisfaction of one or more business rules;
upon authorization of the request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to the account of the second user, exclusively transferring the access rights to the digital good from the account of the first user to the account of the second user while said digital good remains in said cloud data store without transferring the digital good, such that the digital good is accessible to the user device associated with the second user in the form of a stream in which the digital good is accessed by the user device associated with the second user without storing the digital good at the user device associated with the second user and the digital good is present in the user device associated with the second user only temporarily during the act of streaming; and
deleting the access rights to the digital good from the account of the first user, thereby excluding the account associated with the first user from accessing the digital good.
8. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, instruct the one or more processors to perform acts for enabling permissible transfer of access rights to digital goods from an authorized source to users each associated with an account stored at a network resource server accessible by user devices associated with said users, the acts comprising:
storing a digital good obtained from said authorized source in a cloud data store;
determining that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer to accounts of users;
providing an indication that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer to accounts of users;
receiving a request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to the account of a first user, wherein the digital good in the cloud data store is accessible by a user device associated with the first user through an account of the first user, wherein the access rights stored in the account of the first user determine the first user’s access to the digital good;
authorizing transfer of the access rights to the digital good to the account of the first user based on satisfaction of one or more business rules, such that the user has legitimately obtained access rights in the digital good from said content source;
upon authorization of the request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to the account of the first user, exclusively transferring the access rights to the digital good from the authorized source to the account of the first user while said digital good remains in said cloud data store without transferring the digital good, such that the digital good is accessible to the user device associated with the first user in the form of a stream in which the digital good is accessed by the user device associated with the first user without storing the digital good at the user device associated with the first user and the digital good is present in the user device associated with the first user only temporarily during the act of streaming;
determining that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer from the account of the first user;
providing an indication that the access rights to the digital good are available for transfer from the account of the first user;
receiving a request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to the account of a second user, wherein the digital good in the cloud data store is accessible by a user device associated with the second user through said account of said second user wherein the access rights stored in the account of the second user determine the second user’s access to the digital good;
authorizing transfer of the access rights to the digital good to the account of the second user based on satisfaction of one or more business rules;
upon authorization of the request to transfer the access rights to the digital good to the account of the second user, exclusively transferring the access rights to the digital good from the account of the first user to the account of the second user while said digital good remains in said cloud data store without transferring the digital good, such that the digital good is accessible by the user device associated with the second user in the form of a stream in which the digital good is accessed by the user device associated with the second user without storing the digital good at the user device associated with the second user and the digital good is present in the user device associated with the second user only temporarily during the act of streaming; and
deleting the access rights to the digital good from the account of the first user, thereby excluding the account associated with the first user from accessing the digital good.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An electrical connector system, comprising:
a vertical electrical connector including:
a first vertical electrical signal contact defining a first mating end and a first mounting end, wherein the first electrical contact defines a first contact length between the mating end and the mounting end;
a second vertical electrical signal contact defining a second mating end and a second mounting end; wherein the second electrical contact defines a second contact length between the second mating end and the second mounting end, and the second length is greater than the first length; and
a mounting interface configured for attachment to a substrate, and an opposing mating interface wherein the mounting interface extends in a direction substantially parallel to the mating interface; and

a right-angle electrical connector configured for attachment to the mating interface of the vertical electrical connector at the mating end, the right-angle electrical connector including an IMLA, the IMLA having a first right-angle electrical contact and a second right angle electrical contact, wherein the first right-angle electrical contact is longer than the second right-angle electrical contact;
wherein the first right-angle electrical contact is configured to connect to the first vertical electrical signal contact, and the second right-angle electrical contact is configured to connect to the second vertical electrical signal contact.
2. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the first vertical electrical signal contact extends substantially straight and the second vertical electrical signal contact is jogged with respect to the first electrical contact.
3. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the right-angle electrical connector defines a mounting interface configured for connection to an electrical component, and the mounting interface of the right-angle connector is perpendicular to the mounting interface of the first electrical connector.
4. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the first vertical electrical contact and the second right-angle electrical contact define a first combined length, and the second vertical electrical contact and the first right-angle electrical contact define a second combined length, and the first combined length is equal to the second combined length.
5. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the first and second vertical electrical contacts each include a blade portion and a terminal portion, and the terminal portion of the first vertical electrical contact is jogged with respect to the blade of the first vertical electrical contact a first distance, and the terminal portion of the second vertical electrical contact is jogged with respect to the blade portion of the second vertical electrical contact a second distance, and the second distance is greater than the first distance.
6. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the vertical electrical connector further comprises a third vertical electrical contact having a length greater than the length of the second electrical contact.
7. The electrical connector system of claim 6, wherein the second and third vertical electrical contacts are jogged in a same direction with respect to the first electrical contact.
8. The electrical connector system of claim 7, wherein the first and second vertical electrical contacts are signal contacts, and the third vertical electrical contact is a ground contact.
9. An electrical connector, comprising:
a first electrical contact defining a first mating end and an opposing first mounting end, and a first blade portion and a first terminal portion each extending between the first mating end and the first mounting end, wherein the first terminal portion extends parallel to the first blade portion and is offset with respect to the first blade portion in a first direction; and
a second electrical contact disposed adjacent the first contact, the second electrical contact defining a second mating end and an opposing second mounting end, and a second blade portion and a second terminal portion each extending between the second mating end and the second mounting end, wherein the second terminal portion extends parallel to the second blade portion and is offset with respect to the second blade portion in a second direction;
wherein the mating portions of the first and second electrical contacts are in line with each other, and the first direction and the second direction are the same direction.
10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the second and third electrical contacts each define a length between the respective mating and mounting ends, and the length of the second electrical contact is greater than the length of the third electrical contact.
11. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the first terminal portion is offset with respect to the first blade portion a first distance, and the second terminal portion is offset with respect to the second blade portion a second distance, and the second distance is greater than the first distance.
12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the first electrical contact is a signal contact and the second electrical contact is a ground contact.
13. The electrical connector of claim 9, further comprising a third electrical contact that includes a third blade portion and a third terminal portion, wherein the third terminal portion extends parallel to, and is aligned with, the third blade portion such that the first and second terminal portions are offset in a common direction with respect to the third terminal portion.
14. The electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the first and third electrical contacts are signal contacts, and the second electrical contact is a ground contact.
15. The electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the first and third electrical contacts are configured to interface with a substrate at one end, and to corresponding first and second electrical contacts of a right-angle connector at another end, and the electrical contacts of the right-angle connector are of different lengths, so as to define two signal paths extending between the substrate and the right-angle connector, wherein the two signal paths are of equal lengths.
16. The electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the first blade portion, the second blade portion, and the third blade portion are all in line with each other.
17. An electrical connector configured for connection to a second connector having first and second skewed contacts, the electrical connector comprising:
a first electrical contact defining a first mating end, and a first mounting end disposed opposite the first mating end and aligned with the first mating end;
a second electrical contact defining a second mating end, and a second mounting end disposed opposite the second mating end and offset with respect to the first mounting end; and
a third electrical contact defining a third mating end, and a third mounting end disposed opposite the third mating end and offset with respect to the first mounting end,
wherein the first mating end, the second mating end, and the third mating end are in line with each other, and the second and third mounting ends are offset in a common direction with respect to the first mounting end, such that the first and second electrical contacts are configured to connect to the first and second skewed contacts so as to provide a skewless signal path.
18. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the first and second electrical contacts define a differential signal pair.
19. The electrical connector system of claim 18, wherein the third electrical contact defines a ground contact.
20. An orthogonal connector system, comprising:
a first electrical connector including first, second, and third electrical contacts, each contact defining a mounting end configured to be mounted to a first side of a midplane and an opposing mating end configured to attach to a respective electrical contact of first right-angle connector, such that the mounting ends extend parallel to the mating end, wherein the mating ends of the first, second, and third electrical contacts are in line with each other, and the mounting ends of the first and second electrical contacts are offset in a common direction with respect to the mounting end of the third electrical contact; and
a second electrical connector including first, second, and third electrical contacts, each defining a mounting end configured to be mounted to a second side of the midplane in orthogonal relationship to the first electrical connector, and an opposing mating end configured to attach to a respective electrical contact of a second right-angle connector, wherein the mating ends of the first, second, and third electrical contacts of the second electrical connector are in line with each other, and the mounting ends of the first end second electrical contacts of the second electrical connector are offset in a common direction with respect to the mounting end of the third electrical contact of the second electrical connector,
wherein the electrical contacts of the right-angle connectors are skewed, and the first and second electrical connectors are configured to connect to the respective first and second right-angle connectors so as to provide a skewless signal path between the skewed electrical contacts of the right-angle connectors.
21. The orthogonal connector system of claim 20, wherein the first electrical contact of the first electrical connector has a first length, and the second electrical contact has a second length, and the first length is greater than the second length.
22. The orthogonal connector system of claim 21, wherein the third electrical contacts of the first and second electrical connectors extend substantially straight between the mating end and the mounting end, respectively.
23. The orthogonal connector of claim 21, wherein the first and third electrical contacts of both electrical connectors are signal contacts, and the second electrical contact of both electrical connectors are ground contacts.

1. An external expanding apparatus for expanding the function of a portable electronic device having a device body provided with an inputoutput (IO) connector, the external expanding apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body having a bearing surface structured for receiving the device body;
a pair of engaging pins positioned on a portion of the bearing surface, the engaging pins being structured for being received into mating locating holes in the device body;
an expansion connector connectable with the device IO connector;
an expansion connector drive mechanism structured for moving the expansion connector relative to the bearing surface between a disengaged position spaced away from the bearing surface and an engaged position extended over the bearing surface, the expansion connector drive mechanism comprising a movable frame having an expansion connector seat that is structured for having the expansion connector mounted thereon and an edge portion having an opening therein, the movable frame being movably coupled to the apparatus body for moving the expansion connector seat relative to the bearing surface thereof; and
a safety catch operable between the opening in the frame and an aperture communicating with the bearing surface, the safety catch being movable between a first position having a first portion thereof extended from the bearing surface and having a second portion thereof engaged with the opening in the frame, and second position having the first portion thereof depressed relative to the bearing surface and having the second portion thereof disengaged from the opening in the frame.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aperture communicating with the bearing surface further comprises a clearance hole sized to pass the first portion of the safety catch therethrough.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the safety catch further comprises a portion thereof positioned adjacent to a base of the first portion that is oversized relative to the aperture communicating with the bearing surface.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for urging the second portion of the safety catch toward being engaged with the opening in the frame.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means for urging the second portion of the safety catch toward being engaged with the opening in the frame is further structured for urging the first portion of the safety catch toward being extended from the bearing surface.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the urging means further comprises a compression spring.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the opening in the frame further comprises a substantially part circular opening; and
the second portion of the safety catch further comprises a substantially cylindrical body that is cooperatively structured to nest with the substantially part circular opening.
8. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising means for constraining the safety catch such that the second portion thereof is substantially rotationally oriented relative to the opening in the frame.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the expansion connector drive mechanism is further structured for moving the frame portion thereof along a drive axis that is substantially linearly relative to the bearing surface of the apparatus body.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the edge portion of the frame having the opening therein is further substantially aligned with the drive axis of the expansion connector drive mechanism.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the expansion connector drive mechanism further comprises a biasing mechanism coupled for urging the frame to move relative to the bearing surface of the apparatus body for moving an expansion connector coupled thereto toward the disengaged position.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a catch mechanism operable for retaining the frame in the engaged position.
13. An external expanding apparatus operable with a portable computer of a type having a display unit having a display screen on an inner surface thereof and a hard shell backing surface opposite thereof and pivotally mounted on a substantially rigid casing having a pair of locating holes adjacent to opposite corners of a substantially planar bottom surface thereof, and an inputoutput (IO) connector positioned on a back plane thereof with a pair of positioning apertures provided on opposite sides thereof, the external expanding apparatus comprising:
a body portion adapted for mounting to an external support structure, the body portion having a substantially rigid bearing plate formed with a substantially rectangular computer bearing surface on an outer face thereof and a guide mechanism on an inner face thereof opposite from the bearing surface, a computer receiver structure fixedly positioned adjacent to a front edge of the bearing surface and projected there above, and a passage through the bearing plate communicating between the inner and outer faces thereof and positioned between the front edge of the bearing surface and a rear edge thereof;
a pair of engaging pins sized to be matingly received into the pair of locating holes in the bottom surface of the casing of the portable computer, the engaging pins being fixedly projected above the bearing surface at opposite corners thereof and adjacent to the rear edge thereof in positions for being matingly received into the pair of locating holes;
an expansion connector drive mechanism being movably coupled to the guide mechanism for moving relative to the inner face of the bearing plate, the expansion connector drive mechanism comprising:
a substantially rigid frame having a handle and a follower mechanism structured to cooperate with the guide mechanism on the inner face of the bearing plate for moving the frame relative thereto,
an integral connector seat positioned adjacent to a first end of the frame,
an integral security plate positioned opposite the passage through the bearing plate and having an opening therethrough that is relatively larger than the passage through the bearing plate,
an integral catch mechanism positioned adjacent to a second end of the frame opposite from the connector seat,
a keeper coupled to the bearing plate and being structured for retaining the frame relative to the guide mechanism, and

the frame being operable between a first disengaged position having the connector seat spaced away from the bearing plate and the rear edge of the bearing surface and having the opening of the integral security plate being spaced away from the passage through the bearing plate, and a second engaged position having the connector seat positioned adjacent to the bearing plate and the rear edge of the bearing surface and having the opening of the integral security plate being substantially aligned with the passage through the bearing plate;
a safety catch operable between the relatively larger opening of the integral security plate of the frame and the relatively smaller passage through the bearing plate and biased toward the bearing plate, the safety catch having a first sensing portion sized to pass through the relatively smaller passage through the bearing plate, and a second latching portion sized to pass through the relatively larger opening of the integral security plate and being oversized relative to the relatively smaller passage through the bearing plate; and
a latch mechanism operable between the catch mechanism of the frame and the body portion.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the frame further comprises a substantially planar interface surface having the follower mechanism formed therein.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the integral security plate further comprises a substantially linear edge portion adjacent to the opening, the substantially linear edge portion being continuously spaced in a substantially constant relationship with the passage through the bearing plate between the frame being in the first disengaged position and the second engaged position.
16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a connector bracket coupled to the connector seat of the frame and projected above the bearing surface of the bearing plate, the connector bracket having a pair of substantially rigid guides in spaced-apart positions for engaging the pair of positioning apertures provided on the computer back plane on opposite sides of the peripheral component connector.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a computer expansion connector mounted on the connector bracket between the guides thereof, the computer expansion connector being structured to mate with the IO connector of the computer.
18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a resilient retraction mechanism coupled between the frame of the expansion connector drive mechanism and the body portion.
19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the body portion further comprises:
a peripheral device connector presentation surface having one or more interface connectors adapted to connect to one or more different peripheral devices; and
an external wire harness support positioned adjacent to the peripheral device connector presentation surface.
20. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a rotatable display unit support having a substantially rigid support arm structured with a first end portion that is pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the body portion adjacent to the rear edge of the bearing surface and is pivotable in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing surface of the bearing plate, and
a display unit clamping mechanism positioned on the rigid support arm spaced away from the body portion, the clamping mechanism comprising:
a substantially rigid anvil having a convexly arcuate support surface extended substantially perpendicularly to the rotation plane of the support arm, and
a substantially rigid jaw that is rotatably coupled to the anvil, the jaw having a substantially rigid finger that is spaced away from the arcuate support surface of the anvil and is rotatable between a first position opposed to the arcuate support surface of the anvil, and a second position unopposed to the arcuate support surface of the anvil.
21. An external expanding apparatus for expanding the function of a portable electronic device having a device body provided with an inputoutput (IO) connector, the external expanding apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body having a bearing surface on which the device body is to be placed, a connector presentation surface for opposing the device IO connector of the device body placed on the bearing surface, and a receiver structure positioned adjacent to a front portion of the bearing surface opposite from the connector presentation surface;
a pair of engaging pins positioned on a rear portion of the bearing surface adjacent to the connector presentation surface, the engaging pins being structured for being slidingly received into mating locating holes in the device body;
an expansion connector connectable with the device IO connector;
an expansion connector drive mechanism structured for moving the expansion connector along a drive axis relative to the connector presentation surface between a disengaged position spaced away from the bearing surface and an engaged position extended over the bearing surface, the expansion connector drive mechanism comprising:
a movable frame movably coupled to the apparatus body for motion relative to the bearing surface linearly between the connector presentation surface and the opposing front portion of the bearing surface, the frame including an integral connector seat having the expansion connector mounted thereon, an integral security plate formed with an opening therethrough, an integral catch mechanism, and a handle,
a releasable safety catch operable between the opening through the integral security plate of the frame and an aperture communicating with the bearing surface, the safety catch being movable between a locked position having a sensing portion thereof extended above the bearing surface and having a locking portion thereof interlocked with the opening through the security plate, and an unlocked position having the sensing portion thereof retracted relative to the bearing surface and having the locking portion thereof disengaged from the opening through the security plate, and
a releasable latch mechanism operable between the integral catch mechanism of the frame and a portion of the apparatus body; and

a mounting structure that is structured to adapt the body portion for mounting to an external support structure.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a substantially automatic retraction mechanism coupled between the movable frame of the expansion connector drive mechanism and a portion of the apparatus body portion adjacent to the connector presentation surface.
23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the expansion connector drive mechanism further comprises one or more guides positioned on the body apparatus opposite from the bearing surface thereof and aligned between the connector presentation surface and the opposing front portion of the bearing surface, and a cooperating follower mechanism formed in an integral interface surface of the movable frame.
24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the integral security plate further comprises a substantially straight edge portion substantially aligned with the drive axis of the expansion connector drive mechanism and being formed with the opening therein.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the opening in the edge portion of the integral security plate further comprises a substantially part circular opening;
the locking portion of the releasable safety catch further comprises a substantially cylindrical portion sized to nest with the substantially part circular opening; and
the sensing portion of the releasable safety catch further comprises a substantially cylindrical portion sized to pass the aperture communicating with the bearing surface and clear the substantially straight edge portion of the integral security plate.
26. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising: a display unit support having a substantially rigid support arm rotatable relative to a rear portion of the apparatus body portion adjacent to the connector presentation surface and in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the bearing surface thereof, and a display unit clamping mechanism positioned on the rigid support arm spaced away from the apparatus body.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A fuel cell system comprising:
at least one fuel cell having a fuel chamber including a fuel electrode, an oxygen chamber including an oxygen electrode and an electrolyte layer interposed between the fuel electrode and the oxygen electrode;
a fuel gas discharge line for discharging residual air from the fuel chamber;
a hydrogen concentration sensor for detecting hydrogen concentration in gas exiting the fuel chamber, the hydrogen concentration sensor being provided on the fuel gas discharge line apart from the fuel cell;
a discharge valve provided on the fuel gas discharge line; and
pressure regulating means for regulating a supply pressure of a flow of the fuel gas supplied to the fuel chamber at a first pressure, higher than a second pressure used in normal power generation, during a start-up power generating state when the fuel cell starts up power generation with opening of the discharge valve, until the detected hydrogen concentration of the fuel gas in the fuel chamber which is detected by the hydrogen concentration sensor exceeds a predetermined hydrogen concentration, and for reducing the supply pressure of the flow of the fuel gas to the fuel chamber to the second pressure, lower than the first pressure, and closing the discharge valve when the detected hydrogen concentration of the fuel gas in the fuel chamber exceeds the predetermined hydrogen concentration, to thereby establish a normal power generating state in which a flow of fuel gas into the fuel chamber is maintained at the second pressure for generating electric power.
2. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating means includes a pressure regulating valve in the fuel gas supply line and control means for controlling the pressure regulating valve responsive to the detected hydrogen concentration of the fuel gas in the fuel chamber.
3. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating means includes two regulating valves that are arranged in parallel and are respectively set to provide a flow of fuel gas at different supply pressures, a switching valve arranged on the line, and switching means for switching the open and close of the switching valve.
4. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, wherein, in the normal power generation state of the fuel cell, the fuel cell is connected to an external load.
5. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising a start switch for turning on and off of the fuel cell system wherein the power generation start-up time of the fuel cell includes a predetermined period of time after the start switch is turned on.
6. The fuel cell system according to claim 5, wherein the power generation start-up time of the fuel cell is when the start switch is turned on after a lapse of a predetermined period of time after the start switch has been turned off in the normal power generation state.
7. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 further comprising a pump between the fuel chamber and the discharge valve, wherein the pressure regulating means includes a pressure regulating valve for changing the supply pressure of the fuel gas between the start-up power generating state and the normal power generating state, and control means which opens the pressure regulating valve at the same time of startup of power generation and then drives the pump to establish a negative pressure inside the fuel chamber.
8. The fuel cell system according to claim 1 wherein, during the start-up power generating state, residual air is discharged from the fuel chamber and out of the fuel cell system through the opened discharge valve and gas discharge line.
9. The fuel cell system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a gas outflow line connected at one end to the fuel chamber, the gas discharge line being connected to the gas outflow line;
a gas inflow line connected at one end to the fuel chamber and at its opposite end to the gas outflow line;
a pump located in the gas outflow line between the fuel chamber and the gas discharge line; and
the gas outflow line and the gas inflow line forming a gas circulating loop through the fuel chamber and the pump.
10. A fuel cell system comprising:
at least one fuel cell having a fuel chamber including a fuel electrode, an oxygen chamber including an oxygen electrode and an electrolyte layer interposed between the fuel electrode and the oxygen electrode;
a gas discharge line for discharging residual air from the fuel chamber;
a hydrogen concentration sensor for detecting hydrogen concentration in gas exiting the fuel chamber;
an oxygen concentration sensor for detecting oxygen concentration in gas exiting the fuel chamber;
a discharge valve in the fuel gas discharge line; and
pressure regulating means for regulating a supply pressure of a flow of fuel gas supplied to the fuel chamber at a first pressure, higher than a second pressure used in normal power generation, during a start-up power generating state when the fuel cell starts up power generation with opening of the discharge valve, until the detected concentration of the fuel gas in the fuel chamber exceeds a predetermined gas concentration, and for reducing the supply pressure of the flow of fuel gas to the fuel chamber to the second pressure, lower than the first pressure, and closing the discharge valve when the detected concentration of the fuel gas in the fuel chamber exceeds the predetermined gas concentration, to thereby establish a normal power generating state in which a flow of fuel gas into the fuel chamber is maintained at the second pressure for generating electric power;
wherein the pressure regulating means reduces the supply pressure of the flow of fuel gas to the second pressure and closes the discharge valve only when the detected oxygen concentration equal to or less than a predetermined oxygen concentration.