Nokia patents self-charging battery concept

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Nokia has filed a patent for a new battery technology that could lead to the development of self-charging power cells in mobile phones.

The 'Piezoelectric Kinetic Energy Harvester' combines the principles of piezoelectricity and kinetic energy to create a battery that can be charged simply by moving around.

The technology would see the battery able to slide around inside the phone thanks to a pair of frames linked by a piezoelectric crystal. As you move, the energy created from the battery's movement would be captured by the piezoelectric elements, converted to electrical energy, and then passed on to a power controller to be fed into the battery.

According to Nokia, the technology isn't designed to replace the need for conventional charging through the mains, but should make a difference to how often you need to do it. It could also prove particularly useful if your phone goes flat while you're out and about, and you're nowhere near a power socket.

The patent application doesn't reveal how far Nokia has developed the concept, or when – indeed, if – if it will make its way into consumer devices.

A similar system is already in use in kinetic watches, which capture the energy created by your arm movements and then send it to top up the battery.

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