Apple gets patent for solar-powered gear

[Fledermaus]

The sun may be in your iPhone battery's future.

Yesterday, Apple received Patent No. 7,868,582 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for powering electronics partially with solar power.

The patent, which was originally filed in 2009, describes a system of using a solar panel for charging different portable devices, including a notebook computer, tablet, phone, or other handheld gadget.

It specifically deals with converting the power from a solar panel to meet the power requirements of electronics. The system includes a voltage converter that ensures the available solar power can be converted and used to recharge batteries.

The solar panel could either be embedded in the device or be removable, according to the patent.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20028398-54.html#ixzz1AyWbCyg3

[Cleita]

1. Fabulous. Now we are talking.

I wonder what took them so long.

[Blue State Bandit]

2. No conversion necessary.

Solar creates DC which the battery requires. Now if they miniaturized the charge controller, that would make sense.

I wonder how they will deal with heat dissipation. Phones get hot enough when you talk on them for about 15 minutes, Try siting it out in the summer sun with a black PV array on its back. We could call it Fri-Pod.