Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric inventions 02/07

20070039641 - Cobalt oxide thermoelectric compositions and uses thereof: The present invention relates to thermoelectric cobalt oxide compositions and their use in thermal management and generation of electrical power. The invention particularly relates to thin films of these cobalt oxide compositions on a variety of substrates, particularly silicon-group substrates.... Agent: Brookhaven Science Associates/ Brookhaven National Laboratory

20070039642 - Photovoltaic power generator: A photovoltaic power generation system that includes a steerable light receiver with one or more photovoltaic cells for collecting light, and a supplementary light source operable to provide supplementary light under predetermined conditions. The receiver is steerable to a docking position at which the light receiver can receive light from... Agent: Merchant & Gould PC

20070039643 - Anion generating device utilizing solar power: An anion generating device includes an outer housing formed with air inlet and outlets as well as a heat exchanging space, a fan unit disposed in the heat exchanging space, an anion generator operable so as to generate anions near a discharge electrode unit thereof disposed between the air outlet... Agent: Trop Pruner & Hu, PC

20070039644 - Dye for dye sensitized photovoltaic cell and dye sensitized photovoltaic cell prepared using the same: A dye for a dye sensitized photovoltaic cell is disclosed. A dye sensitized photovoltaic cell including the dye is also disclosed. The dye includes a metal composite treated with a cation selected from imidazolium cations, pyridinium cations, pyrrolidinium cations, and quinolidinium cations.... Agent: Christie, Parker & Hale, LLP

20070039645 - Photovoltaic element: A photovoltaic element, in particular, for application as solar cell for photovoltaic units, comprises a photon absorber. An electrically conductive working element is at least partly embedded in the photon absorber. The working element is separated from the photon absorber by means of a phase boundary. The working element further... Agent: Needle & Rosenberg, P.C.

20070034245 - Process for producing thermoelectric semiconductor alloy, thermoelectric conversion module, thermoelectric power generating device, rare earth alloy, producing process thereof, thermoelectric conversion material, and thermoelectric conversion system using: The present invention is a process for producing a rare earth alloy including heating a raw material alloy which is compounded so as to have a composition represented by the formula: A3−XBXC (wherein A and B each is at least one member selected from transition metals consisting of Fe, Co,... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070034250 - Edge illumination photovoltaic devices and methods of making same: Edge illumination photovoltaic devices based on multicomponent semiconductors and low cost methods for fabricating such devices are provided. The photovoltaic devices can find application in a variety of photovoltaic and thermophotovoltaic systems including solar concentrator based systems.... Agent: Foley And Lardner LLP Suite 500

20070034249 - Floating solar powered electronic device and system: A floating solar powered apparatus includes a main housing with an electrically operated component, with an at least translucent portion for transmittal of sunlight into the main housing during daylight hours. The main housing is water impervious and has at least two lateral sections that cooperate to open and close... Agent: Kenneth P. Glynn

20070034248 - Floating solar powered lighting apparatus, system and ladder accessory: A floating solar powered apparatus includes a main housing with an electrically operated component, with an at least translucent portion for transmittal of sunlight into the main housing during daylight hours. It is sometimes transparent or one or more colored translucent areas or, a combination of these. The main housing... Agent: Kenneth P. Glynn

20070034246 - Power generation system: A power generating system 1 comprises a power generator 2 generating DC power, and an inverter circuit 3 for converting DC power into AC power; the power generator 2 comprises a plurality of power generating modules 21-28 each comprising a plurality of power generating units 30 and at least one... Agent: Jordan And Hamburg LLP

20070034247 - Rectenna solar cell hybrid panel and hybrid photovoltaic power generation system: The description relates to a rectenna solar-battery hybrid panels that not only receive electric power transmitted by microwaves after the electric energy has been generated from sunlight, but also gain sunlight energy on the open faces of the panels, and to hybrid solar photovoltaic generation systems. In the rectenna solar-battery... Agent: C. Irvin Mcclelland Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070034251 - Semiconductor elements having zones of reduced oxygen: There is provided a structure comprising semiconductor material, the structure having at least one zone of reduced oxygen concentration, such zone having an interstitial oxygen concentration of not greater than 3×1017 oxygen atoms/cm3, such zone extending at least 75 microns in depth from a first major surface. There is further... Agent: Burr & Brown

20070034252 - Covertible pad support for receiving at least two pads of different dimensions: The convertible pad support can receive at least two different types of pads of different dimensions. The support includes a three-dimensional structure defining a storage volume wherein the pads are disposed. The structure includes two lateral flanks which are firmly connected by two fixed arms and receives at least one... Agent: Egbert Law Offices

20070034253 - Manufacturing method for semiconductor photoelectrochemical cell and semiconductor photoelectrochemical cell: The invention provides a manufacturing method for a semiconductor photoelectrochemical cell, comprising the steps of burning a base made of titanium or a titanium alloy in an atmosphere of 700° C. to 1000° C. at a rate of temperature increase of no lower than 5° C./second so that a titanium... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070034254 - Photoelectrode substrate of dye sensitizing solar cell, and method for producing same: In a dye sensitizing solar cell 1 wherein an electrolyte 4 is filled in a space between a photoelectrode substrate 2 and a counter electrode of a counter electrode substrate 3, a composite film 7 comprising metal portions 7a of titanium or the like and oxide portions 7b thereof is... Agent: Bachman & Lapointe, P.C.

20070023077 - Dual gap thermo-tunneling apparatus and methods: Method and apparatus for improved thermal isolation for thermoelectric devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a thermoelectric device includes a first substrate portion having a first p-type conductive portion electrically coupled to a first n-type conductive portion, and a second substrate portion having a second p-type conductive portion and a... Agent: Lee & Hayes, PLLC

20070023078 - Mobile vehicle having solar cell arrays for providing supplemental electric power: Each of multiple solar cell arrays has a face oriented differently relative to the direction from which solar radiation is incident on a motor vehicle and a characteristic voltage/current output correlated with the intensity of incident solar radiation for converting the incident solar radiation into electricity. A processor processes data... Agent: International Truck Intellectual Property Company,

20070023079 - Beam splitter: The present invention provides a beam splitter that comprising a body having at least one substantially flat surface. The surface has surface regions arranged to receive radiation at respective incidence angle ranges. At least some of the incidence angle ranges of the radiation received by the respective surface regions differ... Agent: Weingarten, Schurgin, Gagnebin & Lebovici LLP

20070023080 - Rotary drive for a panel-shaped solar module and solar system: In a rotary drive for rotating a panel-shaped solar module, rotary pulses with a limited rotational path are introduced from outside only by step. A rotatable gear disk in the rotary drive has a regularly ratcheted control contour with ratchet units like teeth. In cooperation with a control member, what... Agent: Jordan And Hamburg LLP

20070023082 - Compositionally-graded back contact photovoltaic devices and methods of fabricating such devices: A semiconductor structure is described, including a semiconductor substrate and an amorphous semiconductor layer disposed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the amorphous semiconductor layer is compositionally graded through its depth, from substantially intrinsic at the interface with the substrate, to substantially conductive at the opposite side.... Agent: Patrick S. Yoder Fletcher Yoder

20070023081 - Compositionally-graded photovoltaic device and fabrication method, and related articles: A semiconductor structure is described, including a semiconductor substrate of one conductivity type; and an amorphous semiconductor layer disposed on at least one of its surfaces. The amorphous semiconductor layer is compositionally graded through its depth, from substantially intrinsic at the interface with the substrate, to substantially conductive at the... Agent: General Electric Company Gegr Patent Docket Rm.