Apple Wins Big with Two More Solar Energy Related Patents

Patently Apple
Oct 18, 2011

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 Wins Patent Relating to Methods of Solar Cell Assembly 

Apple has received a Granted Patent that relates to new methods and apparatus for assembling integrated circuit components to substrates; and more specifically relates to improved methods and apparatus for singulating semiconductor devices after mounting to a substrate. Along with uses with other types of semiconductor devices, the present invention provides particular advantages with respect to the assembly of components including solar cells, such as in the forming of solar arrays.

Using the example of semiconductor die which include photo-voltaic cells, commonly referred to as "solar cells," many if not most applications of solar cells require the use of multiple such cells in order to form a useful assembly, such as a solar panel. Such solar panels may range from relatively small, such as only a few square inches, as might be used to provide power to a portable, consumer-type device.
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