Apple patents system to reorient dropped iPhones in midair
Someday soon, iPhones with shattered screens might be distant memories. Apple was recently granted a patent for what it calls a “protective mechanism for an electronic device,” a system that recognizes when an iPhone has been dropped and shifts the device’s center of gravity to avoid landing on fragile components. As iPhones become slimmer and humans remain clumsy, accidental drops are a common and frustrating occurrence. Now, Apple seems to be taking a proactive approach to device protection that could usher in a generation of smartphones that always land right-side up.
Beyond protective cases and covers, today’s iPhones are safeguarded by their aluminosilicate glass displays. Gorilla Glass, manufactured by Corning in the United States, has become the de facto standard for ultra-hard glass on smartphones from a variety of manufacturers. The display glass uses ion exchange chemistry to create compression at its surface and better resist cracking. But as many iPhone owners all know too well, this glass might be shatter-resistant, but it isn’t yet shatter-proof.
Apple’s patent outlines a system that leverages all of the iPhone’s sophisticated sensors to identify when the device is in free fall. Using data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and more, the proposed mechanism determines the iPhone’s rate of descent and orientation relative to the ground. Once its trajectory is identified and the time to impact is calculated, this system activates a protective mechanism that repositions the iPhone to avoid landing on cameras or glass displays, minimizing damage and protecting sensitive components.
The system described in the patent uses a motor with an off-center mass that can exert a force on the falling iPhone’s rotational axis, thereby correcting its spin and helping it land on a more preferable surface. (But, in theory, the current iPhone’s vibration motor could provide sufficient force to change the angular momentum of a device in free fall.) Apple’s patent also describes more adventurous drop protection techniques like an ejecting headphone jack and miniaturized gas canisters that would effectively thrust the iPhone in the preferred direction. However, these approaches are less feasible and unlikely to make an appearance in any iPhone soon.
The technologies outlined in Apple’s patent are reminiscent of additions to its notebook lineups, which feature sudden motion detection capabilities that halt the rotation of spinning hard disks in the event of a drop. Like the mechanism detailed in its recent patent, Apple’s sudden motion sensor technology uses accelerometers and shock detectors to disengage the hard drive’s magnetic heads from the fragile platters that contain data. Introduced in 2005 in PowerBooks, this sensitivity prevents data loss in the event of physical damage, but also allowed developers to create playful motion-sensitive games and apps for OS X.
Apple currently offers an AppleCare+ warranty package, which provides a more affordable replacement option for damaged iPhones at the company’s retail locations. Carriers, too, offer warranty packages that encompass accidental damage, but frequently replace shattered products with refurbished models. It seems Apple is looking to correct the cause of the shattered iPhone problem at its roots, and its approach might help customers feel more comfortable skipping unwieldy cases and costly warranty packages. While this patent’s more exotic details suggest futuristic devices that pivot and barrel roll toward the ground, Apple’s efforts to prevent accidental damage could aid in a victory for iPhones in the fight against gravity.