The Surface device lineup has often spearheaded Microsoft’s innovation push in the hardware sector, and judging from a patent discovered recently, the software giant has no intention to change this direction in the long term.

The patent, which describes a “mobile device cover with integrated solar panel,” essentially comes down to an add-on that could essentially boost the battery life of a Surface device: solar panels.

Microsoft explains in the documentation that the solar panels could be placed on the integrated kickstand, technically using space that is otherwise wasted.

The company provides the following description in the patent documentation:

“A cover for a mobile device includes solar panels and an integrated keyboard. The solar panels are positioned on a stand of the cover and an angle associated with the solar panels can be changed so as to maximize input from a light source. The cover can be used to supply power and keyboard input to a mobile device while in use. In some applications, the cover can be used indoors so that the solar panels can receive flux generated from any artificial sources of light so as to charge the mobile device directly or to charge a battery positioned on the cover.”
"Pros and cons"

At first glance, this could actually work, although at a quick inspection, the company has two things to deal with.

First of all, it’s the actual cost of a solar panel. Microsoft’s Surface models are already rather expensive, so adding a solar panel would increase the price even more, pushing the device to a point at which customers might no longer find it a worthy investment.

And second of all, it’s the source of light that these panels need to be effective. Used indoors, a solar panel-equipped Surface would bring little to no benefit to the battery life, so the scenarios when such a feature would come in handy might eventually prove to be very limited.

Of course, given it’s still a patent there’s no point to believe that Microsoft wants to mass-produce this for the time being, albeit I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised if such an idea makes it to the Surface in some way or another.

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You should add pictures. At least of a surface model.