Nokia files a patent for a self-charging mobile phone

Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to worry about running out of mobile power when you’re on the go? Or kitting yourself up with a international charger when you’re on holiday? If Nokia’s plans are anything to go by we may never have to worry about plugging in our devices to charge ever again.

The mobile developer, Nokia of Finland filed a US patent last week for a handset that automatically recharges itself. Don’t worry – there’s no crazy talk of impractical solar powering. Instead, it plans to produce a handset that recharges itself by harvesting energy from the owner’s motion.

By supporting heavier internal components (such as the radio transmitter circuity, or battery) on a frame within the device, these parts could move along two sets of rails as the owner moves around. One rail would allow the internal parts to travel up and down and the other side-to-side, generating a reliable current from the mobile user’s movement.

The idea is the internal motion created by the user’s movements would create enough electricity to top up the phone’s battery and provide enough juice for the phone to be used, regardless of whether or not a power point is available. Worrying about draining your smartphone whilst web browsing on the move could be a thing of the past.

Patents are always a little crazy to decipher for the average Joe, but if you want to take a look at the official application it’s available to view here.