As modular cordless phone systems fall in price, they are becoming increasingly popular in the common household. However, the convenience of multiple cordless phones comes at a price--members of a household(typically children) tend to use these phones without returning them to their respective 'bases'. While they can be located at the press of a button, often they discharge completely while serving their time laying about the house.

Large, focused microwave dishes have been half-seriously discussed for beaming energy from a satellite solar collecter in orbit to a local ground station. On a smaller scale, smaller dishes connected to household power and attached to a pan/tilt motor assembly, mounted on the ceilings of various rooms, could 'search' for an orphaned phone. Once found, it would direct the beam at it, and a reciever in the phone would be used to charge the battery.

Toasted is the cat who chooses to nap on the phone.
-- Baker^-1, Dec 09 2003

how do you pronounce your name? "inverse baker"? ...

this sounds like a pretty complex/costly solution to a small problem. since phones are so cheap these days (as you point out), you could probably just buy 4 or 5 spare phones for far less than having this system installed in every room of your house. then, next time you cant find the phone, just replace it. i guess that could cause some confusion when you do get around to finding the old phone though...
-- luecke, Dec 09 2003


Inverse baker is correct--the HB software wouldn't let me use an exponent character.

It is a long way around a simple problem, but living in a house with multiple phones and people who like to carry them around, it isn't uncommon to find all three on someone's desk, all discharged or close to it.
-- Baker^-1, Dec 09 2003


Like this²? ... I don't know about usernames, but tis possible in regular text³
-- Letsbuildafort, Dec 09 2003


Trained phone weasels.
-- kropotkin, Dec 09 2003


Make it microwave rechargeable. Throw it into your microwave and "cook" it on high for a few minutes. I know several kids who love to do that. It is a little hard on regular designs, but with an extar shield to absorb the energy and transfer it to the battery it may work.
-- kbecker, Dec 09 2003


If only there was a way to keep phones from wandering off - perhaps something like those wires that they use with pens at the bank.
-- Worldgineer, Dec 09 2003


[World], wait a few years until people forgot about corded phone. Then you can make a killing on cords. "Keep loosing your phone? Rings at awkward times and places? Try the original WORLD phonecord and always know exactly where that buzzer is! As seen on your PDA (if you didn't see it check your SPAM)."
-- kbecker, Dec 10 2003



random, halfbakery