According to a patent granted to Apple, iPhones, iPads and other equipment such as Macs or Apple Watchs could have a smoke detection hardware to alert users to a situation potentially dangerous.
Apple's patent No. 9.123.221 called «Wireless device networks with smoke detection capabilities» or in Spanish «Wireless networks of devices with smoke detection capabilities«Issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It shows a solution described by Apple where it offers a series of advantages over the configurations of fixed location Today, the advantages that the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and other devices would have if they were portable, and not be fixed somewhere.
As part of a networked system, an iOS device would be equipped with a set of sensors similar to smoke detectors based on light or ionizers commonly found in hardware stores, but shrunk to fit inside a device. Some parts of the patent call in the more traditional sensors, such as the camera of an iPhone.
In practice, smoke would have to be introduced by a 'surveillance' device to be detected, so a set of installed sensors should be placed near a speaker port or another small hole. Apple includes devices that cover Wi-Fi routers, MacBooks, Desktops and even Apple TV.
When the system detects smoke that is in the control software, it is activated to notify the owner of the device activate the fire suppression system or perform other tasks. What's more the authorities can also be alerted to the emergency situation through the messages sent by the communication capabilities of a device. This information can also be transmitted with a address of a house, construction design type, device location and more.
There are no clear plans from Apple to incorporate this smoke detection technology into a device. Next generation iOS, although the company is becoming a more aggressive player in the space of domótica.