This would really mess with those YouTube drop testers. Try as they might to drop it on it's screen, the darn thing just never does.
The coolest thing would be if mini retro-rockets came out and it repulsively landed
No, two weird.
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
Interesting concept that I recall being discussed a year or two back. The issue with modifying angular momentum during a fall remains the need to know the exact height of the phone above the impact surface. That is the single, critical unknown. Without an ultrasonic method - mentioned as a more advanced enhancement - or something equivalent, it's hard to see how this can work.
There's already a proximity sensor, and 2 cameras, they could be used.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mobius
I think they should fit all future iPhones with Airbags that deploy just before impact.
Possibly a parachute or two just for extra protection.
not the Iairbag runout again.
What is interesting is this is a mostly software change. Vibrator might be modified, already got accelometer/gyroscope. What more is needed.
What more is needed? How about Siri letting out a little scream on her way down (and incorporating an enhanced doppler effect) too ???
Not really. This patent is the result of bought and paid for R&D. It's an actual thing vital to company survival. A patent is not a promise to deliver anything...at all.
an example of Apple engineering prowness....it's hard to believe other companies would have come up with...not Google, MSFT, Samsung, Dell, HP, Lenovo etc. This is something Wall Street will never understand...
The issue with modifying angular momentum during a fall remains the need to know the exact height of the phone above the impact surface. That is the single, critical unknown. Without an ultrasonic method - mentioned as a more advanced enhancement - or something equivalent, it's hard to see how this can work.
They only need to know that it's falling, which they can tell form the accelerometer and gyro. Short falls won't be damaging so after a certain drop, they check if the device is facing down and then just keep twisting it mid-air so that it lands on the back.
It's only really the screen that needs protected. The iPhone 4 had glass protruding on both sides surrounded by black plastic and the iPhone 5 switched to a metal back and pulled the screen inside the metal border:
With the 6, the display protrudes again but in a different way:
The small pins (liquid metal?) can shoot out the corners:
They'd have to make sure that the pins were easily replaced if they got damaged and prevented retraction. Ideally by the user. Perhaps just screwed out and screw new ones in and push them back in until they click. They'd be held in place very securely so no accidental popouts. Sports activities might trigger it accidentally.
Comments
This would really mess with those YouTube drop testers. Try as they might to drop it on it's screen, the darn thing just never does.
The coolest thing would be if mini retro-rockets came out and it repulsively landed
No, two weird.
Interesting concept that I recall being discussed a year or two back. The issue with modifying angular momentum during a fall remains the need to know the exact height of the phone above the impact surface. That is the single, critical unknown. Without an ultrasonic method - mentioned as a more advanced enhancement - or something equivalent, it's hard to see how this can work.
There's already a proximity sensor, and 2 cameras, they could be used.
I think they should fit all future iPhones with Airbags that deploy just before impact.
Possibly a parachute or two just for extra protection.
not the Iairbag runout again.
What is interesting is this is a mostly software change. Vibrator might be modified, already got accelometer/gyroscope. What more is needed.
What more is needed? How about Siri letting out a little scream on her way down (and incorporating an enhanced doppler effect) too ???
Again? I thought I was being original. /sigh
A patent for clumsiness. I guess Apple wants us all to become clumsy.
Another useless comment. Is insurance there to make us bad drivers? Are warranties there to cover poor manufacturing? Nobody ever has an accident?
Warranties are almost always a waste of money; the same with insurance.
Thanks for proving my point.
it didn't prove your point because you didn't have one... but your idiotic post earned you a permanent place on my ignore list.
That's a shame.
I once complimented you many months ago as being one of the wittiest posters on AI. Ah, well.
Not really. This patent is the result of bought and paid for R&D. It's an actual thing vital to company survival. A patent is not a promise to deliver anything...at all.
Why go to all the trouble of inventing elaborate features like this? Isn't it easier to just blame the user for dropping the phone in the first place?
They only need to know that it's falling, which they can tell form the accelerometer and gyro. Short falls won't be damaging so after a certain drop, they check if the device is facing down and then just keep twisting it mid-air so that it lands on the back.
It could just be flexible corner pins, not a bag. It seems Jeff Bezos applied for this kind of thing too:
http://www.techhive.com/article/237997/amazon_ceo_invents_airbags_for_your_cell_phone.html
http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220110194230%22.PGNR.
It's only really the screen that needs protected. The iPhone 4 had glass protruding on both sides surrounded by black plastic and the iPhone 5 switched to a metal back and pulled the screen inside the metal border:
With the 6, the display protrudes again but in a different way:
The small pins (liquid metal?) can shoot out the corners:
They'd have to make sure that the pins were easily replaced if they got damaged and prevented retraction. Ideally by the user. Perhaps just screwed out and screw new ones in and push them back in until they click. They'd be held in place very securely so no accidental popouts. Sports activities might trigger it accidentally.