Protecting devices from impact damage

{
  "publication_number": "US9706028B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Protecting devices from impact damage",
  "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 portable device protection system, comprising: a deployable protection element activated upon detection of a risk of damage to a portable device and configured to deploy prior to an impact with a surface, the deployable protection element located on a first protected side of the portable device; and a reorientation element, operable to determine prior to the impact that the portable device is likely to first impact with a second unprotected side of the portable device, and modify an orientation of the portable device by rotation such that upon impact the deployable protection element first impacts the surface.",
    "2. The portable device protection system of claim 1, wherein the deployable protection element is removably attached to the portable device.",
    "3. The portable device protection system of claim 1, wherein the detection of the risk of damage is received from the portable device.",
    "4. The portable device protection system of claim 1, further comprising: a safety detection element configured to detect the risk of damage to the portable device from an impact.",
    "5. The portable device protection system of claim 4, wherein the safety detection element is executed by a computing element of the portable device.",
    "6. The portable device protection system of claim 4, wherein the safety detection element is further configured to determine if the portable device is lost or misplaced.",
    "7. The portable device protection system of claim 6, 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.",
    "8. The portable device protection system of claim 6, wherein if the portable device is lost or misplaced, a location message is transmitted.",
    "9. A portable device protection system, comprising: a protection element operable to reduce a risk of damage to a portable device caused by an impact with a surface, the protection element located on a first protected side of the portable device; an orientation detector operable to detect an orientation of the portable device; and a reorientation element, operable to determine prior to the impact that the portable device is likely to first impact with a second unprotected side of the portable device, and modify the orientation of the portable device by rotation such that upon impact the protection element first impacts the surface.",
    "10. The portable device protection system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the protection element and the reorientation element includes a propulsion element.",
    "11. The portable device protection system of claim 9, wherein the protection element comprises at least one of: an impact absorbing structure, a reinforced side, or a spring.",
    "12. The portable device protection system of claim 11, wherein the portable device protection system is removably attached to the portable device.",
    "13. The portable device protection system of claim 9, further comprising: a device safety monitoring system configured to detect the risk of damage to the portable device caused by impact with the surface.",
    "14. The portable device protection system of claim 13, wherein the protection element is deployable and activated upon detection of the risk of damage by the device safety monitoring system exceeding a damage threshold, wherein the protection element is externally deployed from the portable device prior to impact with the surface.",
    "15. A portable device protection system, comprising: a processor; and memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the portable device protection system to: detect at least one condition indicative of an impact with a surface; determine that a risk of damage to an unprotected portion of a portable device from the impact exceeds a damage threshold; alter an orientation of the portable device by rotation such that upon impact a deployable protection element first impacts the surface; and deploy the deployable protection element prior to impact with the surface.",
    "16. The portable device protection system of claim 15, wherein altering the orientation is performed by a portable device reorientation element.",
    "17. The portable device protection system of claim 16, further comprising at least one of: a propulsion element, an ejectable element, a movable weight, an actuator, a gyroscope, or a modifiable opening.",
    "18. The portable device protection system of claim 16, wherein the portable device protection system reorients the portable device prior to deploying the deployable protection element.",
    "19. The portable device protection system of claim 15, wherein the deployable protection element comprises at least one of: an airbag, a propulsion element, an impact absorbing structure, a reinforced side, or a spring.",
    "20. The portable device protection system of claim 15, wherein the portable device protection system is removably attached to the portable device."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "In today's world, portable devices have become ubiquitous and often indispensible to our work and personal life. A main convenience is that they are often small and light devices that are easy to hold in a hand, carry in a holster, purse or pocket or otherwise easily transportable. These characteristics of portable devices make them convenient for a user to take wherever they go. Examples of such portable devices include cellular phones, smart phones, personal data assistants, electronic media players, notebook computers, netbook computers, tablet computers, barcode scanners, cameras, video cameras, pagers, portable video game consoles, video game controllers and the like.\n\nPeople often carry around many types of portable electronic devices. For example, a user may carry a cellular or smart phone, a personal data assistant (PDA) and an audio (e.g. mp3) player. These portable devices are sometimes vitally important to the user as they often contain data that is related to the user's work and personal life. The data may be publically available to all (e.g., mp3, downloaded images) as well as private data that may be difficult or nearly impossible to replace (e.g., photographs, passwords, private telephone numbers).\n\nWhile the size and weight of portable devices make them convenient to carry around, these characteristics often make them more susceptible to damage and loss. For example, one type of portable device is a cellular phone. At least one report claims 1 out of 3 cellular phones are damaged or lost in the first year of ownership.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04M 1/185",
    "H04M 2250/12"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H04M 1/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Amazon Technologies Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Gregory M. Hart",
    "Jeffrey P. Bezos"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2012-09-15",
  "publication_date": "2017-07-11",
  "grant_date": "2017-07-11",
  "priority_date": "2010-02-11",
  "application_number": "US-201213621129-A",
  "family_id": "44353549",
  "cited_by_count": 6,
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}