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Disclosing Party: HelioCore / Jonathan Swanson (“Company”)
Receiving Party: The undersigned individual or entity (“Recipient”)
The Company wishes to disclose certain confidential and proprietary information relating to its solar light collection, routing, and distribution technology, business plans, and investment opportunity (the “Purpose”). The Recipient wishes to receive such information solely for the purpose of evaluating a potential investment, business relationship, or academic research collaboration.
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HelioCore is a solar light collection and distribution system that routes concentrated natural sunlight through buildings using Fresnel lens collectors, reflective-lined conduits, and servo-controlled mirror junctions. The system delivers full-spectrum sunlight — including ultraviolet wavelengths — to interior rooms, plant growth areas, and shaded solar panels. This paper documents the optical physics, system architecture, loss budgets, and novel magneto-optical beam combining concepts that form the technical foundation of the HelioCore platform.
Sunlight is the most abundant energy source available to any building, yet the vast majority of photons striking a structure are wasted. Interior rooms rely on artificial lighting. Shaded solar panels produce zero output. North-facing roofs, tree-shadowed installations, and buildings blocked by neighboring structures forfeit enormous energy potential every day.
HelioCore solves this by treating sunlight the way electrical conduit treats current: collect it at one point, route it through small tubes, turn it at standardized junctions, and deliver it wherever it’s needed. The system uses no exotic materials — polycarbonate lenses, aluminum-coated mirrors, standard conduit fittings, and ESP32 microcontrollers. An electrician with standard tools can install it in a day.
A photon is a quantum of electromagnetic radiation. When a photon strikes a high-quality mirror surface (silver or dielectric coating), it is reflected with minimal energy loss.
| Mirror Type | Reflectivity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced silver | 95-98% | Broadband, excellent UV-visible-IR |
| Dielectric multilayer | 99%+ | Narrow band, highest performance |
| Enhanced aluminum | 90-95% | Good UV performance, cost-effective |
| Standard aluminum | 85-90% | Baseline, uncoated |
Key principle: A photon reflected from a silver mirror retains ~95-98% of its energy. The photon’s wavelength, frequency, and quantum properties are preserved. Reflection is not absorption — the photon continues with nearly identical characteristics.
When a Fresnel lens focuses a broad area of sunlight into a small beam, no photons are destroyed. The same number of photons that entered the lens exit the focal point — they are simply redirected into a smaller cross-sectional area.
| Lens Material | Transmission | UV Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Optical glass | 92-95% | Blocks UV-B |
| Standard polycarbonate | 85-90% | Blocks most UV |
| UV-transmitting polycarbonate | 90-92% | Passes UV-A, partial UV-B |
| UV-grade acrylic (PMMA) | 92% | Good UV transmission |
“A photon is a photon.” — The laws of physics are not subjective. A reflected photon carries the same energy as the incident photon (minus the small absorption fraction). A concentrated beam contains the same total energy as the unconcentrated collection area. These are measurable, provable, and undeniable facts. The physics is on our side.
The system’s performance can be proven with a $20 kill-a-watt meter. Watts don’t lie.
Every direction change uses a precision mirror inside a junction box (electrical box sized):
| Junctions | Cumulative | End-to-End | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (straight) | 100% | ~90% | Direct line, lens to output |
| 1 turn | 95% | ~86% | Simple roof-to-room delivery |
| 2 turns | 90% | ~81% | Single-story home, most layouts |
| 3 turns | 86% | ~77% | Multi-room routing, 2-story |
| 4 turns | 81% | ~73% | Opposite side of building (MAX) |
| 5+ turns | <77% | <70% | NOT RECOMMENDED |
At 73% end-to-end throughput (4 turns), the system delivers nearly three-quarters of collected solar energy to any destination in the building.
If a layout requires 5+ turns: Add a second collector lens. Two 2-junction runs (81% each) deliver more total light than one 5-junction run (<70%).
Inline relay lenses (concave mirrors or refractive lenses) re-focus the beam on long straight runs. These maintain beam intensity without changing direction and are not counted toward the 4-junction maximum.
Michael Faraday discovered in 1845 that a magnetic field rotates the polarization plane of light passing through a transparent medium:
θ = V × B × d
The Problem: When two light beams merge at a junction using a simple half-mirror, each beam loses ~50%.
The Solution: Polarizing beam combiners merge two beams with near-zero loss, provided the beams have orthogonal polarizations.
HelioCore magneto-optical junction architecture:
Advantages over simple mirror merging: Near-lossless combining (~98% vs ~50%), electronically controllable, no moving parts, instantaneous switching.
When two coherent light waves combine in phase, intensity follows the square of the amplitude:
The magnitude of enhancement between simple addition (2x) and full constructive interference (4x) is an open experimental question for solar light.
Target institutions: Portland State University, Oregon State University, University of Oregon — physics/optics departments. A graduate student thesis project with novel, publishable results.
Objective: Prove that two light beams combined via a PBS with controlled polarization angles produce higher output intensity than a simple mirror merge.
| Component | Specification | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 2x red laser modules | 650nm, USB-powered, 12mm | Matched coherent light sources |
| 2x 360° laser mounts | 12mm, lockable aim | Stable beam alignment |
| Polarizing film (A4) | Linear polarizer, 20x30cm | Set known polarization angles |
| PBS cube | 650nm, 10x10x10mm | Beam combiner |
| Photodiodes | 3mm clear flat-head | Intensity measurement |
| 10kΩ resistors | 1/2W, ±1% | Voltage divider for ESP32 ADC |
Laser A (650nm) → [Polarizing film at angle α] → \
[PBS Cube] → [Photodiode] → ESP32 ADC
Laser B (650nm) → [Polarizing film at angle β] → /| Tier | Method | Control | Cost | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Manual | Film in focusing ring | Hand-twist, lock | $2/unit | Set once |
| 2 — Servo | Film on micro servo | ESP32 PID | $5/unit | ~20ms |
| 3 — Faraday | TGG + electromagnet | ESP32 DAC | $50+ | ~1μs |
The bias problem: When the company that profits from a technology also produces the experimental data, the results are inherently suspect. Independent replication by disinterested parties is the gold standard of scientific credibility.
The solution: HelioCore’s bench-scale experiment is deliberately designed to be replicable by anyone with ~$110 and a flat table — ideal for two educational settings.
NGSS Alignment: HS-PS4-1 (Wave properties), HS-PS4-3 (Electromagnetic radiation), HS-PS4-5 (Photon model). Directly teaches Malus’s Law, polarization, and quantitative data collection.
Lesson Plan (2 class periods):
Materials per lab station (~$55, assumes school has multimeters):
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| 2x red laser modules (650nm) | $13 each |
| Polarizing film (1 A4 sheet cuts 6+ pieces) | $3/station |
| PBS cube (650nm, 10mm) | $27 |
Safety: Class 2 laser (650nm, <1mW) — safe for classroom use per ANSI Z136.1. Never look directly into beam path. No UV or thermal hazard.
Same experiment, different framing. For non-STEM majors, emphasis on scientific method: hypothesis → controlled experiment → measurement → analysis. Students see that physics isn’t abstract — it’s the foundation of patentable inventions. Deliverable: lab report with data table, cos² curve, combining efficiency calculation, and conclusion.
New claims for non-provisional filing (deadline: February 26, 2027):
HelioCore introduces a two-tier closed-loop photonic control system that manages light energy from source to destination:
Each concentrator includes a Faraday rotator + polarizing filter at the beam entry point. This is a magneto-optical throttle valve for light. Malus’s Law governs transmitted intensity:
I = I₀ × cos²(θ)
By controlling θ via the Faraday rotator, the ESP32 has continuous, instantaneous, electronic control over beam intensity from 100% (θ = 0°) to 0% (θ = 90°).
Merge junctions use Faraday rotators to align incoming beam polarizations for near-lossless combining. Tier 1 pre-conditions each beam’s polarization state before it arrives at a Tier 2 merge junction.
[Sun] → [Fresnel Lens] → [Tier 1: Faraday Throttle] → [Conduit] → [Tier 2: Combiner] → [Output]
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
Light sensor Temp sensor Polarization state Output sensor
←———— ESP32 Tier 1 ———— comms ———— ESP32 Tier 2 ————→ESP32 PID loop controls Faraday rotator to hold conduit temperature at safe limits. The system self-regulates: hot summer days throttle automatically, cool winter days pass full throughput. No manual intervention.
| PID Element | HVAC Equivalent | HelioCore Tier 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Setpoint | Thermostat target temp | Max safe conduit temp (80°C) |
| Process variable | Room thermometer | Conduit thermistor reading |
| Error | Room temp - setpoint | Conduit temp - setpoint |
| Output | Compressor amps | Electromagnet amps (Faraday coil) |
| Effect | More cooling → room cools | More amps → more rotation → less light |
| PID Element | HelioCore Tier 1 |
|---|---|
| Setpoint | Target output intensity (watts) |
| Process variable | Photodiode at output endpoint |
| Error | Target intensity - actual intensity |
| Output | Electromagnet amps (Faraday coil) |
if (conduit_temp >= thermal_setpoint - margin):
MODE = THERMAL_PROTECTION // Safety first
PID input = conduit_temp
PID target = thermal_setpoint
PID output = electromagnet_amps (increase to throttle)
else:
MODE = MAX_OUTPUT // Optimize delivery
PID input = output_photodiode
PID target = max_intensity
PID output = electromagnet_amps (tune for peak)Priority: Thermal protection ALWAYS overrides output optimization.
The first HelioCore prototype will be installed on the inventor’s 8-foot metal awning with 4x 120W solar panels in a shaded location. This is the ideal test case.
With 1-2 mirror junctions (81-86% throughput) and a single 12" Fresnel lens: ~80-130W delivered to panels, ~16-26W additional electrical output, ~96-156 Wh additional per day. Conservative estimate — multiple collectors scale linearly.
A self-contained, window-mount solar light router that concentrates sunlight from a window and delivers it to a houseplant anywhere in the room. Minimal electronics — just a coin-cell-powered OLED display showing live lumen output and a hand-rotatable polarizing ring for manual calibration. No wall outlet, no servos, no wiring. The entire HelioCore system in miniature, for $30.
Circular enclosure, 6-15 inches in diameter, approximately 6 inches deep. Mounts to any window with suction cups. The front face is a transparent cover; inside, an array of small parabolic mirrors — like miniature satellite dishes — each focuses its captured light toward a common focal point at the output tube entrance. The array acts as a compound reflective concentrator: each paraboloid collects light from its portion of the aperture and redirects it into the output, achieving high concentration efficiency (~95% per reflection) without the transmission losses of a refractive lens.
The product: Circular parabolic mirror array in a suction-cup window mount → short reflective-lined tube (12-18") with one adjustable elbow → gooseneck output aimed at the plant. At the output, a hand-rotatable polarizing ring lets the user optimize light throughput, while a small OLED display (0.49-0.96") shows live lumen output in real time. User twists the ring, watches the number climb, stops at peak, locks it. One-time calibration at install.
Calibration system: An ATtiny85 reads a photodiode at the output and converts the reading to lumens, displayed on the OLED. Powered by a single CR2032 coin cell — lasts 1-2 years at low duty cycle (display auto-sleeps after 30 seconds of no change). The OLED gives the user confidence the system is working and shows exactly how much light their plant is receiving. Humans are excellent calibrators — the manual twist-and-watch approach eliminates servo cost while achieving the same optimization result.
| Component | Specification | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Parabolic mirror array | 6-15" circular, injection molded + reflective coating | $3-6 |
| Enclosure shell | ABS or polycarbonate, circular, ~6" deep | $2-3 |
| Transparent front cover | Polycarbonate or acrylic, UV-transmitting | $1-2 |
| Window mount | Suction cups (3-4), adjustable | $2-3 |
| Reflective tube | 12-18", Mylar-lined | $3-5 |
| 45° elbow junction | Mirror at 45° | $1-2 |
| Output head | Spread lens or diffuser | $1-2 |
| Polarizing film ring | Hand-rotatable, twist-lock at output | $0.50-1 |
| OLED display | 0.49-0.96" SSD1306, I2C | $1-2 |
| ATtiny85 + photodiode | Lumen sensing + display driver | $1-1.50 |
| CR2032 coin cell + holder | Powers display electronics | $0.50 |
| Total BOM | ~$16-28 |
Retail: $29.99 | Margin: ~$2-14/unit | Target: 50,000 units/year = $1M+ gross
| Tier | Product | Price | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | HelioCore Mini | $29.99 | Houseplant owner |
| Mid | HelioCore Home | $200-500 | Homeowner |
| Pro | HelioCore Commercial | $2K-10K+ | Nursery / greenhouse / building |
The Mini is the first demo — a proof of concept anyone can buy and see working in their own home. First product, first revenue, first proof point. Mini sales fund the R&D for Home and Commercial systems.
An enhanced version of the Mini that adds solar-powered active polarization optimization — still no wall outlet required.
Form factor: Same circular enclosure as the Mini Basic (6-15" diameter, ~6" deep) with the parabolic mirror array collector, but with embedded electronics powered by a small onboard solar cell. A custom SMD PCB (surface-mount ATtiny85 in SOIC-8 package) fits inside the enclosure alongside the mirror array — adding active optimization without changing the external form factor.
How it works: A small photovoltaic cell on the enclosure face harvests a fraction of the incoming sunlight to power the ATtiny microcontroller and micro servo. The servo rotates a polarizing film in the optical path between the mirror array and the output tube, continuously optimizing polarization angle for maximum light throughput. A downstream photodiode provides feedback — the ATtiny runs a simple peak-finding algorithm to hold the servo at the angle that maximizes output intensity.
Power management: The ATtiny monitors ambient light via the photocell. At dusk (light below threshold), the controller enters sleep mode drawing <1 μA. At dawn, it wakes automatically and resumes optimization. Total active power: ~50-100 mW — easily supplied by a 1-2W mini solar cell even on a cloudy day.
| Component | Specification | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| All Mini Basic components | (see above) | $16-28 |
| Mini solar cell | 1-2W, ~2"x3" polycrystalline | $1-2 |
| ATtiny85 (SOIC-8) | Surface-mount, 8 MHz, sleep mode | $0.50-1 |
| Micro servo | SG90 or equivalent, 9g | $2-3 |
| Polarizing film disc | Pre-cut, servo-mounted | $0.50-1 |
| Photodiode (feedback) | 3mm, downstream sensor | $0.25 |
| Custom SMD PCB + passives | Fritzing design → fab house production | $1-2 |
| Total BOM | ~$22-37 |
Retail: $49.99 | Margin: ~$13-28/unit | Target: 20,000 units/year alongside Basic
| Tier | Product | Price | Customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | HelioCore Mini Basic | $29.99 | Houseplant owner |
| Entry+ | HelioCore Mini Smart | $49.99 | Enthusiast / gift buyer |
| Mid | HelioCore Home | $200-500 | Homeowner |
| Pro | HelioCore Commercial | $2K-10K+ | Nursery / greenhouse / building |
Concentrated sunlight in small tubes generates heat. Each tube diameter has a maximum lumen capacity before thermal degradation of the reflective lining or mirror coatings.
| Aspect | StabilityCore | HelioCore |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | IMU (accelerometer) | Light sensor (photodiode) |
| Actuator | Servo/winch (cable tension) | Servo (mirror angle) |
| Control | PID loop (minimize tilt) | PID loop (maximize light) |
| Feedback | Seismograph trace | Power meter output |
| Controller | ESP32 | ESP32 |
| Nature’s force | Earthquake kinetic energy | Solar photon energy |
| Philosophy | Harness, don’t fight it | Harness, don’t waste it |
| Constant | Value | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Solar irradiance (AM1.5) | 1000 W/m² | Collector input power |
| Speed of light | 2.998 × 10⁸ m/s | Photon energy (E = hf) |
| Planck’s constant | 6.626 × 10⁻³⁴ J·s | Photon energy calculation |
| Silver reflectivity | 95-98% | Mirror junction loss budget |
| Polycarbonate transmission | 90-92% | Fresnel lens loss |
“A constant is constant.” The physics doesn’t negotiate. Build on constants, prove with measurements. Everything else is just engineering.
Provisional application: #63/991,168 (Filed February 26, 2026, 44 claims, 12 figures)
Non-provisional deadline: February 26, 2027
Status: The following claims are NEW innovations developed after the provisional filing and must be added to the non-provisional application.
| Category | Claims | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Magneto-optical beam combining | 1-4 | 5.2 |
| Three-tier polarization control | 5-6 | 5.5 |
| Two-tier photonic control system | 7-10 | 6 |
| Output fixture innovations | 11-14 | 3.6 |
| Constructive interference | 15 | 5.3 |
| Consumer product (Mini Basic) | 16 | 8.4 |
| Self-powered smart consumer product (Mini Smart) | 17 | 8.4.1 |
Original provisional: 44 claims | New claims: 17 | Total for non-provisional: 61 claims
Document maintained by Jonathan Swanson. Updated continuously as research and prototyping progress.
© 2026 HelioCore. All rights reserved. Patent pending.