Apple is well-known when it comes to their out-of-the-box thinking. A new patent showed up and Apple has come up with something clever. It’s about charging the device while it’s still in the box. With this technique iPods, iPhones and other electronic devices can be viewed in the showroom and automatically charged.

The nice thing about this is that, not only power can be transferred, but data as well. The still packed iPhones could recieve firmware-updates automatically. Demovideos could also be played back remote controlled.

The patent is discovered by AppleInsider. They say the traditional packings for electronic media-devices will contain plastic en cardboard. The outside exists of printed labels, commercials and specifications and other information to position the customer in such a way that they can easily decide weather they buy the product or not. The inside of the normal packings is designed to protect the product during shipment, against damage or during testing. The rest of the packing is fairly limited.

Therefore Apple has asked for a patent for ‘active packings’, where power, data or even both can be delivered to the packing. The power can be given through one direct point, but also by several wireless connections. The same goes for data: it can be send wirelessly or via a direct link.

\\ tags: apple, power device