The US Patent and Trademark office has granted Apple a patent for solar-powered handheld devices that integrate touch sensitivity and solar technology.
Assigned patent number 8 368 654, the company is looking to create "integrated touch sensor and solar assembly" devices - essentially an iPhone or iPad featuring the touch-screen technology consumers are accustomed to, but powered by the sun.
While the integration of the touch-sensitive panel and the solar panel is a new concept, the notion of powering a handheld device using solar technology is not entirely new. In 2009, Dialaphone reported that a Sharp handset with a built-in solar panel to recharge the phone's battery went on sale in Japan. Also, Samsung and LG have announced prototypes for solar-powered mobile phones.
The patent described the technology as an "integrated touch sensor array and solar cell", which may include "electrodes that are used both for collecting solar energy and for sensing on a touch sensor array". This means the patented panel can simultaneously capture and convert light into energy and be used for touch sensing. The sensors note when a finger passes over the solar cells and blocks out the light, and an algorithm then switches to touch-sensitive mode and the device works as a normal touch-screen.
The patent goes on to detail that the integration of the touch sensors and solar cell layers into the same stack-up conserves surface area on the portable device. This configuration may also be used for optical sensing. The patent outlines ways of recharging the batteries in a portable device with the power control circuit, which sits between the solar cell and the device's battery, a key component. According to the patent, this control circuit monitors the level of power being generated by the solar cell and converts it into a steady charge to power the device.
This is not the first time Apple has expressed an interest in green technology, according to Inhabitat. The US Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple 20 new patents in October 2011, all of which focused on next-generation solar technology. These patents outlined the use of solar technology to extend the battery life of personal devices, as well as the development of a specialised back-panel reflector that uses sunlight to illuminate laptop screens.
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