From: "Rich Gauszka" 


http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/31917/118/

Schaumburg (IL) - Motorola has received a patent for LCD that can display
images as well as create energy.  Patent 7,206,044 was granted on April
17th 2007 and outlines the company's "Display and Solar Cell
Device".  The new displays could increase run times in future mobile
phones and Motorola claims the displays could even eliminate the need for
conventional charging.


The displays use embedded color filters that allow sunlight to reach the
underlying solar cell.  Motorola claims this technique transmits light 75%
better than traditional screens that use polarizing and reflective layers.
According to the patent, normal screens only let 6% of sunlight through to
the bottom layer.

Other companies have tried putting solar cells in addition to a display,
but modern mobile phones have very little surface real estate to spare.
Motorola says its new technique wastes no space because the display can
serve a "parallel purpose" as a light collecting device for the
solar cell.

Motorola claims OLED displays can also benefit from color filters and solar cells.

Motorola filed for the patent on October 31st, 2001.  You can read
Motorola's patent here

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fneta
html%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=7206044.PN.&OS=PN/
7206044&RS=PN/7206044

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