Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple's 'Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device' patent uses sensors to work out when the handset is falling.
It follows a recent similar patent filed by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, which showed gas cannisters moving a handset around as it fell.
In Apple's patent, sensors are used
Once this is worked out, the patent shows a number of ways the handset can be 'saved'.
They include grips on the headphone cord, a weight inside the phone to alter its centre of gravity, 'wings' and even a gas cannister.
According to the patent, the system includes: 'an electronic device including a processor, a sensor in communication with the processor and a protective mechanism.
'The protective mechanism is in communication with the processor and is configured to selectively alter a center of mass of the electronic device.
'Additionally, the electronic device also includes an enclosure configured to at least partially enclose the processor and the sensor.
The the invention can also be applied to any electronic device with a processor, from a tablet to a laptop, and the patent shows the system inside a variety of devices.
The new system could mean an end to expensive smashed iPhone screens
The patent shows grips on the headphone jack which can automatically engage when the device is falling, stopping it from hitting the ground.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos seems to have adopted a different approach for his system, for which he was recently awarded a patent.
The mechanism is triggered by a built-in accelerometer, which will detect if the phone is falling too quickly - ie to the floor.
It will then deploy miniature airbags to cushion any impact with the ground or floor, reports geek.com.
The patent application also lists other potential fall-breakers, such as puffing out streams of gas to slow down the fall, or using springs instead of airbags.
It also seeks to patent the idea of using the same kind of collision-preventing measures, but with the trigger of a laser rangefinder as opposed to the accelerometer. That is to say, the phone will know when it’s too close and going too fast to the ground or any other surface.
The system works using a series of air jets to stabilise the phone, while airbags protect it on impact
This patent, which first appeared last year, has just been given the stamp of approval by the patent office.
Amazon VP Greg Heart is also named on the patent, suggesting it may well be an Amazon project.
Geek.com, however, suggests they are just 'patent baiting' and hoping someone else will want to use the idea, netting them licensing fees.
The patent doesn’t really answer the question of what happens after the airbag/springs/streams of gas are deployed.
In a car airbags are rendered useless after they’re deployed once; getting a new one every time you drop your phone would be a time-consuming - not to mention costly - business; the spring idea would be more feasible and reusable.
Amazon chief Jeff Bezos's patent application for various protective mechanisms for phones
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