The US Patent and Trademark Office in the United States has issued a new patent Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), called "Integrated touch sensor and solar assembly,” ή στα Ελληνικά (ελεύθερη translation) “Integrated Solar Touch Sensor.” The new patent relates to a single array of touch sensors and solar cell arrays. In short, Apple seems to have discovered a way to integrate a solar charger into its devices that doesn't necessarily require direct sunlight.
Imagine one iPhone (ή κάποια άλλη συσκευή της εταιρείας) στο επόμενο διάστημα, που θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιεί ολοκληρωμένες ηλιακές συστοιχίες που πιάνουν το φως του ήλιου με τη βοήθεια οπτικών ινών.
This way the battery pack does not necessarily have to be built into the outside of the phone, so Apple will be able to keep its devices as thin as possible.
You can have a look on the Patent and Trademark Office website, for more details.
“The built-in touch sensor and solar panel stack-up can be used on mobile devices, especially portable handheld devices, such as a media player or a phone. Solar cell stack-up settings may include one or more layers of touch sensors and one or more solar cell layers. ”
"By integrating both the touch sensors and the solar cell layers into the same stack-up, the surface area of the mobile device can be maintained."
Of course, we should mention that not all patents are always found applications, as there are many remaining diplomas. So waiting...
