Apple patent reveals interesting possibility of a theft-proof iPhone

Based on a study carried out by British Transport Police (BTP), mobile phone theft accounts for around 45% of the thefts on the London Underground, I guess that was one of the reasons BBC had carried out an article: What to do if you've had your mobile phone stolen? Based on a patent revealed by AppleInsider, Apple might be coming out with a theft-proof iPhone in the near future which should reduce some of the worries of owning an expensive mobile phone for all those traveling the London underground.

More details of the Apple patent and images after the jump.

As per Apple in many cases the theft of a device brings certain movement cues that aren't present for accidental behavior, such as rapid sustained movement. Most unintentional bumps and drops are easy to recognize as sudden stops.

By analyzing the movement of the device over a set amount of time, a device could theoretically tell the difference between a burglar and legitimate users. This would let owners leave their systems alone without a cable lock or other physical security measures while still knowing that sensitive information stored inside would be safe.

According to the patent, installing an accelerometer and the right software would easily solve the problem due to which the iPhone with its accelerometer technology becomes the possible candidate. As per the patent, certain positions or vibration conditions could automatically send a signal to the computer hardware at the heart of the device, forcing it to trigger an audio or video alarm. The device could even be locked entirely and would require a password to return to normal.

As can be seen from the image below one element of the patent explains that software could tune the individual settings, selectively turning on the various warnings or softening the conditions if users trigger the alarm too frequently in everyday use.

We all know that its in Apple's DNA to do things differently or should I say do things the right way with the customer in mind, and yet again they could show the mobile phone industry on how to improve mobile phone security. However, there are no clear indications that this patent will be featured on the iPhone and currently just a speculation.

Lets hope we won't need to wait for the next version of the iPhone and that features like this will be available with a firmware upgrade.

P.S: Mobile phone security is of importance to all those who own a mobile phone and not just those who travel by the London underground, it was just used as an example based on specific information available.

[images courtesy Gizmodo]