Apple patent application brings automatic theft alarm to Apple iPhone

A patent application filed by Apple on Thursday reveals that Apple might pack the Apple iPhone with something called an "Acceleration-based theft detection system for portable electronic devices." The system would help the phone itself know when it is getting ripped off by using the accelerometer to determine if the movement of the phone fits the profile for theft. If it is determined by the phone that a robbery is taking place, a loud alarm would go off to scare the robber.

Apple, which was awarded 34 patents last week alone, said that the move toward making smaller devices makes them easier to steal which gave them the impetus to invent the alarm. We do know from the application that signal conditioning hardware or software should filter out false signals. And the user will have some time to enter a code to disarm the alarm before it starts ringing. According to the patent application, the theft alarm will continue working when the Apple iPhone is in sleep mode.

source: USPTO via CNET, AppleInsider