14 DAY TRIAL // Smartphone makers don’t seem to run out of ideas when it comes to bringing new features and innovation to their products in an attempt to make it easier for consumers to use them. Sony is one of the companies at the forefront of innovation at the moment, as it has just patented phone-to-phone wireless charging technology.
The concept is quite interesting, Sony is thinking about a technology that would allow the smartphone’s battery to charge from another device, via NFC. The method would let users jump start a smartphone from another device, while also connecting to both WiFi and power when entering a room.
Sony’s method proposes adding a second wireless antenna for Near Field Communications (NFC) for transferring power rather than data. The phone could then be recharged from another smartphone, a refrigerator, washing machine or any other device that has an NFC power transmitter.
Sony’s method comes with some limitations
However, there’s a limitation that allows users to recharge a phone only if the device that is charging from is connected to a power outlet. Sony suggests that the option to charge a device wirelessly would show up on smartphones much like WiFi hotspots and users would be able to choose which to take charge from.
The patent application was filed back in November last year, but was posted by the US Patent and Trademark Office only this month. It remains to be seen if Sony intends to start working on such a technology and include it in future flagships. Smartphone makers file multiple patents for new ideas, but not all of them reach development stages.
Current wireless technology doesn’t support such a new method. The technology allows devices to charge over very short distances without cables, the main advantage being that users no longer need to plug and unplug phones in order to charge. They can simply place them on wireless charging ports and pick them up when they reach a full charge.
The most popular standard for wireless charging is QI, supported by a number of companies, including Samsung, Google and Nokia.