Abstract
A system for thermal management in portable electronic devices, such as a smartphone, tablet, or wearable device, can employ an electrochromic coating on the device's housing. The coating may be segmented into independently addressable zones. A control system can analyze data from sensors, for example, optical and orientation sensors, to identify which surfaces are exposed to solar radiation and which are shaded. The system may then apply electrical signals to increase the reflectivity of sun-exposed zones to reduce solar absorption, while concurrently increasing the emissivity of shaded zones to enhance the dissipation of internal heat. This type of adaptive thermal regulation may help maintain device operating temperatures and support performance in environments with direct sun exposure.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Sun, Antony and Lim, David, "Dynamic Control of Surface Optical Properties for Device Solar Thermal Management", Technical Disclosure Commons, (November 17, 2025)
https://www.tdcommons.org/dpubs_series/8877