Earlier this week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a recent application filed by Apple. The patent, titled "Active protection for acoustic device," concerns adequate protection for the microphone and speaker systems in new generations of the iPhone. As the smartphones have advanced, the individual pieces that make them work have gotten smaller and more sensitive to outside forces and potential damage.

In previous iterations of the iPhone, the internal systems that run the microphone and speakers were protected by mesh grills and pieces of foam, but Apple believes this is no longer acceptable for what they are going to produce going forward. The new version would have a motion sensor component and other internal devices that would be able to activate a shutter or valve that would close off an acoustic part's passage through the phone, essentially sealing it off from any damage.

The sensitive speaker or microphone would then be protected from possible changes in air pressure, air bursts, acoustic shocks and other kinds of external forces that can damage the smartphone. The acoustic passage is an essential part of the iPhone, as it is what directs and amplifies audio waves into and out of the device, allowing us to talk into the phone as well as hear those on the other line or our music. A damaged audio system would be catastrophic for an iPhone user.

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