Samsung patents wireless TV with no power cord

Samsung may be getting closer to launching a fully wireless television set if a recent patent suggests anything about the manufacturer’s future plans.

The patent, unearthed by Dutch publication Let’s Go Digital, shows a standard TV monitor with separate long, narrow bar that functions as a wireless power transceiver. The bar, which would magnetically attached to the television, contains a wide power coil and potentially has speakers mounted on each end. The TV would also use a separate box including a wireless power transmitter.

While it’s unclear how far the TV and transceiver could be located from the transmitter, Samsung’s description in the patent suggests the components would need to be fairly close together.

Samsung describes the technology in the patent as a solution for obscuring wires hanging down from wall-mounted TVs.

“Generally, wall-mounted TVs are disposed on the upper portion of a wall spaced apart from the floor of the room or a cabinet. In this case, the power line connected to the wall-mounted TV may be exposed, which may degrade the aesthetics of the TV,” Samsung wrote in the patent.

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While the patent doesn’t suggest a timeline for a wireless TV set product launch, Samsung has typical used events like IFA in Berlin and CES in Las Vegas to show off new television and display technology.

At this year’s CES in January, Samsung showed off updates to its MicroLED technology. The company showed displays made up of individual modules of self-emissive Micro LEDs, featuring millions of inorganic red, green and blue microscopic LED chips that emit their own light. At CES in 2018, Samsung demonstrated MicroLED in a monstrous 146-inch display but this year, thanks to technical advancements in the ultra-fine pitch semiconductor packaging process, the company recreated the same 4K technology in a 75-inch display.

Samsung this year at CES also announced a partnership with Apple to launch a version of the iTunes Store on Samsung smart TVs as well as build AirPlay 2.0 compatibility.