Hank [BS/MSEE,
MSM $$$, Ph.D. Mgmt] teaches 
The following is from Shane McClaun via dailytech.com here and is a good warm up for our coverage of patents coming up this Friday. Hank
“MacRumors reports that patent application 20080094025 turned up and was filed by Apple employees – it covers a method of integrating solar cells behind the LCD of mobile devices. By integrating the solar panels behind the LCD there would be no external clue that a device could be powered by solar energy.
The application outlines a method where solar cells could be placed under the LCD on a portable device and absorb light that passes through the devices glass and LCD layer to create power. The patent also describes a way to connect solar cells to different internal components of the device like the memory or data processing system. The application also says that the device would be able to display the amount of solar power available as well as power remaining inside the devices internal batteries.
DailyTech covered an Apple patent application in October of 2007 for a touch screen device with tactile feedback. In this instance Apple was listed as an assignee on the application for the patent. With this new patent application for solar cells Apple isn’t listed as a designee, rather names of people that are Apple employees according to MacRumors are listed.
The Application itself goes on to list some nebulous insinuations that the technology would be used in Apple products like “digital music players with extremely small form factors, such as iPod.RTM. and iPod Nano.RTM. of Apple Computer, Inc. based in Cupertino, Calif., have become very popular” and “The computer system of FIG. 5 may, for example, be a portable computer system (e.g., a laptop) from Apple Computer. Inc.”
The application alludes to the fact that Apple will be the beneficiary of the technology but also lists several other potential product types for the technology like portable DVD players. Perhaps Apple is simply trying to throw patent application trolls off by not listing itself on the application. Artwork from the application shown on News.com doesn’t show an Apple logo on the pictured devices either….”
I believe that the question that is raised here is whether or not the method that Apple might be using to patent this idea is something that is considered ethical. I believe it is a wise decision on their part. Not necessarily ethical, but definitely wise. But again, I think that when it comes to business strategy, ethics normally doesn’t play a big role. Through school we’re taught that ethics is important, but in practice companies rarely practice good ethics - it’s a “dog eat dog world”.
So yes, this might seem like a shady move if it’s factual, but we see that in recent history how some companies have complained about other companies stealing their ideas, names, etc. Since there are, indeed, calculators with solar power, it’s no wonder that Apple would want to dodge “patent application trolls” who might claim that Apple is using their technology.
It’s definitely a smart move to use the employees as the “inventors” but at the same time this is recognition that is negated because more than likely those same employees might have created the same ideas without the big credit. One might think that through the goodness of their hearts that the Apple employees would do this, but I think that school of thought is for the naive.
Good call, Apple.
I will say ‘Apple’ is smart! Apple staff is concious enough to realize that solar cell calculators exist. But as they are still trying to get this patent, I am sure there is some strategy behind it. Apple products have been the dominating products its industry since a while, and their products are just revolutionary. When I read the real post, the most intersesting part was ‘Too Generic’. When we talk about technologies which will make the use of solar cells feasible for Apple products, I think that a company like Apple have enough brains to accomplish this technological goal.
But this all will be true only in the case of Apple. So the question is, ‘Why is Apple hiding its name and logo?’
Maybe apple is not sure if they are the proud owners of the patent and they might think that they might get in trouble with other companies. As a result, they might have let the employees have the patent in their name. Just a thought!!
Solar calculators use almost no power. Apple’s laptops use a crap ton. (Relatively speaking of course). And, to my knowledge Solar Calculators do not have their solar panels embedded behind the display. This extra step adds considerable complexity if you wish to get any significant amount of ambient light converted to power and not just wasted LCD back lighting. A computer screen has to be much brighter and hold millions if not billions of more pixels than a 12 character calculator screen.
This might have been inspired by a solar calculator (I doubt it was, really probably just came from trying to think of alternative methods to charge/power a laptop for extended periods of time) , but it is much more advanced.
Jim
With zero knowleage of patent matters and a huge credit to my husband the physicist, my say is that the technology of placing the solar panels behind LCD is not really a breackthrough due to the fact that the very high efficiency battery are needed to support hidden solar panels, and thus this technology is not quite economically feasible yet. This could be a reason why Apple is not really interested in patenting this technology. Both parties win in this case. Employees improve their resume and can profit either by selling this patent back to Apple or by opening their own company. Apple does avoid the possible patent application trolls, while holding some control over the fate of this patent as long as the patent holders stay with Apple.
If letting employees file for patients on inventions they create is a new trend for Apple, I think it is great! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Apple should deceive the public. With the speed of information, do you really think Apple would even try to deceive the public? The “jig is up” in about a month of filing the patient.
If Apple allows the employees to file the patients for their creations, then it gives credit to the rightful inventor(s). If Apple is allowing these employees to hold on to their own Intellectual Property, that is also wonderful. Let the inventor(s) make similar profits from their inventions as they would if they were not associated with a particular company.
This will make the employees very happy, and I am guessing that Steve Jobs is confident enough about the employees’ loyalty that they would not think of selling their newly invented technology to anyone else but Apple.
Finally, think about the motivation it would give for innovation of new products if the inventors are allowed to keep the patient rights to what they create.
I think there is no way Apple is allowing there employees to patent material they design for Apple. Cause when it comes down to it it maybe the individuals idea but it was developed with company resources. I don’t like it but that is just the nature of the beast. If Apple let employees patent material they would have to face the very real possibility that they would need to licence it when it was developed with company time and money.
The solar cell in the screen would be very cool just not sure how useful it would be when my phone spends most of its time in my pocket.
My understanding of this patent is that it would aid the battery, not charge it. It says the panels would be connected to components of the computer. You do not need high efficiency batteries to have a solar cell connected to them, you just do not fully exploit the potential of the solar cell, so they could also charge the battery with this patent.
As far as Apple goes… Most of the time when you make a patent for a company they become the assignee and you are the inventor. If you negotiate your contract correctly you make it so that anything you invent outside the company is yours. If the company wants you, they will probably be ok with that. It could just be that these guys did it on their own outside of Apple. In the same right, Apple could have put in their contracts that Apple can use anything they invent while at Apple, making the assignee pointless… but I am not sure if thats even legal.
Even still, you probably will not see this anytime soon. Apple does not make their own displays (internals are sourced from other companies) so they would (probably) either have to start, or help someone to make these. Both are highly unlikely.
Jim
I think that what we learned from the patent attorney may help us understand why the employees have their names on the patent application-the company needs a person to represent them.
Any how, I think this technology would be cool and like Pat my phone spends a lot of time in my pants pocket but when I am using it and when it is on my desk in class it will charge.
Great idea. I wonder how the guys will be compensated that work for Apple.