- New Apple AirPods patent describes immersive audio environment simulation on future earbuds
- The feature may simulate the space around a user to tune audio signature
- A patent for the same has been granted to the iPhone maker in the US
Apple has received a new patent in the US, detailing a new technology that can further enhance the company’s already existing Spatial Audio feature. In what is detailed to be a ‘measurement of virtual listening environment’, the technology may use custom chips inside the Apple AirPods Pro earphones, and combine it with software augmentation and the audio signal processor to create listening experiences that are tuned specifically to the environment around a user.
What the new feature may mean for future Apple AirPods lineups
According to the patent awarded to Apple by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the feature will seek to dynamically adjust the audio parameters, or the equalizer for a simplified explanation. With this, Apple will seek to create listening experiences that closely replicate the acoustic parameters of various environments, such as an open field, a concert hall, a living room, a classroom, or in public transit modes.
The eventual goal of such a feature would be to create listening experiences that are more immersive in nature, according to the details of the patent that was posted online by tech publication, IT Home. Alongside making the audio output three-dimensional, Apple hopes that this would also improve the overall fidelity of the audio performance from its earphones.
As with every patent, there is no guarantee of when such a technology would make it to the consumer market. However, this sounds like a feature that the Apple AirPods lineup will definitely get on a future date — and one that will seamlessly fit the product path that Apple is on.
To be sure, scaling environments to deliver a simulated acoustic experience is hardly new — it was one of the earliest instances of digital innovation in the consumer audio space, spanning decades. However, most early-stage experiences offered a preset audio environment simulation, while Apple will look to augment this with dynamic, on-the-go adjustment of audio performance.
