Technology Archives - Page 6 of 6

How Solar Cells Work

Solar cells are the heart of any solar energy system. They are the actual device that converts sunlight into electricity. The production of solar cells has been in constant expansion over the past 30 years, and continues to make up and ever-increasing percentage of the world’s energy supply. Solar cells have been in existence for over 150 years, and throughout that time, there have been billions of dollars spent on refining their process and construction to make them more effective in collecting energy. Solar cells power thousands of different appliances, and are not likely to see a decline in usage anytime soon.

How Is The Electricity Produced?

The process that allows sunlight to be converted into electricity is called the photovoltaic effect, and this field of study is called photovoltaics – “photo” means light, while “voltaic” means electric. The word is fairly explanatory of the function of the systems – they convert photons into electricity.

Light contains a number of photons and electrons, and the purpose of solar cells is to absorb both. The photons and electrons are then separated, and the separation of these particles is what creates electricity. When the sunlight reaches the solar cells, the photons are absorbed into their material (more on this later) and filtered out of the cell. This process does not create any detectable waste; the light is simply extinguished.

This works because of the composition of solar atoms, which allows electrons to be directed into a usable current. Once the electrons are separated from their atoms, they are attracted to the connecting wire, and they begin to flow towards whatever application you are using. This flowing of electrons is electricity, and it is drawn in by the electrical application you are trying to power. The solar cells then convert this energy into electricity we can use (direct current, or DC power). DC power is the type of electricity we all use in our households so once the solar cell has produced this power, the process is completed. Find more info here.

How Do Solar Cells Work?

In order for solar cells to absorb light correctly, they first have to have a layer of material that absorbs light effectively. This is the surface of the solar panels that we see at the surface of any solar power system. The most common of these materials (called semiconductors) is silicon, which is usually what is used for the solar cells in everyday use. Silicon has a number of unique properties which make it ideal for common solar panels. In its pure form it is actually useless as an electric conductor.

It’s the corruption, or doping of pure silicon that allows it to be used as a conductor of electricity. In order to make the silicon ready to conduct electricity, it has to be split into two layers – a “p type” layer and an “n type” layer. The “p type” layer is usually mixed with trace amounts of boron, while the “n type” layer is doped with phosphorous. When the doping happens correctly, these two layers interact – the “n type” field absorbs the sunlight atoms and separates the electrons, which are attracted into the “p type” layer. From the “p type” layer, the electrons flow into some type of wire that holds the electricity.

When solar cells were first invented, they were only able to convert about 1% of the energy they absorbed into electricity. Today, solar cells are able to convert anywhere in between 10% and 20% of that energy. This is somewhat less than in most of the types of energy we use, but not by much. That said, if we can find ways to use solar energy more efficiently, it will make up a much larger percentage of our total supply than it does now.

The History Of Patent Law In America

History of patent law in America is a subject that many people, especially those in the legal profession have always been interested in. Now, to be able to understand this history better, you need to understand the patent law, and especially that of the U.S.

This history of patents is somehow vague or unclear. There are some claims that some elements of the patent law that originated in the medieval period, and that may be true to some instance. Then there are recorded occasions where some medieval rulers, during that time, granted monopolistic powers to investors.

In 1474, Venice passed what some experts termed as the first patent law, which granted all inventors exclusive rights to all their inventions. Then England passed the statute of monopolies in the year 1624. This statue of monopolies defined the following:

(a) All inventions had to be new in order to be granted monopolistic powers.

(b) These powers would only apply to an invention for 14 years, after which the inventor would lose their patent rights.

It is upon these two basis that the United States pegged their patent law as well. The emphasis was to aid inventors get access to new inventions at the time. In the year 1791, a new French patent law was passed and this emphasized that all inventions related to the inventor were their property. But even today, US patent law embraces both school of thoughts as you can see from this https://ipsnews.net/business/2022/01/20/how-to-patent-a-product-inventhelp-patent-service/ article.

Remarkably, even before the US constitution was written, there were records that showed some individuals had earlier been granted some rights to their inventions. During the colonial period, intellectual property in America was owned by the great Britain. And is was also possible for all citizens to seek protection from the government and relevant authorities depending on the state in question. Then, the foundation of the US patent law was firmly established with the writing of the US constitution. In article 1, section 8, the constitution states the following:

That the US congress shall have the rights to promote science and useful arts, by securing a limited time to authors and inventors, the exclusive rights to their respective writings, discoveries and creativity.

Then in 1970, this contributed to the first US drafting on patent laws. This patent act empowered the following people to grant patents:

1. The secretary of state and the secretary of war.

2. The Attorney General

This act granted patents for 14 years. Before this period could elapse, a patent remained active. And if an individual wanted to attain patent rights, they had to submit a description of their invention to ascertain that they were the inventors or that they were the minds behind the idea.

Since the inception of the US patent law in 1790, the act has consistently been revised. One statutory bar of the patent act stated that an invention which had been used openly could not qualify to get a patent right. Then shortly, this was modified to allow for a grace period.

In the year 1793, the first patent act was revised by Secretary of state Thomas Jefferson, to include a complete definition of a patent. It included this: ”Any new and useful art, machinery, or any new or useful improvement of any art, machinery, manufacture or composition of matter”. Now, in the first 3 years, 55 patents were granted to applicants. In July 1836, a total of 10,000 patents had been granted.

In July 4, 1836, the patent office became the state’s property. Because of all the changes, all applications had to be submitted to the patent office. This office was supposed to decide on the novelty and grant patents where it was necessary. But at the same time, the law changed to add 7 more years to the initial 14 year limit period of patents. That also meant that when inventors were applying for patent rights, they were to include a detailed application when submitting their patent application to the patent office.

In the same year (1836), the patent office renumbered all the patents submitted with a suffix ”X”. Before this, patents used to be listed with names and dates, not numbers. After this numbering, the very first U.S patent was named 1X. Now, in December 15 the same year, a fire incident demolished the patent office. Luckily, 2,845 patents were salvaged out of the fire. This resulted in a law that required all applicants of patents to apply in doubles. Then when the patent office begun printing in 1870, this law was dropped because there was no need of submitting documents in doubles.

In the year 1849, this same patent office had to be transferred from the state department to the department of the interior. During this time, the definition of U.S patent was expanded to show that the inventor seeking patent rights should have invented something new, useful and not obvious to people who were in the same profession as the inventor.

Then in 1870, people begun viewing patents in a different perspective. Marked by economic depression, people started viewing patents as a way of promoting monopolies. But this negative perception lead to the inception of the Sherman Antitrust act. It is during this time that many begun to oppose patents, and this can be seen from the way courts invalidated patents at the time.

But as soon as the depression ended, the negative perception about patents also ended. Then the patent act faced opposition once more in the great depression. It returned again when world war II occurred. Obviously it affected the economy, which explains why people could oppose the idea of patent only when the country was experiencing economic depression as explained on https://ventsmagazine.com/2022/01/20/the-importance-and-benefits-of-inventhelp-patent-services/.

Finally, in 1952, the basic structure of today’s patent law was laid out. The applicant had to explain their invention. In addition to that, such an invention also had to be new, useful and not obvious in order to be granted a patent right.

Then in the early 80s and 90s, the atmosphere changed once again. Patent was not only seen to be beneficial to business, but also a way to protect an inventor’s ideas. It became very important as it signified the role of technology, invention as well as discovery in America.

Business Technology

What Can Be Protected By a Patent?

Patents protect new technical solutions and give the patent owner the right to prohibit third parties from commercializing an invention without his consent. In return for protection by the patent, the inventor must disclose the details of his invention. This information is published in the patent specification. Everyone can benefit from it.

The requirements for a patent to be granted:

There is a new technical solution.
It involves an inventive step.
It is commercially applicable.

The patent is geographically and temporally limited (maximum 20 years). Without the consent of the patent owner, the object of the invention may not be commercially manufactured or used and may not be offered for sale. This only applies to commercial, not private use. A patent is also associated with tax and commercial benefits. These industrial property rights are crucial for the company’s future as described on https://www.companionlink.com/blog/2021/12/the-benefits-of-patent-services-from-inventhelp-experts/.

The following are excluded from patent protection:

Discoveries, scientific theories, mathematical methods, programs for data processing, the reproduction of information and aesthetic creations (packaging, typography, design objects) as well as plans, rules and procedures for intellectual activities, for games or for business activities. However, software can be patented in the USA.

There are national patents such as US patents or Chinese patents, regional patents such as the European patent and the international patent, the so-called PCT application via the World Intellectual Property Association (WIPO).

TIP: A patent should be broken down into as many individual points as possible. This reduces the risk that the invention already exists.

The utility model

In individual countries, at national level, the utility model is the second option, alongside a patent, for obtaining protection for a technical invention. In fact, it corresponds to the patent, but it is the faster way. However, since a utility model is not checked for novelty and inventiveness, it harbors a certain risk: every formally correct application is registered – even if it is not new. For more information please visit https://pathofex.com/invention-journey-with-inventhelp-patent-services/.

Business Technology

Do I Need a Patent? Should I Patent My Idea or Invention?

Just because you want and/or apply for a patent doesn’t mean that you will automatically get one. You have to prove to the patent examiner at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. that you deserve a patent.

For better or for worse, the burden falls entirely on you, the inventor, to clearly communicate the facts about your invention, and the facts about the invention must meet the stringent requirements that the PTO uses to vet patent applications. There are patenting agencies, such as InventHelp patent agency, that could help you out.

The very most important first step an inventor must take is to carefully document their invention. Documentation is key in securing future rights to your clever new idea. The “paper trail” you create about your invention is extremely important and it needs to be kept in an organized, recognized format in order to be most useful and give you the best chance of successfully being granted a patent for your invention.

You will be creating an “Inventor’s Logbook” that forms the basis of your claims of novelty and reduces your idea to practice, a legal term which roughly means being able to demonstrate that your invention actually works.

Your logbook will be like your invention diary. You should journal EVERYTHING you think about and do with your idea – features and functions you envision, who you talk to about the invention, what you do to develop it, etc. Your sketches should be kept in your Inventor’s Logbook as well. The idea is to establish “first” or “primary” claim to the intellectual property your invention represents.

By having all your writing, sketches, and even your messy scribbles carefully and methodically dated and annotated, it makes it much easier for you to establish when your idea was first conceived and that it was you who conceived of it.

Having set up and filled up your Inventor’s Logbook, now you need to decide if the long waits, cost and hassle of obtaining a patent is worth it to you.

There is so much confusion about what patents are, how patents work, what type of patent to apply for, how much patents cost, what patents protect and who enforces the intellectual property (IP) rights a patent may convey.

Fortunately, the smart inventor can avail himself or herself of a plethora of information online about the patent process.

Don’t be intimidated in the beginning by how much you don’t know. It can feel overwhelming and often leads inventors to put thing on the back burner. You can guess what happens to most of those inventions…

Take your time to familiarize yourself with the basics. Learning about patents is not a horse race.

Once you’re comfortable with the concepts involved, you will be able to make smart, rational decisions about the process of applying for a patent for your invention, and feel confident about the choices you’re making and InventHelp will be to guide you. The level of apprehension is pretty high for most new inventors, and understandably so.

Home Technology

How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?

This is a common question that many people have when they hear of the benefits of a reverse osmosis system.

While it may sound complex, reverse osmosis is actually a rather simple process that has been used for many years to convert salt water from the oceans into drinkable water. The technology behind home reverse osmosis systems is essentially the same as these larger scale operations. In fact, all residential reverse osmosis systems work the same way, with the only differences being in the quality of the components and design, and the quality of filters.

How Reverse Osmosis Cleans Impurities from Water

Reverse osmosis systems work by pushing regular tap water through a semi-permeable membrane with microscopic holes that are only large enough for water molecules to slip through. Everything else in the tap water (chemicals, impurities, etc…) is filter out and flushed away, leaving you with clean, pure H2O that gets stored in a holding tank until you need it. That’s basically all there is too it. Not too complicated is it? Even though it is a straightforward process, reverse osmosis systems still need to have quality components to stand up to daily household use. To costly problems and less than perfect water, it is important to select a quality reverse osmosis system from a reputable manufacturer.

Differences in Reverse Osmosis Systems

While the basic concept behind all reverse osmosis systems is the same, that does not mean that all systems are created equal. There are some things to consider when purchasing a reverse osmosis system for your home.

Different systems can vary in many ways, such as:

Design and Durability – It is important to have a well built system that will last many years. This means strong leak free joints and high quality components.
Filter or Membrane Quality – The filter or membrane is the most important part of a reverse osmosis system, because it is what catches all the impurities.
Fill Speed – Reverse osmosis systems need time to filter water. Systems with a slower fill speed might not be able to keep up with the demands of a household, unless there is a large storage tank.
Storage Tank Size – Larger Storage tanks will mean less likelihood of the system running out of filtered water during peak usage times.

What Chemicals and Impurities are Filtered out by Reverse Osmosis Systems?

This is another common question we hear about Reverse Osmosis Systems. How about mercury, lead, arsenic, and cyanide for starters? These chemicals are found in trace amounts in tap water, but are completely eliminated in a quality RO System. As stated above, RO Systems have been used for years to filter saltwater, but they are also able to filter out many other minerals found in regular tap water such as sulfate, calcium, potassium, nitrate, iron, zinc, magnesium, nickel and more.

A quality RO system is a great addition to any home that will give your family deliciously pure drinking water for years to come.