SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MITIGATING SHOCK FAILURE IN AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20140295910A1
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Rohrer, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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

A roll compensation system for an electronic device, a method of mitigating impact of an electronic device and an impact-resistant mobile device incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a plurality of sensors operable to detect orientation and motion of the electronic device, (2) a controller configured to detect a fall based on the motion and determine a mitigating roll based on the orientation and the motion and (3) a compensator operable to carry out the mitigating roll thereby reducing the probability of a catastrophic impact.

Claims

1. A roll compensation system for an electronic device, comprising:

a plurality of sensors operable to detect orientation and motion of said electronic device;

a controller configured to detect a fall based on said motion and determine a mitigating roll based on said orientation and said motion; and

a compensator operable to carry out said mitigating roll thereby reducing the probability of a catastrophic impact.

2. The roll compensation system recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of sensors is a plurality of cellular phone accelerometers.

3. The roll compensation system recited in claim 1 wherein said compensator includes a battery.

4. The roll compensation system recited in claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to estimate a terminal attitude and determine said mitigating roll to achieve a mitigated terminal orientation.

5. The roll compensation system recited in claim 1 wherein said mitigating roll is calculated to induce a countervailing moment about said compensator with respect to said motion.

6. The roll compensation system recited in claim 1 wherein said motion is roll.

7. The roll compensation system recited in claim 1 wherein said electronic device is a cellular phone.

8. A method of mitigating impact of an electronic device, comprising:

detecting a state of free-fall;

estimating a terminal orientation based on a measured orientation and rotation of said electronic device;

determining a mitigated terminal orientation; and

accelerating a mass to achieve said mitigated terminal orientation.

9. The method recited in claim 8 further comprising employing a plurality of accelerometers to measure orientation and rotation of said electronic device.

10. The method recited in claim 8 wherein said determining includes recognizing a statistically more robust impact surface of said electronic device.

11. The method recited in claim 8 wherein said estimating comprises measuring multi-axis acceleration over a period of time.

12. The method recited in claim 8 wherein said estimating includes employing initial conditions of said electronic device.

13. The method recited in claim 12 further comprising:

measuring an impact of said electronic device on a surface; and

adjusting said initial conditions according to said impact to improve accuracy of said estimating.

14. The method recited in claim 12 further comprising:

measuring actual terminal orientation; and

adjusting said initial conditions according to said actual terminal orientation to improve accuracy of said estimating.

15. An impact-resistant mobile device, comprising:

an outer shell;

a plurality of sensors operable to detect orientation and motion of said outer shell;

a memory configured to store an initial height of said impact-resistant mobile device;

a controller operable to gain access to said memory and configured to;

detect a fall based on a detected motion,

estimate a projected terminal orientation and impact surface of said outer shell based on said initial height, said detected motion and a detected orientation, and

determine a mitigating roll based on said projected terminal orientation and impact surface; and

an electrically actuated compensator controlled by said controller and operable to carry out said mitigating roll thereby reducing the probability of an impact catastrophic to said impact-resistant mobile device.

16. The impact-resistant mobile device recited in claim 15 wherein said plurality of sensors is a plurality of accelerometers.

17. The impact-resistant mobile device recited in claim 15 wherein said mitigating roll is further based on said initial height.

18. The impact-resistant mobile device recited in claim 15 further comprising a feedback module configured to:

determine actual terminal parameters of said fall;

calculate a new initial height; and

gain access to said memory for storing said new initial height.

19. The impact-resistant mobile device recited in claim 15 wherein said electrically actuated compensator is a massive disk operable to generate a moment about a gimbal of said massive disk.

20. The impact-resistant mobile device recited in claim 15 wherein said impact-resistant mobile device is a tablet computer.