PROTECTING DEVICES FROM IMPACT DAMAGE

• US 20110194230A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: HART, GREGORY M., BEZOS, JEFFREY P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,305 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

A system and method for protecting devices from impact damage is provided. Prior to impact between a surface and a device, a determination of a risk of damage to the device is made. If the risk of damage to the device exceeds a threshold, a protection system is activated to reduce or substantially eliminate damage to the device.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a portable device that includes an airbag deployable from a side of the portable device, comprising:

detecting that the portable device will impact a surface;

prior to impact with the surface, determining if a risk of damage to the portable device from the impact exceeds a damage threshold;

when the risk of damage to the portable device exceeds the damage threshold;

altering the orientation of the portable device such that the air bag first impacts the surface; and

deploying the airbag prior to impact with the surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a time to impact between the surface and the portable device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the orientation is performed by a portable device reorientation element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein altering the orientation comprises forcing a gas through a modifiable opening in the portable device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the portable device reorientation element is at least one of:

a movable weight, a gyroscope, an actuator and a propulsion element.

6. A system for protecting a portable device, comprising:

a device safety monitoring system configured to detect a risk of damage to the portable device from impacting a surface;

a protection element operable to reduce the risk of damage to the portable device caused by the impact with the surface;

an orientation detector, operable to detect an orientation of the portable device; and

a reorientation element, operable to modify the orientation of the portable device such that the protection element first impacts the surface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the protection element and the reorientation element includes a propulsion element.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the protection element comprises at least one of:

an impact absorbing structure, a reinforced side and a spring.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the device safety monitoring system is removably attached to the portable device.

10. A system for protecting a portable device, comprising:

a device safety monitoring system configured to detect a risk of damage to the portable device caused by impact with a surface; and

a deployable protection element, activated upon detection of the risk of damage by the device safety monitoring system exceeding a damage threshold, wherein the deployable protection element is externally deployed from the portable device prior to impact with the surface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the deployable protection element includes at least one of an airbag, a propulsion element and a spring.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the propulsion element deploys a gas from the portable device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the deployable protection element is deployable from at least one side of the portable device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the device safety monitoring system comprises at least one of:

a velocity detector;

an accelerometer;

a distance detector; and

a contact detector.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a reorientation element operable to modify the orientation of the portable device.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

an orientation detection element in communication with the reorientation element, operable to detect an orientation of the portable device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the reorientation element modifies a rotation of the portable device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the reorientation element modifies the orientation of the portable device so that a side of the portable device that contains the deployable protection element first impacts the surface.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the reorientation element comprises at least one of a propulsion element, an ejectable element, a movable weight, an actuator, a gyroscope and a modifiable opening.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the movable weight is a battery.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the propulsion element expels a gas from the portable device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the reorientation element reorients the portable device prior to a deployment of the deployable protection element.

23. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents include instructions that when executed configure one or more computing devices to perform a method comprising:

prior to impact between a surface and a device having a protection element;

determining that the impact may cause damage to the device; and

modifying an orientation of the device such that the protection element first impacts the surface.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the determining that the impact may cause damage to the device comprises at least one of:

determining a velocity of the device;

determining a distance between the device and the surface;

determining an acceleration of the device;

determining a contact with the device;

determining a time to impact of the device and the surface; and

determining an impact surface type.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the protection element comprises at least one of:

an airbag, a propulsion element and a spring.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the spring is operable to deploy from at least one surface of the device.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the modifying an orientation of the device further comprises:

activating a reorientation element such that the protection element first impacts the surface.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the modifying the orientation of the device reorients the device such that first contact with the surface is at least a portion of the side having the protection element.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the reorientation element includes at least one of:

a propulsion element, a movable weight, an actuator, a gyroscope and a modifiable opening.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the propulsion element expels a gas from the device.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the movable weight comprises a battery.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising deploying the protection element prior to impact with the surface.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the protection element is deployable from a surface of the device.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the device comprises at least one additional protection element.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the protection element is deployable from a first surface of the device and the at least one additional protection element is deployable from a second surface of the device.

36. A portable device protection system, comprising:

a deployable protection element, activated upon detection of a risk of damage to a portable device; and

the deployable protection element configured to deploy prior to an impact with a surface;

wherein the deployable protection element is removably attached to the portable device.

37. The portable device protection system of claim 36, further comprising:

a safety detection element configured to detect a risk of impact damage to the portable device.

38. The portable device protection system of claim 37, wherein the safety detection element is executed by a computing element of the portable device.

39. The portable device protection system of claim 36, wherein the detection of risk of damage is received from the portable device.

40. The portable device protection system of claim 37, wherein the safety detection element is further configured to determine if the portable device is lost or misplaced.

41. The portable device protection system of claim 40, wherein the safety detection element monitors at least one of a movement and a contact to determine if the portable device is lost or misplaced.

42. The portable device protection system of claim 40, wherein if the portable device is lost or misplaced, a location message is transmitted.