Apple patent bid combines solar with touch screen

double-sided solar panel that absorbed light from both the top and a glass-covered backing.In August of 2008, Apple engineers submitted another patent application relating to the electronics circuitry needed to use a solar cell embedded into a small device. That followed a more general patent application from 2006 called "Solar Cells on Portable Devices."Standalone chargers for small electronics, including Apple gear, have been around for years. But embedding a solar cell into a device, with a power management system, is a far more challenging engineering job and it's still not clear that can be done without adding significantly to a gadget's cost.In theory, a solar-powered device could use cells that harvest indoor light, rather than only direct sunlight.