Drop Countermeasures For Electronic Device

• US 20180167100A1
• Filed: 02/07/2018
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Carl R., Wodrich, Justin R., Gibbs, Kevin D., Smith, Samuel G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,291,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/067 using only wound springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2230/0023 protective
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0066 Calibration arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/486 delivered by photo-electric detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/488 delivered by variable reluctance detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• 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 telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An electronic device comprises a housing, a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the housing, and a processor configured to determine an impact geometry based on the motion. A countermeasure system comprises an actuator coupled to an actuated member. The actuated member is operable by the actuator to modify the impact geometry, so that impact energy is redirected away from an impact sensitive component of the electronic device to an energy absorbing component of the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a sensor mounted in the housing;

a processor in the housing, wherein the processor is configured to determine when the electronic device has been dropped based on data from the sensor;

a component aligned with an unstable inertial axis of the housing; and

an actuator mounted in the housing wherein, in response to the processor determining that the electronic device has been dropped, the actuator is configured to move the component to rotate the housing.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor is a motion sensor and wherein the processor is configured to determine when the electronic device has been dropped based on data from the motion sensor.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the motion sensor is a gyroscope.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising:

a proximity sensor wherein, in response to determining that the electronic device has been dropped, the processor is configured to determine a distance between the electronic device and an external surface based on data from the proximity sensor.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the actuator comprises a linear actuator and wherein, in response to the processor determining the distance between the electronic device and the surface, the linear actuator is configured to move the component linearly to change a rotational velocity of the housing.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the actuator comprises a rotational actuator and wherein, in response to the processor determining the distance between the electronic device and the surface, the rotational actuator is configured to rotate the component to change a rotational velocity of the housing.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein, in response to determining that the electronic device has been dropped, the processor is configured to predict an impact geometry based on the data from the motion sensor and the data from the proximity sensor.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the component comprises an electronic device component selected from the group consisting of:

a camera lens, a speaker element, a vibration motor, and a disk drive.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the actuator is configured to reposition the electronic device component to alter an attitude of the housing.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a motion sensor in the housing;

a mass mounted in the housing and aligned with an unstable inertial axis of the housing; and

an actuator mounted in the housing wherein, in response to a measurement from the motion sensor, the actuator is configured to move the mass relative to the unstable inertial axis to rotate the housing.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising:

a processor in the housing, wherein the processor is configured to determine when the electronic device has been dropped based on data from the motion sensor and wherein the actuator is configured to move the mass in response to the processor determining that the electronic device has been dropped.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the motion sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetic sensor.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 further comprising:

a proximity sensor wherein, in response to determining that the electronic device has been dropped, the processor is configured to determine a distance between the housing and an external surface based on data from the proximity sensor.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the proximity sensor comprises an additional sensor selected from the group consisting of:

a camera, an infrared sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the actuator is configured to move the mass to rotate the housing in response to the measurement from the motion sensor and in response to an additional measurement from the proximity sensor.

17. An electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a motion sensor mounted in the housing;

a processor in the housing, wherein the processor is configured to determine when the electronic device has been dropped based on data from the motion sensor;

a mass coupled to an unstable inertial axis of the housing; and

an actuator coupled to the mass, wherein the actuator is configured to move the mass to adjust a rotation of the housing when the processor determines that the electronic device has been dropped.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the actuator is a linear actuator and wherein, in response to the processor determining that the electronic device has been dropped, the linear actuator is configured to move the mass linearly to adjust an angular momentum of the housing.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the linear actuator is configured to pulse the mass repeatedly to adjust the angular momentum of the housing.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the actuator is a rotational actuator and wherein, in response to the processor determining that the electronic device has been dropped, the rotational actuator is configured to rotate the mass to adjust an angular momentum of the housing.