Apple Patent Aims To Prevent Device Destroying Drops

A recently discovered Apple Patent aims to prevent device destruction when an iPhone is dropped without a case.

The patent, titled “Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device,” is capable of determining when a phone is falling and then adjusts its center of mass to create a “controlled landing.”

The two year old mobile protection patent was recently revealed by the US Patent and Trademark Office and spotted by the team at Apple Insider.

While the Apple iPhone is not specifically mentioned, the patent would definitely serve to help protect what is likely Apple’s most dropped device.

The patent calls for a group of sensors that determine when a device is falling and the position of that device relative to the ground. As the phone calls, the device’s software and hardware make internal adjustments that allow the Smartphone to fall in a safer manner.

While the iPhone is still likely to scratch when dropped on hard surfaces, the patent ensures that a non-vital area of the handset is damaged.

According to the patent, the device will change angular velocity, device positioning, or device rotation.

Here is a drawing of the patent pending technology:

In the device drop patent, Apple writes:

“In one example, the protective mechanism is configured to alter the device orientation as the device is falling. This may allow a less vulnerable portion of the device to impact the surface at the end of a freefall. For example, the protective mechanism may be activated to rotate the device so that it may impact a surface on its edge, rather than on a screen portion.”

The patent was filed in September 2011. Now we must eagerly wait for Apple to add the new technology if the company decides to make it available at all.

Do you like the idea of a self correcting feature for falling devices?