wraggster
March 21st, 2013, 22:52
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/3-20-2013applepatent_620x340.jpgOne way to protect a delicate device like a smartphone is to wrap it in layers of shock-absorbing rubber and plastic. Now, that can mean a case (http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/15/insert-coin-aqua-tek-s-wants-to-be-your-desert-island-iphone-ca/) or you can simply build the handset (http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/caterpillar-cat-b15-smartphone-offers-a-taste-of-rugged-jelly-bean/) out of those materials in the first place. Obviously, Apple is kind of attached to the premium feel of glass and metal, so the company is proposing another solution. A patent application discovered today suggests using a mechanism to shift the center of gravity or orientation of a device if sensors on board indicate it is falling.
The sensors in question are pretty standard fare: accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc... but some of the countermeasures are quite unique. Shifting weights could be hidden under the hood, but other proposals include a locking headphone jack that would prevent the phone from hitting the ground, airfoils and even a reserve of gas for thrust. Many of the solutions are more than just a little impractical, especially when trying to design the sleekest smartphone possible. The concept could also be used in laptops and tablets, but it would certainly be most useful in shatter-prone (http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/iphone-4-drop-test-yields-results-video/) mobile devices like the iPhone. If you really like digging through patent minutia check out the source link.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/21/apple-patent-application-changes-orientatio/
The sensors in question are pretty standard fare: accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc... but some of the countermeasures are quite unique. Shifting weights could be hidden under the hood, but other proposals include a locking headphone jack that would prevent the phone from hitting the ground, airfoils and even a reserve of gas for thrust. Many of the solutions are more than just a little impractical, especially when trying to design the sleekest smartphone possible. The concept could also be used in laptops and tablets, but it would certainly be most useful in shatter-prone (http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/24/iphone-4-drop-test-yields-results-video/) mobile devices like the iPhone. If you really like digging through patent minutia check out the source link.
http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/21/apple-patent-application-changes-orientatio/