Tech Up

It's such a good thing that Apple today was granted a patent for “Protective mechanism for an electronic device.” As evident from its name and described by Apple in the patent, the patented technology will allow the company to prevent its devices from expensive damages through accidental drops. 
In the patent, the company explains that it aims to achieve this by using a bunch of sensors to monitor the device activity and position, including the use of some advanced sensors that emit ultrasonic waves. The data from these sensors is processed by the CPU, and when it detects a fall, it calculates the descent rate, the estimated impact angle and other key points. By using this data then, it activates a protective mechanism where it can reposition the device in midair, so that it falls on a side where it incurs the least amount of damage.

The main example uses a motor with eccentric mass able to impart a force on a falling phone’s rotational axis, causing it to land on a preferred site, such as its side or back. More exotic embodiments include internal mechanisms that latch onto or jettison headphone cables in a freefall event, while others involve motors capable of extending and retracting air foils or aerodynamic surfaces for controlled landings. Moving further into the unconventional are miniaturized gas canisters that exert thrust forces to slow down a fall and sliding weights moved along an internal track by linear motors.

While this patent seems less far-fetched than other patents granted to Apple recently, I doubt we are going to see this feature make its way to the iPhones or the iPads anytime within the next year or so.