Once there was science fiction to get thrilled by. Now, life is no less amazing than science fiction, as can be gauged from the raft of revolutionary tech objects that are constantly being announced and actually rolled out.

Over the past decade, smartphone technology has been improving across multiple fronts, including screen technology, processing power, wireless connectivity and more. However, one aspect that has progressed at a slower rate is battery technology.

So, instead, manufacturers have been working on improving charging technology, to speed up the charging process. Such is the case with Xiaomi.

After announcing its ability to charge a mobile device’s battery at 200W, the company has reportedly now filed a patent for a novel ‘Sound Charge’ technology.

According to a report by GizChina, Xiaomi has applied for a patent with state agency China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) that suggests that the company has been working on charging technology to use sound to charge a device.

‘Sound Charging’, the technology that is being worked on reportedly involves two important components, according to the patent. It includes a “sound collection device, a plurality of energy conversion devices, and a power conversion device”.

The report suggests that the device being worked on will convert environmental vibration to mechanical vibration, which will then be converted into alternating current.

This isn’t the first form of contactless wireless charging that Xiaomi has recently been working on. In January, we reported that the company had unveiled its ‘Air Charge’ technology that could finally leave wires and cables behind, along with charging stands.

The company’s system, which is still not on the market, includes a five-phase interference antenna setup that detects a smartphone’s position in a room and then uses 144 antennas to transmit millimetre-wide waves to a target device using a focusing technology called beamforming to charge it.

The report suggests that there is no evidence of Xiaomi using the new rumoured ‘Sound Charge’ technology any time in the near future, but it is likely that the company could show off the technology in action sometime in the coming months. It appears that the company is still a few years away from making a device that is actually commercially viable.

In the meanwhile, the company is working on rolling out its 200W charging device, which will be a considerable jump over its existing 120W charging tech found on its smartphones, according to the report.

 - TNS