Method and apparatus for detecting free fall

An acceleration sensor, comprising:

• an electrically conductive casing having a top portion and a bottom portion extended from the top portion;
• an electrically conductive beam disposed within the electrically conductive casing and insulated from the electrically conductive casing;
• and
• an electrically conductive member which is capable of free movement within the electrically conductive casing, the electrically conductive member contacting the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is not detected, wherein the electrically conductive member does not contact at least one of the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is detected
• wherein an interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing is angled to form an oblique surface, forming a ringed gap encircling the electrically conductive beam, wherein the ringed gap has a width sufficient that the electrically conductive member contacts both the interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam simultaneously when the acceleration detector is at rest due to a gravity of the electrically conductive member, and wherein the electrically conductive beam is not in direct contact with the electrically conductive casing.

A method for detecting a change of an acceleration of a portable device, the method comprising:

• providing an electrically conductive casing having an electrically conductive beam disposed therein, the electrically conductive beam being insulated from the electrically conductive casing, wherein the electrically conductive casing includes a top potion and a bottom portion extended from the top portion;
• and
• in response to a detection of the change of the acceleration of the portable device, causing an electrically conductive member which is capable of free movement within the electrically conductive casing to be electrically insulated from at least one of the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam, wherein the electrically conductive member is contact with the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is not detected,
• wherein an interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing is angled to form an oblique surface, forming a ringed gap encircling the electrically conductive beam, wherein the ringed gap has a width sufficient that the electrically conductive member contacts both the interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam simultaneously when the acceleration detector is at rest due to a gravity of the electrically conductive member, and wherein the electrically conductive beam is not in direct contact with the electrically conductive casing.

A data processing system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a data storage disk coupled to the processor including a read/write head to access data stored therein;
• and
• an acceleration detector coupled to the data storage disk to detect a change in an acceleration of the data processing system and to cause the processor to configure the read/write head into a predetermined state in response to the detection, wherein the acceleration detector includes
• an electrically conductive casing having a top portion and a bottom portion extended from the top portion,
• an electrically conductive beam disposed within the conductive casing and insulated from the conductive casing, and
• an electrically conductive member which is capable of free movement within the conductive casing, the conductive member contacting the conductive casing and the conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is not detected, wherein the conductive member does not contact at least one of the conductive casing and the conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is detected,
• wherein an interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing is angled to form an oblique surface, forming a ringed gap encircling the electrically conductive beam, wherein the ringed gap has a width sufficient that the electrically conductive member contacts both the interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam simultaneously when the acceleration detector is at rest due to a gravity of the electrically conductive member, and wherein the electrically conductive beam is not in direct contact with the electrically conductive casing.

An apparatus for detecting a change of an acceleration of a portable device, the method comprising:

• means for forming an electrically conductive casing having an electrically conductive beam disposed therein, the electrically conductive beam being insulated from the electrically conductive casing, wherein the electrically conductive casing includes a top portion and a bottom portion extended from the top portion;
• and
• means for causing, in response to a detection of the change of the acceleration of the portable device, an electrically conductive member which is capable of free movement within the electrically conductive casing to be electrically insulated from at least one of the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam, wherein the electrically conductive member is in contact with the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is not detected,
• wherein an interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing is angled to form an oblique surface, forming a ringed gap encircling the electrically conductive beam, wherein the ringed gap has a width sufficient that the electrically conductive member contacts both the interior wall of the bottom portion of the electrically conductive casing and the electrically conductive beam simultaneously when the acceleration detector is at rest due to a gravity of the electrically conductive member, and wherein the electrically conductive beam is not in direct contact with the electrically conductive casing.

An acceleration sensor, comprising:

• an electrically conductive cylindrical housing having a conical wall at a base of the cylindrical housing forming an opening, wherein an interior surface of the conical wall is angled to form an oblique surface which forms the opening;
• an electrically conductive beam jutting upwardly through the opening into the conductive housing and insulated from the conductive housing, wherein the oblique surface forms a ringed gap encircling the electrically conductive beam, and wherein the electrically conductive beam is not in direct contact with the electrically conductive cylindrical housing;
• and
• an electrically conductive sphere freely disposed within the conductive housing, the conductive sphere contacting the conical wall and the conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is not detected due to a gravity, and the conductive sphere breaking away from at least one of the conical wall and the conductive beam when the change of the acceleration is detected due to the conductive sphere being in a free fall state.