what to Apple has been working for several years on some folding device — be it an iPhone, an iPad or a Mac — is nothing new. In fact, there are already several rumors and numerous patents that point to the possibility, and a new invention granted to the company is heading in that direction.
More precisely, a new patent indicates that Apple is working on a technology to allow iPhones or iPads with foldable screens we detect falls and fold immediately to minimize damage.
A patent, called “Self-Retracting Display Device And Techniques For Protecting Screen Using Drop Detection” (“Self-Retracting Display Device and Techniques for Protecting the Screen Using Drop Detection”, in direct translation), describes ways that the screen can come loose or bend so that it is protected in these situations.
Mobile devices with foldable and flexible screens can use a sensor to detect vertical acceleration (eg, acceleration relative to the ground) to determine if the mobile device has been dropped. If the sensor detects that the mobile device has been dropped, the foldable device can at least partially retract to protect the fragile screen from hitting the ground.
The mechanics are very similar to another patent registered almost a decade ago by the company, which envisaged the combined use of data from the gyroscope, accelerometer and GPS to identify a fall and prevent more delicate components (such as the screen or the camera) collided directly with the ground.
In the case of the most recent patent, there are two options: retracting or releasing the screen. This proposal would clearly fit on a foldable iPad or iPhone – as there would be two parts connected by a hinge.
The process may include activating a release mechanism for a hinged connection between a first display and a second display of the electronic device when the vertical acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold. […] A collapsible device can retract the screen if predetermined acceleration limits are exceeded. Even bending the screen to less than 180 degrees can offer some protection because the edges of the mobile device can be hit instead of the screen itself.
It all depends, of course, on how fast the device manages to register a fall – and, even, how high it fell. Therefore, *total* protection against drops seems unlikely, but it is already of great value for foldable devices, which have elements of greater fragility.
It is worth noting that both authors of the invention, Hoon Sik Kim and Michael B. Wittenberg, have already worked on other technologies patented by Apple for folding devices, including the use of hinges with gears.
via AppleInsider