Free fall detection system for protecting hard drives in mobile devices
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsJulian Bartholomeyczik, Sergej Scheiermann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a method for detecting free fall, a first acceleration parallel to a first axis, a second acceleration parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a third acceleration parallel to a third axis perpendicular to the first axis and to the second axis are measured. A sum of a first absolute value of the first acceleration, a second absolute value of the second acceleration, and a third absolute value of the third acceleration is calculated, and the free fall is detected as a function of the sum.
Claims12
A method for detecting a free fall of a mobile device, comprising:
- recording a first acceleration of the mobile device provided by a first acceleration sensor, the first acceleration being parallel to a first axis;
- recording a second acceleration of the mobile device provided by a second acceleration sensor, the second acceleration being parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;
- recording a third acceleration of the mobile device provided by a third acceleration sensor, the third acceleration being parallel to a third axis perpendicular to the first axis and to the second axis;
- determining first, second and third absolute values of the first, second and third accelerations, respectively;
- determining a sum of the first, second and third absolute values;
- detecting the free fall of the mobile device solely as a function of the sum;
- and
- generating a warning signal responsive to detecting the free fall.
A device for detecting a free fall of a mobile device, comprising:
- a triple-axis acceleration sensor configured to generate:
- a first acceleration of the mobile device parallel to a first axis,
- a second acceleration of the mobile device parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and
- a third acceleration of the mobile device parallel to a third axis perpendicular to the first axis and to the second axis;
- and
- an evaluation circuit configured to:
- record the generated first, second and third accelerations,
- determine first, second and third absolute values of the first, second and third accelerations, respectively,
- determine a sum of the first, second and third absolute values, and
- detect the free fall of the mobile device solely as a function of the sum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.