Smartphones May Soon Be Smart Enough to Save Themselves From Destruction

Smartphones could soon become smart enough to save themselves from destruction.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday awarded Apple with a patent for a "protective mechanism for an electronic device."  According to the patent, this new protective mechanism may be activated to help protect select components or portions of the electronic device from being damaged due to a fall or drop.

The mechanism will consist of a sensor which will communicate with the electronic device's processor and be able to detect when the product is in free fall. The configuration will then alter the device's "center of mass" in order to minimize the damage caused by the impact.

Others have described the effect as an iPhone falling like a cat – always landing on its feet, so to speak. While the trait is innate in cats, it's not clear when it will be "innate," if you will, in iPhones. That's because while the Patent and Trademark Office has approved the patent, there's no guarantee that Apple will actually carry through with its production.

Apple filed for a patent to produce an "unbreakable" sapphire screen in July but when the highly anticipated iPhone 6 was released, the media was quick to note its absence.

The patent included several images showing where the sensors might be located and how they might work. Here's a look at a few of them:

Image source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Image source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Image source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

(H/T: Huffington Post)

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