Apple, maker of the iPad and iPhone, has patented a technology aimed at protecting mobile phones and other similar devices from breaking when dropped.

Patent 8,903,519 covers a protective mechanism for an electronic device that includes sensors to detect the freefall of the device, and a mechanism that can alter its centre of gravity.

According to the patent, a motor within the device can change its orientation during a fall, so that it lands on a less vulnerable surface than its glass screen.

California-based Apple applied for the patent in September 2011 with the assistance of the Treyz Law Group of San Francisco.

Bloomberg