It wouldn’t be right to end the week without another cool patent granted to Apple, right? The Attack Detection Mode on iPhones is something that everyone should be excited about, as it’s not just another feature that would make things more convenient for this generation of instant gratification seekers. If it does get implemented, the Attack Detection Mode on iPhones will actually save lives.
The patent is officially titled “Mobile Emergency Attack and Failsafe Detection”, and is described as:
A mobile communication device can be placed into an “attack detection mode.” While the device is in attack detection mode, certain events can cause the device to summon assistance automatically. For example, while the device is in attack detection mode, if the device’s user ceases to interact with the device, then the device can automatically place a telephone call to emergency services (e.g., by calling 911). For another example, while the device is in attack detection mode, if an accelerometer contained within the device detects a sudden shock, then the device similarly can automatically place a telephone call to emergency services. After detecting a probable emergency situation, the mobile device can responsively and continuously emit a loud audible alarm through the device’s speakers at maximum volume regardless of the device’s current silence or volume settings, in an effort to attract help from other people who may be nearby.
This implies a lot of things, depending on how exactly Apple implements its ideas, but the essence is that, in the future, we may have iPhones which combine software and hardware resources to detect a potential emergency situation. When this happens, the phone goes on attack detection mode and can do a variety of things:
- send out an emergency call/message to select recipients
- make use of GPS/location services to send an alert to the nearest recipient
- sound out an audible alarm
We know there are apps and even accessories that do similar things, but if this feature is integrated in future iPhones, that would certainly raise the bar for other phone manufacturers.
