For anyone that has dropped their phone over a hard surface, that familiar feeling of time slowing down just before impact might be a thing of the past if Apple has its way.
As initially revealed by Apple Insider, Apple’s latest patent application outlines a new system that implements a real-deal motorized screen protector for a smartphone or other device, which feature retractable elements that sense when a device is falling, and then move out and above the display to protect it. Apple’s patent application is called “Active screen protection for electronic devices,” and it was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Wednesday, October 21, 2015.
As mentioned above, the system works by having tabs that can extend outward and, in some cases, actually over the display with curved pieces that create a buffer zone between the ground and the phone’s display. The idea is that these tabs would take the brunt of the impact and keep the phone’s screen from actually connecting with the hard surface. In some instances these tabs would actually curve over the screen, too, and Apple says they could be made from polymers, rigid plastics, thin metals, or other components to create the best possible shock absorbers.
While retracted, the tabs would be flushed with the display, but one can imagine that they’d still be visible in some capacity even when not deployed. The phone’s new protection system would use the sensors already installed on the device, like the gyroscope and accelerometer, to sense when the device is falling towards the ground. Apple also outlines that cameras can be used to sense when the device is careening towards something, by utilizing specialized motion capturing software.
The tabs would retreat on their own, either by confirming that the sensation of falling is no longer happening, or by a timer that runs out after the initial contact is made.
“Apple’s active screen protector patent application was first filed for in April 2014 and credits Tyson B. Manullang, Stephen B. Lynch and Emery A. Sanford as its inventors.”
This is certainly one of Apple’s more interesting ideas, especially for a company that’s so focused on aesthetics. Do you like the idea?
[via Apple Insider; USPTO]
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