While we wait, and wait... and wait for manufactures to perfect long-lasting
fuel cells, Apple and others are pursuing at least one other approach: solar augmentation. In a patent application dated April 24, 2008 and titled "Solar cells on portable devices" attributed to a number of Apple employees, Apple reveals possible plans to integrate solar cells into devices such as iPods and MacBooks. The application describes a scenario where, "Solar cells are typically stacked with other layers made of transparent or semi-transparent materials... Some of these layers may be used for display or input purposes, and some layers may be coated with various materials or they may be etched with product logos or other patterns." In other words, Apple is looking to cover the entire device, including the transparent display, with a layer of solar cells -- the latter approach already
patented by Motorola. While the efficiency of solar cells and existing manufacturing techniques call into question the immediate viability of such an approach, it's intriguing nonetheless as a means to offset any lost battery life on the move to say, 3G.
[Via
MacRumors]
posted May 26th 2008 6:47AM
I don't care who gets the patent for it, but if they can get this technology to work I look forward to seeing it on my future devices.
BULLSHIT!! Again another attempt by Apple to attempt to monopolize. This technology has long existed anyway (see http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/solar_powered_m.php)
And to sandwich it beneath a display? C'MON - so what happens when your OLED or organic EL display burns out from the sun? Even if the USPTO does their homework and is smarter than to allow this patent to be awarded, we as consumers should be all the wiser. As if it isn't bad enough that you have to PAY Apple to replace your battery on an iPod when it dies (and yes, ladies and gentlemen - it WILL DIE). Or even the bigger joke - when your NAND Flash cycles are used up and you don't have your music backed up on a harddrive...POOF!
OK, OK - I've jumped on a tangent...shoot me now!! LOL
1. Look up the definition of the word monopoly
2. The example you cited doesn't have anything at all to do with this patent filing.
When will people realize that Apple is only the new M$. Patent this idea? How patently STUPID is that? Whoa, put a solar panel on a portable device???
Interesting.
I've never seen a solar powered calculator before.
Apple needs a serious smackdown. Time for fanboys to stop giving them passes on the B$.
Patent law: among the most broken things in existence.
@chris. Do us all a favor and learn basic reading comprehension before posting, because reading your posts makes us collectively dumber.
bwahaha, jobs's patent trolls in action.. lol seems like all apple's been doing the past few months is patenting stuff.
Somehow patenting a device to covertly use free energy seems wrong.
So every laptop, lcd watch, vehicle display and handheld gps would need to pay apple if they chose to use an energy efficient and aesthetic design?
This helps mankind ..how?
Can members of the public protest a patent application?
Can anyone else see criminals jumping for joy at this news?
"Excuse me officer, I left my iPhone to charge underneath my car windscreen to charge and now my car has been broken into..."
So what happened to betavoltaics?
I've heard improvements about betavoltaic batteries that we won't ever need to charge anyway. If those become commercially available any time soon, I would like to see the expression on Jobs' face.
So, Apple does not develop solar cells or LCDs or even the glass to cover all of this. Yet they file a BS patent about how to combine those? One ltitle problem, someone should yet develop the components that would work this way. I have a great advice for Apple: why do not you patent "a scenario where" solar cells are placed below LCD? Just do it. Someone migh come up with transparent solar cells. Also useful, might be a patent on LCD operating as solar cell or vice versa. Also why not to patent "a scenario where" solar cell hidden behind LCD power up not just the laptop but also a car?
Apple's response to poor 3G iPhone battery life?
when will you patent trolls stop blaming the companies and turn on the system?
the company (apple or any other) simply does what the system demands of them. should a company (such as apple) fail to protect their product with a patent they stand a real chance of losing sizable investment.
think what you wish about apple (i happen to use their product) but if you dislike the patent system, quit barking up the wrong tree here.
Look, I love apple, and I buy their (very expensive) products regularly. With that said, I am also an environmentalist. With that said, I am very irritated that apple has become so full of themselves, so pretentious, so irresponsible to "patent" collecting energy from the sun on portable products. This is technology the world NEEDS to to move into a cleaner, greener future- and I think it's utter bullshit that apple wants to be paid every time some company (or you) wants to install a sensible solar panel to power personal products. SO.... ten years from now, apple can SUE your tiny company trying to save old ladies in Bangladesh by installing solar panels in a phone that dials The Indian version of "911." I mean, think about this- this is a PATENT. This is heavy stuff- and it'll be around a LONG time. This is alot considering that the future will most definitely be utilizing the sun as much as possible. I have to admit after all these years of being a loyal apple customer, that this is too far, and Steve Jobs needs to sit his pretentious ass down for once and think about the big picture here, not his ego or his company.
And what some others here said about mobile solar being around for a long time is true- even calculators!
There are a lot of people on this thread that can't seem to understand what they read. This is not a patent for solar cells on portable devices. It is a patent on a method of putting solar cells UNDER LCD screens and other objects as part of the device.
Most companies patent these ideas to avoid being sued in the future, not to troll the patents. Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, etc. are not patent trolls. They are just covering their asses.
Its a great idea. portable devices like ipod/iphone need power. Solar is a great option. So you you have 2 sides, the back and the front. The back would work, but it means you can't see the screen. The front is taken up by the screen. So combine the screen and the solar collector. Then you simple could leave the phone on your desk, it charges wirelessly. You go on a trip with your iphone and simply leave it out to charge when you need to.
I can't stand apple, they are so full of themselves always pretending to be the only ones who ever done something 'innovative' and the stupid masses just believe every word greedy ass Steve Jobs spits out. He's a smart entrepreneur no doubt.
I would never buy an apple product because I smiply HATE what they stand for --> ALTERNATIVE, SLICK DESIGN, UNIQUE, it perfectly fits the image of most low life individuals or as you might call them "new age" suckers.
They should invent an iPod that photosynthesizes like plants do for energy.
This patent application is complete crap. All my searching reveals terrible paraphrasing like I found here. An LCD screen itself is translucent. Maybe I should patent a process whereby a human stands behind a translucent object. I would sue everyone who has windows on their buildings. It's filings like that that are gunking up our system. While searching for the actual patent filing I found a 1999 patent from aapl... what a joke
"Reconfigurable enclosure panel for a mobile computer
Abstract
Enclosure panel for a mobile computer, the enclosure panel including a panel housing coupled to a portion of the mobile computer. The enclosure panel can have cosmetic or functional attributes or both. To achieve cosmetic individuality, the enclosure panel housing is made of a durable substance like transparent or colorful plastic or stainless steel, or is covered by a textile, vinyl, leather, or elastomeric material. Functional attributes include enclosure panels with pouches for storage, additional electronic component configurability, a solar power source, or a transporting means. The enclosure panel housing is interchangeable with other enclosure panel housings, providing the user with reconfigurability of a mobile computer design."
another patent by apple had this..
"wherein a solar panel is coupled to the panel housing wherein said solar panel is in electrical communication with the power supply of the mobile computer."
You've gotta be kidding me. No shit, electrical communication of device to solar cell lmao