On monday (5/25/08) new patents were pulled by some folks at Apple. The patents are related to using solar energy to power portable devices. As usual Apple is about three steps ahead of everyone else…

As an Apple Authorized Reseller and Ecopreneur… I found this very exciting and amusing. The patent talks about integrating the solar panels behind the actual LCD screen of a portable device.

This would save the space taken by the panels on the device’s outer surface. The patent application showcases diagram where the solar cells are placed between the LCD Layer and the Flex PCB. The technology behind this all is quite interesting. It goes back to a 2001 patent that Motorola filed, exploring the use of photovoltaic cells behind the LED screen of the device, much like a calculator. If Apple pulled this off successfully, there would be no design modifications at all. It would be an instant success.

The filing said that information regarding the performance of a device’s solar cells could be displayed on the main screen next to info for battery power, text message alerts and time of day. Or this information could also appear on top of the solar cells themselves, which are likely to display some version of the Apple logo.
In any case, Apple’s new technology could herald the next generation of wireless mobility. Without the need to electrically charge devices–either via outlets or USB cables–users could at last start to break free from on-the-grid power connections.
Other mobile product manufacturers have looked at solar energy for some time, as consumers demand more battery power from portable devices One product is the 6.4-ounce Solio Mg, $200, from Better Energy Systems. Its three magnesium blades fan out to reveal solar panels, which can store enough power to charge most phones and PDAs twice; an hour of clear sun will give most cell phones 25 minutes of talk time or an iPod an hour of playing time. It takes ten hours of direct sun to fully juice the device.
Also, the world’s first solar bag–the Voltaic Systems’ Generator laptop bag–is covered in solar cells and can charge a laptop. It generates up to 14.7 watts after a day of direct sunlight, can carry a 17-inch Apple Powerbook and comes with adapters that allow other electronics, such as cell phones, to be charged.

Apple is getting brighter all the time… :~)

Peace,

Bruce