Motorola patents autonomous hinge for flip phones: how it works

The noughties are back (at least the technology of that time). Some major brands have already demonstrated and even managed to revive foldable smartphones. But the Motorola brand, owned by Lenovo, has gone even further.

According to iTechua, the brand has received a patent for a folding smartphone with a motorized hinge. Its peculiarity is that it can be folded and unfolded automatically.

The patent granted to Motorola is titled "Autonomous Form Factor Control of a Foldable Mobile Device". The idea is to install sensors on the smartphone that monitor the user's movements and actions and, accordingly, control the position of the gadget's body.

You can find something similar in Apple tablets and computers. There, this feature is called Center Stage. The camera built into the device assesses the position of the person in the frame and adjusts the body so that they are always in the center of the image.

According to the leaked documents, the hinge for Motorola's foldable smartphone was designed using special materials that can change shape. For example, alloys with a memory effect, which NASA has developed for the construction of spacecraft. Apple and Honor have already used the same materials in their patented technologies.

Speaking of Motorola, the hinge material in their smartphone should respond to heat. This should allow the device to automatically adjust its opening. In addition to innovative materials, the hinge will be controlled by miniature motors.

It is not yet known whether Motorola plans to apply the patent in its products. And if so, when will the device enter the market then?

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