The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 24, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 31, 2013
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc., Camas, WA (US);
Akinori Hashimura, Vancouver, WA (US);
Douglas Tweet, Camas, WA (US);
Gary Hinch, Vancouver, WA (US);
Byron Cocilovo, Tucson, AZ (US);
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc., Camas, WA (US);
Abstract
An energy-generating transparent (EGT) structure is provided, in addition to a method for generating energy from light incident to an EGT structure. The EGT structure is made up of a window pane with an interior surface adjacent a reflective structure. The method accepts light incident to an exterior surface of the window pane, and transmits light in the visible spectrum through the window pane and reflective structure. However, light in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum is reflected back from the reflective structure into the window pane, so that reflected NIR, spectrum light is supplied to an edge of the window pane. For example, reflected NIR spectrum light is supplied to the window pane edge if the light has an angle greater than or equal to an angle TIR occurring between the window pane exterior surface and air. This reflected NIR spectrum light can be converted to electrical or thermal energy.