An Apple patent (number 8,217,619) for portable devices having multiple power interfaces has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. One of those interfaces involves solar power.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a portable electronic device includes, but is not limited to, a processor, a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, when executed from the memory, cause the processor to perform one or more functions, a battery coupled to provide power to the processor and the memory, and a battery charging manager coupled to charge the battery using power derived from a plurality of power sources including a solar power source. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Wendell B. Sander and Daniel A. Warren are the inventors.

Here’s Apple’s background and summary of the invention: “Handheld computing devices typically use standard battery chemistries including ni-cad, lithium-ion, and nickel-metal hydride. In order to recharge these batteries, operators may use standard recharging options such as, for example, conventional AC (alternating current) outlets. However, mobile users who are in remote locations oftentimes do not have access to conventional AC outlets. As a result, they oftentimes have no way of recharging the batteries of their handheld computing devices.

“Recently, solar power has been used to power up a handheld device. As demands for the power of the handheld computing devices increase, it becomes more important to provide stable power to the devices. However, given the characteristics of the solar cells that provide solar power, it is relatively difficult to track the solar power drawn from the solar cells to maintain relatively stable solar power output.

“Techniques for operating devices with solar power are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, apparatus for operating a portable electronic device with solar power includes, but is not limited to, a voltage converter and a controller coupled to the voltage converter. The voltage converter includes an input capable of being coupled to a solar power source and an output capable of being coupled to an electronic load, such as, for example, a portable electronic device. The voltage converter is configured to monitor or detect an amount of power drawn by the electronic load at the output of the voltage converter. In response to the monitored power drawn, the controller is configured to control the voltage converter to adjust further output power provided to the electronic load. As a result, the output voltage from the solar power source is maintained within a predetermined range.

“According to another aspect of the invention, a portable electronic device includes, but is not limited to, a processor, a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, when executed from the memory, cause the processor to perform one or more functions, a battery coupled to provide power to the processor and the memory, and a battery charging manager coupled to charge the battery using power derived from a plurality of power sources including a solar power source.”

Also appearing at the U.S Patent & Trademark Office are:

° Patent number 8218347 is for a stacked device having a scalable bandwidth interface. It’s for a memory device having a scalable bandwidth I/O data bus includes a semiconductor die having a substrate with a first and a second surface.

° Patent number 8218790 involves techniques for customizing control of volume levels in device playback.

° Patent number 82189580 is for dynamic management of multiple persistent data stores.

° Patent number 82189880 involves combined single error correction/device kill detection code.

° Patent number 82150120 is for a method of manufacturing a thermal contact arrangement. The method including the operations of providing a thermal conductor and forming a first zone having a first roughness on a first portion of a first exterior surface of the thermal conductor.

° Patent number 8215546 involves a method and system for transportation check-in (e.g., ticketing and identification) via near field communication (NFC) using a handheld electronic device.

° Patent number 8217336 is for a light sensing device having a color sensor and a clear sensor for infrared rejection.

° Patent number 8217792 involves a theft prevention system for protecting portable electronic devices. An acceleration sensor detects the acceleration of a portable electronic device, and a controller analyzes this acceleration to determine whether a theft condition is present. If so, an alarm can be initiated.

° Patent number 8218306 involves the assembly of a handheld electronic device.

° Patent number 8218347 is for a stacked memory device having a scalable bandwidth interface.

° Patent number 8218380 involves degradation equalization for a memory. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a memory and a control circuit configured to cause an inversion of at least a portion of the data stored in the memory to more evenly balance the amount of time that a given memory cell in the memory stores a binary one or a binary zero.

° Patent number 8218509 is for dynamic allocation of communication resources in a wireless system.

° Patent number 8219157 involves electronic devices are that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may have antenna diversity circuitry that allows an optimum antenna in an antenna structure to be switched into use during device operations.

° Patent number 8219758 is for block-based, non-transparent cache. In an embodiment, a non-transparent memory unit is provided which includes a non-transparent memory and a control circuit.

° Patent number 8219920 involves methods and systems for managing to do items, notes or electronic messages.