Apple may build its own external battery pack for recharging on the go

Apple has shown interest in integrating a rechargeable external battery pack into its standard charging cable, providing extra power for devices like a MacBook or iPhone when a power outlet isn't available.

The potential future accessory was revealed this week in a new patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and uncovered by AppleInsider. The filing for "Power Adapter with Internal Battery" describes a wall charger with an integrated battery pack, allowing users to charge a device at home and give that device extra juice when on the go.

Apple's application acknowledges that rechargeable external battery accessories do already exist. However, it notes that such accessories are not as advantageous as one that might be integrated with a standard charging cable.

"Such external batteries are generally cumbersome to use, at least because they must be unpacked for use and then repacked for storage," Apple's filing states of current options available on the market. "In addition, many users forget to bring the external battery in addition to the adapter while in transit.

"What is needed is a way to combine a power adapter and a battery so that a user does not have to carry an additional battery while traveling with a portable electronic device."

Apple's solution would include a "smart" charger with an integrated processor. This would allow the charger to intelligently determine how to distribute charge between the integrated adapter battery, and the battery on a device like a MacBook.

The hardware would also include the ability to share the status of the battery with the device it is charging. This way, users would be able to check the status of the external adapter battery and how much power it has left.

Such a device could be augmented by a "trickle source" for power, such as solar. And it could also include a USB port for charging a device like an iPhone or iPod. The accessory could also include a wireless adapter, allowing a MacBook or other device to access the power adapter even when it is not physically connected.

Apple's application also notes that its external battery solution could employ current power adapter features, such as its patented MagSafe connector.

The use of MagSafe connectors became an issue for a third-party external battery manufacturer last year, when Apple sued the maker of "HyperMac" accessories. Sanho Corporation was accused by Apple of infringing on MagSafe-related patents for products like its MBP-PRO, MBP-AIR and MBP-CAR chargers with magnetic power connectors.

Instead of mimicking Apple's patented MagSafe connectors, Sanho's products actually relied on recycled official MagSafe hardware made by Apple. The lawsuit eventually forced HyperMac to cease the sale of chargers with MagSafe hardware. Sanho also negotiated with Apple and rebranded its products HyperJuice.

But the need for such third-party external battery makers could be significantly lessened if Apple were to follow through on its pursuit of power adapters with integrated rechargeable batteries. Apple first filed the patent application made public this week in September of 2009, and the proposed invention is credited to Duncan Kerr, David Robbins Falkenburg and Michael Nugent.

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41 Comments

s4mb4

said about 13 years ago

of course they are....

when they release the 4G iPhone, the battery life is gonna suck...

tipoo

said about 13 years ago

Apple patents literally thousands of things without making them, I'm not putting much hope into this until at least some leaked prototypes show up.

xsu

said about 13 years ago

Having a solar cell under the LCD of iDevice would be a much nicer solution. Especially for iPad, a large solar cell under that large screen can probably extend the battery life indefinitely for a light user.

wiggin

said about 13 years ago

It's a good idea, but I did have to laugh a little about one of the purposes cited, "Such external batteries are generally cumbersome to use, at least because they must be unpacked for use and then repacked for storage," Harder than getting out your power adaptor? Harder than lugging around the extra weight of the batter everytime you carry your power adaptor even when you don't need the battery?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tipoo

Apple patents literally thousands of things without making them, I'm not putting much hope into this until at least some leaked prototypes show up.

Which also means someone else who would be willing to make such a device can't. Even if it's for a non-Apple device. This makes Apple different than the patent holding companies we complain how, exactly?

Quote:

Originally Posted by xsu

Oh sure, just use the LCDs backlight to illuminate the solar cell to recharge the batter to run the backlight. An infinite loop of energy for the device!

But in all seriousness...just how do you expect that to work? Put the solar cells in front of the backlight and you have no backlight. But it behind the backlight and the light getting to the solar cells would be blocked entirely, either by the LED backlight of the LCD crystals themselves (when displaying a dark image). Or at a minimum their illuminated surface area would be so small that it would generate negligable current. And let's not forget how little % of the time the device would get enough light to be useful even if you had a fully exposed solar cell.

Depending on how densely packed the LED backlight elements are, could you make a hybrid solar cell/LED panel? Maybe. But it would likely be very inefficient, not as good of a backlight, and any LCD pixel that is other than "white" would block the light anyway.

Edit: The idea would perhaps work for something like a calculator, watch, or the older iPods, which have "old school" LCD displays; but even then, aren't solar cells dark in color? How would you see the LCD elements against a dark background?