Xiaomi has recently submitted a patent application about the use of solar energy to charge wearable devices. According to the records of the Tianyancha Intellectual Property Information Platform, the patent application has been approved.
The concept talks about the core elements of the new technology. The concept can reportedly be applied to various wearable devices such as smart rings and fitness bands and can be designed to meet the needs and preferences of different user groups.
Not to mention, the products will include solar panels along with all other hardware equipment. These key components will be cleverly placed in the housing of the device to form a compact and efficient energy conversion and storage system. You can see a concept design below.
As you can see from the concept design, the solar panel and battery are electrically connected to the control circuit board for the utilization of solar energy. It is worth mentioning that a special light concentrator is designed inside the shell, which includes a light-incoming surface and a light-outgoing surface and the the light-outgoing surface directly faces the solar panel.
With the help of the light concentrator, the light can be directed to the solar panel, thereby significantly increasing the amount of light hitting the solar panel and improving the light energy utilization.
While it won’t save much power, it can reduce or even completely eliminate the need to remove the device for charging, since the devices do not require much power to operate. According to a report, the patent aims to solve the battery life problem commonly faced by low-energy wearable devices, which are generally very small and cannot pack a large battery inside.
(Via)
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