| Thread Tools |
11th July 2012, 08:05 | #1 |
[M] Reviewer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Romania
Posts: 148,597
| Apple granted patent for accelerometer-aided theft-detection system Despite the added risk brought on by Apple's Find My iPhone feature, the iOS handset remains a frequent target for smartphone thieves, thanks to the device's resale value and compatibility with networks around the world. There's not much you can do to deter sticky fingers short of keeping your iPhone or MacBook in view at all times, but the issue does appear to have crossed the desks of Apple's design team, which was just granted patent number 8,217,792 for a sophisticated anti-theft scheme. The acceleration-based system would detect a "known theft condition" based on acceleration characteristics, sounding an alarm and disabling the device. The smartphone or laptop would ignore vibrations from passing cars or those caused by items being dropped onto a nearby surface, instead focusing on undisclosed scenarios that likely involve direct movement. The device owner would use a GUI to configure and disable the system, at which point the handset or computer would return to its pre-disturbed mode. Overall, it sounds like a fairly straightforward hardware/software solution, with the added benefit of a technique to filter out regular motion in an attempt to reduce the number of false alarms. You'll find the full patent at the source link below. http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/10/a...system-patent/ |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Wait, Did Apple Just Patent the Ultrabook? | Stefan Mileschin | WebNews | 0 | 9th July 2012 13:27 |
The US patent system is out of kilter | Stefan Mileschin | WebNews | 0 | 9th July 2012 10:45 |
Apple loses 4 patent claims against HTC in the U.K. | Stefan Mileschin | WebNews | 0 | 6th July 2012 06:20 |
Apple Wins Anti-Surveillance Patent | Stefan Mileschin | WebNews | 0 | 20th June 2012 07:27 |
Apple files for a patent on an iPhone with swappable lenses | Stefan Mileschin | WebNews | 0 | 15th June 2012 07:07 |
Google Granted "Landing Strip" Patent | Stefan Mileschin | WebNews | 0 | 19th December 2011 06:50 |
Kaspersky granted patent for hardware-based antivirus | jmke | WebNews | 0 | 18th February 2010 15:10 |
Microsoft, Apple in iPod patent tussle | Sidney | WebNews | 0 | 12th August 2005 22:24 |
Thread Tools | |
| |