Screens that not only display images but also generate their own power are on the horizon.
One of the new display technologies will be suitable for cellphones, making their batteries last far longer than they do now. The other could lead to self-powered electronic billboards.
The development of the novel screens is revealed in two recent patent documents. Motorola of Schaumberg, Illinois, has been granted a patent (US 7206044) on a liquid crystal display that incorporates a solar panel. The self-powered billboard appears in a patent application filed by Nokia of Espoo, Finland (US 2007/0080925). In this device the picture…
