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US20130040707A1. Solar cell phone. Google Patents

Publication number US20130040707A1 US20130040707A1 US13/475,779 US201213475779A US2013040707A1 US 20130040707 A1 US20130040707 A1 US 20130040707A1 US 201213475779 A US201213475779 A US 201213475779A US 2013040707 A1 US2013040707 A1 US 2013040707A1 Authority US United States Prior art keywords solar housing cell phone solar cell rechargeable battery Prior art date 2011-08-09 Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.) Granted Application number US13/475,779 Other versions US9680189B2 ( en Inventor Theoda METCALF Original Assignee Theoda METCALF Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.) 2011-08-09 Filing date 2012-05-18 Publication date 2013-02-14 Priority claimed from US201161521392P external-priority 2012-05-18 Application filed by Theoda METCALF filed Critical Theoda METCALF 2012-05-18 Priority to US13/475,779 priority Critical patent/US9680189B2/en 2013-02-14 Publication of US20130040707A1 publication Critical patent/US20130040707A1/en 2017-06-13 Application granted granted Critical 2017-06-13 Publication of US9680189B2 publication Critical patent/US9680189B2/en Status Expired. Fee Related legal-status Critical Current 2033-02-16 Adjusted expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

H — ELECTRICITY
H01 — ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
H01M — PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
H01M10/00 — Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
H01M10/42 — Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells
H01M10/46 — Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus
H01M10/465 — Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus with solar battery as charging system

H — ELECTRICITY
H04 — ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
H04M — TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
H04M1/00 — Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
H04M1/02 — Constructional features of telephone sets
H04M1/0202 — Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets
H04M1/026 — Details of the structure or mounting of specific components

Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
Y02 — TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
Y02E — REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E60/00 — Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
Y02E60/10 — Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A solar cell phone includes a housing having a keypad, a display screen, other electronic components and a rechargeable battery. A diode switch within the housing is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery. A plurality of solar panels are mounted to the housing and electrically connected to the diode switch. The diode switch will allow the solar panels to supply electrical power to the rechargeable battery. An auxiliary battery within the housing receives electrical power from the solar panels. The auxiliary battery will store the electrical power to recharge the rechargeable battery when the diode switch is in a non-operative position, so that the rechargeable battery will continue to operate the keypad, the display screen and the other electronic components within the housing.

Description

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/521,392, filed on Sep. 8, 2011, in the United States Patent Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Cell phones are very convenient, as they allow people to stay connected to friends and loved ones on the go, as well as enable people to conduct business when not in the same room. Certain activities, however, such as conference calls, long business calls, and playing games and videos, can drain the cell phone’s battery. In order to recharge the battery, individuals must be near an electrical outlet and must plug the phone into the outlet via a cord for extended lengths of time. If not around an outlet, the phone can die and the person can be stranded. An effective solution is necessary.

The present invention is a solar cell phone with a plurality of small solar panels that can be used to charge the rechargeable battery of the cell phone, rather than using an electrical power source. The present invention can be especially useful for businesspeople who are constantly checking their email or talking to clients, as well as people who use their cell phones to watch TV, watch movies, play games, play music, and surf the Web. Individuals looking to reduce their electric use will appreciate the convenience and practicality afforded by the solar cell phone.

Numerous innovations for solar powered cell phones have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.

A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Publication No. 2002/0088486, Published on Jul. 11, 2002, to Chenx teaches a solar-powered device that is adapted to be disposed on a battery unit of a mobile telephone handset so as to charge the battery unit. The solar-powered device includes a light sensor, a photoelectric converting circuit coupled operably to the light sensor so as to convert light that is sensed by the light sensor into a corresponding current signal, and a current processing circuit, coupled electrically to the photoelectric converting circuit, for receiving and processing the current signal so as to result in a charging current that is adapted to charge the battery unit of the mobile telephone handset.

A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Publication No.2005/0282591, Published on Dec. 22, 2005, to Shaff teaches a mobile telephone apparatus in which a solar power source is used to supplement battery power. A solar cell array is positioned on the surface of the telephone and supplies electric current to the telephone. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is equipped with speech recognition software that allows the user to issue commands (such as dialing the telephone) verbally to the telephone. In addition, this speech recognition may be used to operate an integrated AM/FM broadcast radio to allow the telephone to double as a radio. In an alternative embodiment, the solar mobile telephone is integrated into a headset to allow for convenient hands-free operation.

A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Publication No.2006/0238163, Published on Oct. 26, 2006, to Chen teaches a mobile phone which includes a main body. The main body further includes a solar power module, a display module, and an input module (i.e., a keypad). The solar power module is adapted for providing electrical power to the mobile phone. The solar power module includes a solar cell panel configured for converting light energy to electrical power. The input module includes a control switch for setting the solar power module in one of the following states: “on”, “off”, or “storage”. Advantageously, the mobile phone can also be supplied with at least one heating pad disposed on the surface thereof, selectively controlled (e.g., on/off and/or a temperature chosen), to provide heat to a hand and/or other body part of a user.

A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Publication No. 2008/0143291, Published on Jun. 19, 2008, to Lin et al. teaches a communication apparatus with a solar energy charging function that includes a host and a display panel movably and pivotally coupled to the host to define a foldable mobile phone, and a solar panel is coaxially and pivotally coupled to a shaft of the host, such that the solar panel can be folded and covered onto an upper surface of the display panel. If the battery power of the mobile phone is low, users can individually lift the solar panel open from the display panel to charge the battery that is electrically coupled to the mobile phone, so as to enhance the power capacity, using time limit and battery charging requirements of the communication apparatus.

A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Publication No.2010/0167797, Published on Jul. 1, 2010, to Morichi teaches a cellular phone according to the present invention comprises a plurality of solar cell modules arranged on different surfaces of a casing, a plurality of electric power control parts connected to each of the plurality of solar cell modules, a mechanical form detection sensor as a state detection part for detecting a state of said cellular phone, and an electric power selection part.

It is apparent now that numerous innovations for solar powered cell phones have been provided in the prior art that are adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.

AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar cell phone that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.

ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar cell phone that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar cell phone that is simple to use.

BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide a solar cell phone which comprises a housing having a keypad, a display screen, other electronic components and a rechargeable battery. A diode switch within the housing is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery. A plurality of solar panels are mounted to the housing and electrically connected to the diode switch. The diode switch will allow the solar panels to supply electrical power to the rechargeable battery. An auxiliary battery within the housing receives electrical power from the solar panels. The auxiliary battery will store the electrical power to recharge the rechargeable battery when the diode switch is in a non-operative position, so that the rechargeable battery will continue to operate the keypad, the display screen and the other electronic

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.

110 solar cell phone
112 housing of solar cell phone 110
114 keypad in housing 112
116 display screen in housing 112
118 rechargeable battery in housing 112
120 diode switch in housing 112
122 solar panel of solar cell phone 110
124 auxiliary battery of solar cell phone 110
126 front of housing 112
128 back of housing 112
130 side of housing 112
132 thin solar cell in solar panel 122
134 lead in solar panel 122

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 the present invention is a solar cell phone 110 which comprises a housing 112 having a keypad 114, a display screen 116, other electronic components and a rechargeable battery 118. A diode switch 120 within the housing 112 is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery 118. A plurality of solar panels 122 are mounted to the housing 112 and electrically connected to the diode switch 120.

As shown in FIG. 2 : each solar panel 122 comprises a series of thin solar cells 132 and a pair of leads 134, whereby one lead 134 is a negative conductor, while the other lead 134 is a positive conductor. Each lead 134 of the solar panel 122 can be comprised of a three watt size. Each lead 134 of the solar panel 112 can also be comprised of a four (04) watt size.

The rechargeable battery 118 of the solar cell phone 110 is comprised of a 3.7-3.8 volt size. The auxiliary battery 124 of the solar cell phone 110 is comprised of a 3.7-3.8 volt size.

As shown in FIG. 3 : the diode switch 120 will allow the solar panels 122 to supply electrical power to the rechargeable battery 118. An auxiliary battery 124 within the housing 112 receives electrical power from the solar panels 122. The auxiliary battery 124 will store the electrical power to recharge the rechargeable battery 118 when the diode switch 120 is in a non-operative position. The rechargeable battery 118 will continue to operate the keypad 114, the display screen 116 and the other electronic components within the housing 112. The solar panels 122 are mounted to the front 126, back 128 and sides 130 of the housing 112. The rechargeable battery 118 and battery 124 have about 3.7-3.8 volt size.

The present invention allows an individual to charge the solar cell phone 110 with a plurality solar panels 122, thereby eliminating the current dependency on electricity. The solar cell phone 110 can be developed by using the same technology as solar-powered calculators. The solar cell phone 110 can be produced in many different styles and designs and through various providers. The exact specifications, materials used, and method of use of the solar cell phone 110 may vary upon manufacturing.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodiments of a solar cell phone, accordingly it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

Claims ( 7 )

a) a housing having a keypad, a display screen, other electronic components and a rechargeable battery;

c) a plurality of solar panels mounted to the housing and electrically connected to the diode switch, whereby the diode switch will allow the solar panels to supply electrical power to the rechargeable battery; and

d) an auxiliary battery within the housing receives electrical power from the solar panels, whereby the auxiliary battery will store the electrical power to recharge the rechargeable battery when the diode switch is in a non-operative position, so that the rechargeable battery will continue to operate the keypad, the display screen and the other electronic components within the housing.

The solar cell phone as recited in claim 1. wherein the solar panels are mounted to the front, back, and sides of the housing.

b) a pair of leads, whereby one lead is a negative conductor, while the other lead is a positive conductor.

The solar cell phone as recited in claim 3. wherein each lead of the solar panel is comprised of a three watt size.

The solar cell phone as recited in claim 3. wherein each lead of the solar panel is comprised of a four watt size.

The solar cell phone as recited in claim 1. wherein the rechargeable battery is comprised of a 3.7-3.8 volt size.

The solar cell phone as recited in claim 1. wherein the auxiliary battery is comprised of a 3.7-3.8 volt size.

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title

US13/475,779 US9680189B2 ( en )

2011-08-09

2012-05-18

Solar cell phone

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title

US201161521392P	2011-08-09	2011-08-09
US13/475,779 US9680189B2 ( en )	2011-08-09	2012-05-18	Solar cell phone

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date

US13/475,779 Expired. Fee Related US9680189B2 ( en )

2011-08-09

2012-05-18

Solar cell phone