Keeping our devices charged up can be a real pain in the butt. If Sony gets its way, however, keeping all charged up could be a little bit easier. The company has applied for a patent that will allow you to wirelessly charge your phone straight from someone else’s phone.

The feature could be very useful. Sure, an ideal situation would be if you had access to a power outlet whenever you needed it, but the fact is we’ve all experienced being out and about and running out of battery. With Sony’s new tech, you could essentially just “steal” power from a friend who might have a slightly more charged up device than you.

The patent filling itself was discovered by What Future, and the report notes that the tech may not be limited to phones. Instead, Sony could apply it to things like fridges, microwaves, TVs, computers, and really any kind of electronic device. The idea here is that all of you home devices could eventually become sources of wireless energy — so your phone will almost always be charging if you’re at home, without the need for wires.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen patents and patent fillings related to new wireless charging techniques. Even Apple joined the fray by filing a patent for an inductive wireless charging technology. The company is now rumored to be working with Energous, a wireless charging company that has built tech that can charge wirelessly from a distance — so if you’re at home, your device can be charging no matter where you are in the house.

There’s no question that the ultimate goal is for charging to be completely hassle free, and these companies all seem to be working toward that. Sony’s tech could be a piece in that puzzle — or it could just help you keep charged in an emergency, if it ever sees the light of day.

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