Drop an iPhone? Apple's patent filing comes to the rescue

A newly revealed application Suggests ways to safeguard a dropped iPhone by controlling wherever it lands or perhaps slowing its descent.

Their iPhone owners who drop phones avoid serious harm might an Apple patent filing if ever leads to real technology.

Published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark workplace, an Apple application dubbed "Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device" describe some of strategies to assist a dropped iPhone or different device higher survive its fall.

In one methodology, on-board sensors would observe how so much and how quick the phone is falling and Reorient its position. As Such, the phone would really be revolved mid-flight to land on a a lot of sturdy spot, like its edge or back, instead of on a additional fragile location, like its computer screen.

To Achieve this deed, the phone would be equipped with a "protective mechanism" which may use a canister of gas to change its orientation.

In another methodology, the descent of a falling iPhone might be Slowed really, nearly sort of a parachute slows the descent of a parachuter. to drag off this trick, the protecting mechanism would trigger an surface that will reduce the rate of the device and cushion the blow eleven it Reaches the bottom.

"In this instance, the air foil could facilitate to scale back the force of impact as the device hits the surface, as the momentum of the device could also be Reduced (as the rate of the fall could also be reduced)," the application Explained.

The patent filing mentions the iPhone by name however additionally extends the idea to smartphones generally, tablets , laptops, transportable music players, and digital cameras.

Apple Applied for the patent on Sept sixteen, 2011.

It's laborious to check a falling iPhone growth carrying compressed gas or gas foils to confirm a softer landing. definitely Apple would face Challenges stuffing all that technology into Such alittle device.

However the idea is intriguing, particularly for All Those Whose slippery fingers iPhone owners have resulted during a cracked screen.

More on: http://news.cnet.com/apple/