The “Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device” patent application says it aims to prevent some or all of the damage to any electronic device with a processor – such as a tablet or a laptop – but specifically mentions the iPhone . For example, Apple's iPhone is specifically mentioned in the patent language.In order to work, the system needs a sensor or sensor array that can detect when a device is in freefall and how it is positioned relative to the ground. Position and speed of falling could be measured using simple gyroscopes, accelerometers or position sensors, although the patent also mentions more sophisticated equipment such as GPS and imaging sensors. Here, the patent calls for a number of solutions, including the movement of a weighted mass within the device, a means to "grip a plug" to prevent a freefall, lift foils that can be extended out from the surface of a device, and a thrust mechanism such as a can of gas, among other countermeasures.Basically, the sensor send signals to the processor, which determines if a device is in a freefall state.
– Ever cracked your cell phone by dropping it on a hard surface? You may be pleased to know that Apple has submitted a patent for a device that would flip over falling iPhones so they land without breaking the screen, the Telegraph reports. First revealed on Appleinsider, the mechanism would measure a phone's fall with position sensors, accelerometers, or gyroscopes. How to flip it around in mid-air? Apple considers using: "Lift foils" that emerge from the surface of the phone Thrusting gas to turn the phone around A weighted mass inside the phone The patent also looks at ways to stop iPhones from being dragged off tabletops by their cables—perhaps by ejecting the cables when pulled rapidly along a surface. Sadly, the Telegraph notes that none of these plans seem close to fruition.