Protecting an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9342108-B2
Application number	US-201213437903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2012
Priority date	Sep 16, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device including a processor, at least one sensor in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine an orientation of the device and drop event based on input from the at least one sensor. The electronic device further includes a motor in communication with the processor and a mass operably connected to the motor. The processor is configured to drive the motor when a drop event is determined and the mass is configured to rotate with respect to the motor to alter the orientation of the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile personal electronic device comprising:
a processor;
at least one sensor in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine an orientation of the mobile personal electronic device and a drop event based on input from the at least one sensor;
a motor in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to drive the motor when the drop event is determined; and
a mass operably connected to the motor and configured to rotate with respect to the mobile personal electronic device to alter the orientation of the mobile personal electronic device; wherein
an additional mass is configured to engage a rotating section of the motor using a clutch upon detection of the drop event; and
the additional mass is disengaged from the rotating section using the clutch when the drop event is not detected.

2. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a camera, a microphone, and a magnetometer.

3. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback loop wherein the feedback loop provides input to the processor, the processor being configured to:
determine a result of driving the motor; and
upon determining the result selecting an appropriate response.

4. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the feedback loop comprises a Proportional-Integral Derivative controller.

5. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the feedback loop comprises a Proportional-Derivative controller.

6. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the feedback loop comprises a Proportional controller.

7. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the motor is driven again in response to the feedback loop.

8. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the motor is driven in an opposite direction in response to the feedback loop.

9. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the motor is driven at a higher rate in response to the feedback loop.

10. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the mass is located at or near the center of the mobile personal electronic device.

11. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the motor is configured to operate at a first rate during normal operation; and
the motor is configured to operate at a second rate during the drop event, wherein the second rate is higher than the first rate.

12. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional motors configured to operate during the drop event.

13. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a rotational axis of the mass is parallel with a longitudinal axis of the mobile personal electronic device.

14. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a propulsion system configured to provide thrust to alter the orientation of the mobile personal electronic device during the drop event, wherein the propulsion system is operated in addition to or instead of the motor.

15. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the propulsion system comprises at least one of: a cooling fan, a compressed air canister, a turbine and a nozzle.

16. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a propulsion system configured to provide thrust to change acceleration of the mobile personal electronic device prior to impact of the mobile personal electronic device after the drop event, wherein the propulsion system is utilized in addition to or instead of the motor.

17. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the mass rotates with respect to the mobile personal electronic device to alter the orientation of the mobile personal electronic device so that a first zone of the mobile personal electronic device impacts a surface when the mobile personal electronic device is operating in a first mode and that a second zone of the mobile personal electronic device impacts the surface when the mobile personal electronic device is operating in a second mode.

18. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the mobile personal electronic device operates in the first mode when a case is not attached to the mobile personal electronic device and in the second mode when the case is attached to the mobile personal electronic device.

19. The mobile personal electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the additional mass is configured to:
rotate when the drop event is detected; and
not rotate when the drop event is not detected.

20. A method of protecting a mobile personal electronic device during a freefall comprising the steps of:
detecting by a sensor the freefall of the mobile personal electronic device;
determining by the sensor an orientation of the mobile personal electronic device;
determining an orientation of the mobile personal electronic device that would avoid impact at a vulnerable area of the mobile personal electronic device;
operating a motor to alter an angular momentum of the mobile personal electronic device during the freefall to change the orientation of the mobile personal electronic device towards the orientation that would avoid impact at the vulnerable area;
coupling an additional mass to a rotating section of the motor using a clutch upon detection of the freefall; and
decoupling the additional mass from the rotating section using the clutch when the freefall is not detected;
monitoring the effect of the motor's operation; and
providing a feedback loop to adjust the operation of the motor based on the monitoring step.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the feedback loop comprises a Proportional-Integral Derivative controller.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein an integral step of the Proportional-Integral Derivative controller is not performed.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein an integral step and a derivative step of the Proportional-Integral Derivative controller are not performed.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising determining one or more metrics selected from:
an orientation of the mobile personal electronic device relative to the magnetic north pole;
a distance of the mobile personal electronic device from an impact surface;
an orientation of the mobile personal electronic device relative to the impact surface;
an orientation of the mobile personal electronic device relative to an environment; and
a rotational velocity of the mobile personal electronic device.

25. The method of claim 20 comprising:
operating the motor at a first rate during normal operation; and
operating the motor at a second rate during the freefall, wherein the second rate is higher than the first rate.

26. The method of claim 20 , further comprising storing in memory at least one fall characteristic.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising storing in the memory at least one impact characteristic.

28. The method of claim 20 , further comprising expulsing a fluid prior to impact to slow a fall rate of the mobile personal electronic device.

29. The method of claim 20 , further comprising expulsing a fluid to alter the orientation of the mobile personal electronic device.

30.

Assignees

• Rothkopf Fletcher
• Ely Colin M
• Lynch Stephen B
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Rothkopf Fletcher
• Ely Colin M
• Lynch Stephen B

Classifications

• H02K7/063 Primary

  integrally combined with motor parts, e.g. motors with eccentric rotors · CPC title

• H02K11/00

  Structural association of dynamo-electric machines with electric components or with devices for shielding, monitoring or protection (casings, enclosures or supports H02K5/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/1656 Primary

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• H04M1/185

  Improving the shock resistance of the housing, e.g. by increasing the rigidity · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title