Wireless devices with touch sensors and solar cells
A wireless input-output device may gather touch input from a user. The touch input may be wirelessly transmitted to external wireless equipment such as a computer. The wireless device has a touch sensor and a solar cell that converts ambient light into electrical power. Wireless communications circuitry transmits the touch input to the external equipment using the electrical power from the solar cell. Energy storage devices such as a capacitor and a battery can be charged using the electrical power. The wireless device may have a transparent cover layer. The touch sensor may be a transparent touch sensor that is located between the cover layer and the solar cell or the solar cell may be a transparent solar cell that is located between the transparent cover layer and the touch sensor.
1. A wireless electronic device that supplies user touch input to external wireless electronic equipment, comprising:
a touch sensor that receives the user touch input from an external object;
a solar cell that converts ambient light into electrical power;
wireless communications circuitry that uses the electrical power from the solar cell to transmit the user touch input to the external wireless electronic equipment, wherein the touch sensor has a rectangular shape and wherein the solar cell is located within a rectangular ring-shaped border that surrounds the touch sensor;
a transparent cover layer that overlaps the touch sensor and the rectangular ring-shaped border; and
a layer of visible-light-blocking material that is coated on an underside of the transparent cover layer and that overlaps the touch sensor, wherein the solar cell wraps around the layer of visible-light-blocking material within the rectangular ring-shaped border.
2. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the external wireless electronic equipment comprises a computer, wherein the wireless electronic device comprises a wireless track pad, and wherein the touch sensor comprises an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes.
3. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the layer of visible-light-blocking material is unpatterned.
4. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the layer of visible-light-blocking material is a uniform film.
5. The wireless electronic device of claim 1 further comprising a layer of adhesive between the touch sensor and the layer of visible-light-blocking material.
6. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the touch sensor comprises transparent capacitive touch sensor electrodes.
7. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the solar cell comprises a transparent solar cell.
8. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the touch sensor comprises a transparent touch sensor.
9. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the touch sensor comprises a transparent touch sensor and wherein the solar cell comprises a transparent solar cell.