Apple is back to creating a buzz in the market as the iPhone 14 lineup launch is getting near. Recently, a lot of speculation relating to the company’s next wireless earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2, which are expected to be launched later this year has been circulating in the tech world. Excitement is rife amongst the brand’s dedicated buyers and, the latest report has fueled the fire even further.
Apple is rumored to be upgrading AirPods with health-related features like heart rate monitoring. Taking into account Apple’s most recent patent (via Slashgear), the company also hopes that AirPods will help users avoid accidents on the road or on noisy construction sites.
Apple cites a Contextual audio system that automatically changes the volume to ensure users can hear essential sounds around them, such as emergency sirens and car horns, in a set of patents submitted with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
The background sound system, in particular, can determine the user’s journey direction and speed using GPS data and other sensor parameters gathered by the user’s mobile phone or Apple Watch, altering the level of the matching left or right headphone. For example, GPS data tells that the user is near a busy crossroads, but because the user is wearing AirPods in both ears, the user may not detect the surrounding traffic when crossing the road. The AirPods will lower the level or possibly interrupt playing in this situation, alerting the user to the traffic. When the data indicates that the user is walking alongside the road, the AirPods will only lower the volume of the headphones on the side of the road. For example, if a road is on the user’s left side, the AirPods will only adjust the volume of the left earphone. AirPods ensure that users can hear emergency announcements around them by decreasing the headphone level.
Simultaneously, when AirPods and other devices detect particular data, the system may play alarm audio saved on the iPhone or Apple Watch to warn people to be alert. According to the patent, the sound of AirPods can be decreased or even paused in situations where users must concentrate, such as dangerous environments, job sites, and educational facilities.
The patent also cites a specific sensor that will work in concert with other sensors within an iPhone or Apple Watch to monitor the user’s torso position and take appropriate action. It is worth noting that the patent does not specifically indicate that it is for AirPods, but rather refers to a wearable audio device.
Apple has also submitted for a patent named “Wireless Ear Bud System With Pose Recognition,” which indicates that Apple is considering developing a body posture detection system for AirPods, which will monitor the user’s head tilt angle and limb extension in real-time.
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