Apple updates their Popular 'Fall Detection' Invention with new Method and System Patent Claims & wins iPhone 12 Design Patent
Patently Apple first covered Apple's 'Fall Detection' invention back in April 2019. The patent was filed for in Q3 2018. Since that time, Apple has updated their invention at least three times (01, 02 and 03), the latter being published in September 2022. Last week the US Patent & Trademark Office published yet another update to their Fall Detection invention.
Apple's patent FIG. 1 below is a diagram of an example system for determining whether a user has fallen and/or may be in need of assistance; FIG. 9 is a diagram of an example decision tree for determining that either a user has fallen and may be in need of assistance, or a user has either not fallen or has fallen but is not in need of assistance; FIG. 12 is a diagram of an example state machine for determining whether to transmit a distress call using a mobile device.
New Patent Claims
As with any patent update, referred to as a 'Continuation Patent' the inventor is allowed to update their invention and list features and/or fine points to better secure the invention in case of a lawsuit to defend the invention or to file a patent infringement case against a copy-cat competitor. Below are just a few of the key updates that Apple has filed for regarding this invention.
Claim #1: A Method comprising: receiving, by a mobile device, motion data obtained by one or more sensors worn by a user; determining, by the mobile device, and based on the motion data, that the user experienced an impact; determining, by the mobile device, and based on the motion data, that the user performed a first wrist motion prior to the impact; and determining, by the mobile device, that the user has fallen based on the determination that the that the user experienced the impact and the determination that the user performed the first wrist motion prior to the impact.
Adding to the method of claim 1, wherein the first wrist motion comprises a bracing motion by the wrist; wherein determining that the user performed the bracing motion comprises determining that the user moved the wrist outward from a body of the user; wherein the first wrist motion comprises to a flailing motion by the wrist; wherein determining that the user performed the flailing motion comprises determining an orientation of the wrist over time; wherein determining that the user performed the flailing motion comprises determining a variation of the orientation of the wrist over time; wherein determining that the user performed the flailing motion comprises determining a variation of the orientation of the wrist over time; wherein the first wrist motion comprises a balancing motion by the wrist; wherein determining that the user performed the balancing motion comprises determining the user moved the wrist along a positive arc length; wherein at least some of the one or more sensors are disposed on or in the mobile device.
Claim #13: A System Comprising: one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving motion data obtained by one or more sensors worn by a user; determining, based on the motion data, that the user experienced an impact; determining, based on the motion data, that the user performed a first wrist motion prior to the impact; and determining that the user has fallen based on the determination that the that the user experienced the impact and the determination that the user performed the first wrist motion prior to the impact; wherein the first wrist motion comprises a bracing motion by the wrist; wherein the first wrist motion comprises to a flailing motion by the wrist; wherein the first wrist motion comprises a balancing motion by the wrist;
To review remaining new patent claims, and/or to review the entirety of the patent for the first time, check out Apple's continuation patent #20230042265.
Apple Inventors
- Hung A Pham: Health Strategic Research Senior Manager
- Stephen Jackson: Software Engineering Manager (CoreMotion)
- Vinay Majjigi: System Engineering and Algorithm Design
- Adeeti Ullal: Health Algorithms - Motion Technologies
iPhone 12 Design Patent
This morning the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted a design patent for the iPhone 12, with the patent figures and patent number presented below.
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