Let's begin with the usual disclaimer: Apple patent applications do not mean the outlandish technology will be arriving in the next iPhone, just that someone in a Cupertino basement cooked it up during a marathon "imagining" session (possibly while enjoying a cool glass of purple stuff). The company's latest drawings-and-charts masterpiece concerns the construction and placement of photovoltaic cells and, more importantly, using the sun's energy to illuminate a display. By using a mirror pointed at the sky, you could reflect some rays toward your screen to supplement an LED backlight, or by turning the top lid of your Macbook into a solar panel. Although we can see one minor drawback in using solar powered backlighting -- if you have to point your display toward the sun, you're gonna need some powerful shades.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 20 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our first report of the day we focus on Apple being granted a couple of new solar energy related patents. As we learned at this year's IDF fall session, a notebook's display is a real energy hog. In order to extend battery life, the industry will be moving to "Panel Self Refresh" technology by 2013 in the hopes of saving mobile users about an hour's time of battery life per day. And like Intel, Apple is researching methods of harnessing solar energy to further extend the run time of all portables. Today's patent wins cover new solar cell assembly methods and how MacBooks could harness the power of the sun one day with a specialized back panel reflector. Apple is definitely on a roll this year as these patents mark their fourth and fifth solar related wins.
Apple's patent FIG. 6 noted above depicts a portion of a placement device (600), such as a conventional die placement device, conventionally known as a "pick and place" machine, in process of performing its function, as adapted for purposes of the present invention. For example, such a placement device typically includes an arm, as depicted at 602, with a contact head 604 coupled thereto.
One advantage of the system of this example is that the separate motions required of the placement device to fully populate all mounting sites of a printed circuit board are significantly reduced relative to conventional technology, wherein each mounting site would be populated with a discrete solar cell die.
One of the methods noted in Apple's patent includes the act of laser dicing the semiconductor wafer segment through use of a frequency-doubled, diode pumped semiconductor laser.
When we begin seeing patents about solar cell array manufacturing methods with this kind of detail, it's a good sign that Apple is further along on delivering this technology in the future than some may think.
To review Apple's 12 patent claims and invention detailing, see granted patent 8,039,360. Apple credits Bradley Spare, Michael Hillman and Gregory Tice as the inventors of this patent which was originally filed in Q3 2008.
Apple Wins a Patent for Harnessing External Light to Illuminate a Display
Apple has received a Granted Patent that relates to apparatus and methods for harnessing external light to illuminate a display screen of an electronic device such a MacBook or iPhone. Our March 2010 reportcovered this extensively.
Apple's Abstract: Apparatus and methods for harnessing external light to illuminate a display screen of an electronic device are provided. The display screen may be illuminated using a light harness, a reflector, a translucent surface, or any combination thereof. The light harness may be cylindrical or hexahedral. The light harness may be coupled to an external light input or a collector. The reflector may be repositioned toward or away from the display screen to reflect external light toward the display screen. The translucent surface may allow external light to pass through it to illuminate the display screen. The translucent surface may protect the rear face of the display screen, or the rear face of the display screen may itself be translucent.
In some embodiments, the power supply could include one or more batteries for providing power (e.g., when the devices are portable devices such as a cellular telephone or a laptop computer) or the power supply could can be configured to generate power from a natural source (e.g., solar power using solar cells).
Being that patents present concepts, the drawings don't have to be highly accurate as to what the final product will actually look like in its finished form. Meaning that Apple could have the top third of the MacBook's back-lid fold down and act as a sun reflector powering a line of solar cells that are behind it. However the end product looks like, we all know that Apple's designs are always thoroughly thought out. Patent graphics have to be understood as only having to reflect a concept and not the final product's appearance.
To review Apple's 56 patent claims and/or invention detailing, see granted patent 8,040,465. Apple credits Peter Mahowald as the sole inventor of this patent which was originally filed in Q3 2008.
Notice: Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of granted patents with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any Granted Patent should be read in its entirety for full details.About Comments: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit comments.
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