by Martin LaMonica Font size Print E-mail Share 29 comments Share
Although Apple has yet to release a solar-powered gadget, its engineers clearly see the potential for solar power in multitouch devices, such as theiPhone andiPad.
A recently surfaced patent application, spotted by Patently Apple, shows that Apple employees filed a patent for a technology to embed solar cells under the touch screens of handheld devices.
Creating a single “stack” that combines the sensors for a multitouch screen and solar cell frees up more surface area, according to the patent description. The patent, which was filed in September 2008, also calls for the use of “light channels” to direct light to a solar cell underneath a touch screen, potentially using a parabolic reflector.
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