Batteries: thermoelectric and photoelectric inventions 08/07

20070199587 - Thermoelectric conversion module: A thermoelectric conversion module 10 comprises a tubular element unit 21 in which a disk-shaped first thermoelectric element 22 and a disk-shaped second thermoelectric element 26 that generate electricity by temperature difference between an inner circumference surface and an outer circumference surface are layered alternately and a support unit 41... Agent: Mcginn Intellectual Property Law Group, PLLC

20070199588 - High voltage solar cell and solar cell module: A solar cell apparatus and process for making and using same involving a semiconductor wafer having a front side surface and a metallized back side surface and a semiconductor p/n junction between the front side surface and the back side surface. At least one front side interruption is caused to... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20070199589 - Light signaling post: The invention relates to a light signaling post of the type used for signaling on ski slopes, in marine environments, roads, job sites, etc., or as emergency lights, basically structured from a body (1) having light generating means (2) fed by a power circuit (3) to which at least one... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20070199590 - Roof tile-integrated solar battery module: A roof tile-integrated solar battery module applicable to many types of roof tiles can be obtained. A roof tile-integrated solar battery module according to the present invention is a module including a solar battery power generating body, and an exterior member accommodating the solar battery power generating body therein and... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20070199591 - Photovoltaic solar cell and solar module: A photovoltaic solar cell including an upper electrode, a layer with light scattering and/or reflection properties, and a lower electrode. The layer with light scattering and/or reflection properties is located between the upper electrode and the lower electrode.... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20070199592 - Solar cell string and solar cell module: There are provided a solar cell string including a plurality of connected solar cells, each solar cell including a multilayered body having a photoelectric conversion layer, a first electrode formed on the multilayered body, a second electrode formed on the multilayered body, a first interconnector connected to the first electrode,... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20070193616 - Devices with thermoelectric and thermodiodic characteristics and methods for manufacturing same: The present invention provides thermoelectric or thermodiodic devices and methods for manufacturing such devices.... Agent: Joseph P. Kincart, Esq.

20070193617 - Exhaust heat recovery power generation device and automobile equipped therewith: An engine exhausts gas which is in turn exhausted through an exhaust pipe in a prescribed direction. A cooling water pump supplies cooling water to circulate a refrigerant through each of cooling water circulation paths. The cooling water circulation path includes a cooling water pipe arranged along the exhaust pipe... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070193619 - Photovoltaic apparatus and method of manufacturing the same: This photovoltaic apparatus comprises a second groove for electrically isolating first and second back electrodes from each other, a third groove formed on a region located between a first groove and the second groove to cut at least an intermediate layer from the upper surface of the second back electrode,... Agent: Ndq&m Watchstone LLP

20070193618 - Integrated solar roofing system: An integrated solar roofing system for installation on a roof surface and for converting solar energy into electrical energy. The system comprises a first row of photovoltaic (PV) roofing tiles having a plurality of electrically interconnected PV cells. The roofing tiles comprise a first tab that extends from the tile... Agent: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.

20070193620 - Concentrating solar panel and related systems and methods: The present invention relates to photovoltaic concentrating modules and related concentrating solar systems and methods. In particular, the present invention relates to concentrating modules, especially modules having a convenient size and market acceptance of traditional flat photovoltaic solar panels.... Agent: Kagan Binder, PLLC

20070193621 - Photovoltaic cells: Photovoltaic cells containing a plurality of electrically conductive lines, as well as related systems, methods, modules, and components, are disclosed.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20070193623 - Electrode structure for use in electronic device and method of making same: An electrode structure is provided for use in an electronic device. In certain example embodiments, an electrode structure includes a supporting glass substrate (e.g., soda-lime silica based float glass), a buffer layer (e.g., SixNy), and a conductive electrode (e.g., Mo) provided in this order. The buffer layer is advantageous in... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20070193622 - Laminate type thin-film solar cell and method for manufacturing the same: A laminate type thin-film solar cell which can convert sunlight efficiently into electric power and be formed in multi-laminate structure without limitation in selecting a semiconductor material, and be excellent in conversion efficiency, and a production method therefor are provided. A first photoelectric conversion unit including a first semiconductor lamination... Agent: Rabin & Berdo, PC

20070193624 - Indium zinc oxide based front contact for photovoltaic device and method of making same: This invention relates to a photovoltaic device including a front contact and/or a method of making the same. In certain example embodiments, the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) front contact is of indium zinc oxide (IZO). In other example embodiments, the IZO may have other element(s) such as silver (Ag) added... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye, PC

20070186969 - Photovoltaic system having a solar module: A photovoltaic system includes a solar module having at least one solar cell. In order to reduce the power loss of the solar module when a solar module is in shade or is defective, a semiconductor switching element is connected in parallel with the solar module and drive electronics block... Agent: Lerner Greenberg Stemer LLP

20070186968 - Photovoltaic module: A photovoltaic module capable of suppressing separation of a tab electrode can be obtained. The photovoltaic module includes a plurality of semiconductor layers including a photoelectric conversion layer, a plurality of photovoltaic elements including a finger electrode for collecting generated currents, formed on the semiconductor layers on a side of... Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP

20070186970 - Solar cell and method of fabricating the same: A solar cell (100) comprising a semiconductor solar cell substrate (66) having a light receiving surface formed on the first major surface and generating photovoltaic power based on the light impinging on the light receiving surface, wherein the light receiving surface of the semiconductor solar cell substrate (66) is coated... Agent: Snider & Associates

20070186971 - High-efficiency solar cell with insulated vias: Methods and devices are provided for high-efficiency solar cells. In one embodiment, the device comprises of a solar cell having a high efficiency backside electrode configuration, wherein the solar cell comprises of: at least one transparent conductor, a photovoltaic layer, at least one bottom electrode, and at least one backside... Agent: Nanosolar, Inc.

20070181173 - Solar electric power generator: A solar concentrator includes a first reflective surface formed parabolic along a first axis and a second reflective surface formed parabolic along a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis. The focal length of the second reflective surface is shorter than the focal length of the first reflective... Agent: Quarles & Brady LLP

20070181174 - Photovoltaic tiles, roofing system, and method of constructing roof: There are provided photovoltaic tiles (each containing at least one photovoltaic cell) which can be readily integrated into a roof structure constructed of standard roofing materials. The photovoltaic tiles have frames which hold photovoltaic elements, the frames having end portions which are engageable with opposite end portions of similarly-shaped photovoltaic... Agent: Burr & Brown

20070181175 - Reverse bias protected solar array with integrated bypass battery: A method for protecting the photovoltaic cells in a photovoltaic (PV) array from reverse bias damage by utilizing a rechargeable battery for bypassing current from a shaded photovoltaic cell or group of cells, avoiding the need for a bypass diode. Further, the method mitigates the voltage degradation of a PV... Agent: Pearne & Gordon LLP

20070181176 - Bifacial elongated solar cell devices: A solar cell assembly having a plurality of elongated solar cells is provided. Elongated solar cells in the plurality of elongated solar cells have a rigid tube-shaped conductive core. The conductive core is hollowed and made of plastic or glass. A back-electrode is circumferentially disposed on the rigid tube-shaped conductive... Agent: Jones Day

20070181178 - Electrolyte composition and dye-sensitized solar cells employing the same: Disclosed herein is an electrolyte composition useful in a dye-sensitized solar cell. The electrolyte includes a ring compound to which metal cations of an oxidation-reduction derivative are bound, so that the anions of the oxidation-reduction derivative can freely deliver electrons, thereby significantly improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar... Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP

20070181177 - Optoelectronic device and fabrication method: Charge-splitting networks, optoelectronic devices, methods for making optoelectronic devices, power generation systems utilizing such devices and method for making charge-splitting networks are disclosed. An optoelectronic device may include a porous nano-architected (e.g., surfactant-templated) film having interconnected pores that are accessible from both the underlying and overlying layers. A pore-filling material... Agent: Nanosolar, Inc.

20070181179 - Tandem photovoltaic cells: Tandem photovoltaic cells having a recombination layer, as well as related systems, methods, and components, are disclosed.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20070181180 - Methods and apparatus for inspection of multi-junction solar cells: A technique for providing high-contrast images of defects in solar cells and solar panels, by illuminating each cell under inspection with broadband infrared radiation, and then forming an image of radiation that is secularly reflected from the cell. Multi-junction solar cells have a metal backing layer that secularly reflects the... Agent: Carmen B. Patti & Associates, LLC

20070175505 - Method for storing hydrogen, and related articles and systems: A method for storing hydrogen is described. The hydrogen is infused into hollow spheres. The spheres are made from a polymer which has a tensile strength sufficient to contain hydrogen under selected internal pressure conditions; and has a permeation coefficient which can be adjusted under variable humidity conditions. Adjustment of... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20070175506 - Thermoelectric module, method of forming a thermoelectric element, and method of thermoelectric module: A method of forming thermoelectric elements includes introducing a molten thermoelectric-material in a plurality of holes of a mold, and solidifying the molten thermoelectric-material in the plurality of holes, thereby forming a plurality of thermoelectric elements in the plurality of holes without wafer-slicing process or chip-dicing process.... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20070175507 - High efficiency photovoltaic cells: Novel structures of photovoltaic cells (also called as solar cells) are provided. The cells are based on nanoparticles or nanometer-scaled wires, tubes, and/or rods, which are made of electronic materials covering semiconductors, insulators, and may be metallic in structure. These photovoltaic cells have large power generation capability per unit physical... Agent: Dr. Achyut K. Dutta Banpil Photonics, Inc.

20070175509 - Solar battery module: A solar battery cell having a hexagonal shape is divided into four at a straight line connecting between opposed apexes and a straight line connecting between middle points of opposed sides. Two of the divided cells are arranged without being turned upside down such that oblique sides thereof oppose each... Agent: Westerman, Hattori, Daniels & Adrian, LLP

20070175508 - Solar cell of high efficiency and process for preparation of the same: Disclosed herein is a high-efficiency solar cell. More specifically, provided is a solar cell comprising a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate, a second conductivity type semiconductor layer formed on the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate and having a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate, a p-n junction at... Agent: Cantor Colburn, LLP

20070175510 - Photoelectric conversion apparatus and gelling agent: A photoelectric conversion apparatus is provided. The photoelectric conversion apparatus includes an electrolyte layer interposed between a semiconductor layer and a counter electrode. The electrolyte layer includes an electrolyte solution retained in a fibrous inorganic matrix in a gel state.... Agent: Wolf Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.