With all of the upgrades in technology for laptops and other devices over the past decade or so, little has changed when it comes to the batteries that power them. Batteries have slightly decreased in size and increased in capacity, but there have been very few revolutionary improvements. Apple may be looking to change all that if a recent patent filing is any indication.

According to a recent patent filed by Apple, they are exploring ways of increasing energy density in rechargeable lithium battery cells. This would be achieved by using a new charging technique, which they call “multi-step-constant-current constant-voltage (CC-CV).”

This technique could allow the cathode and anode in the battery to be smaller than in current batteries, but still have the same energy density. This would mean that Apple could create smaller batteries that provide the same battery life, or batteries of the same size as current models that can provide more battery life.

A few potential downsides to the technique do exist, however. The first is that using the technique in certain temperatures could potentially decrease battery life. The second is that charging at certain voltages when the battery is almost full could cause a reduction in the battery’s cycle life. Apple has a possible solution to these problems, however, by reducing the charge currents at certain temperatures or when the battery is almost full.

It is difficult to know how far along Apple is with these new technologies, as a patent can be filed for a theoretical concept just as easily as a working prototype. In any case, it is good to know that at least one company is working on improvements that could dramatically affect the batteries that power our devices, and potentially lead to changing the way we think about devices and their battery life.