The future Apple earphones could detect how they are worn with a network of microphones

Beats by Dre 10th Anniversary "Decade Collection" Helmet

The patent application released Thursday by the United States Patent and Trademark Office entitled "System and method of automatic detection of the right-left ear of the earphones" is relatively self-evident. descriptive in its title. Using this method, the headsets determine if the user has placed the headset in one of two possible ways, so that the sound of the left channel can still be played through the left headset and the sound of the channel right the right version.

The ear detection that would allow the production headphones to appear to have no indication on the left or right side, whether by physical design or labeling. Generally, most headphones and earphones give an indication of the side to which the earpiece is intended, for example by the letter L or the letter R, although the inclusion of ear hooks or the physical character of the accessory may force users to use the correct orientation.

In the patent application of Apple, the system uses a collection of five microphones placed at strategic positions around each atrium, including one at the front and back, one below, one above and shifted to the left of the headset seen from the outside. and one inside the earpiece pointing to the user's ear.

By listening to the voice of the user and controlling the volume of the voice with each microphone, the headset can determine the edge closest to the user's mouth and, therefore, the orientation helmet. The compensation of the upper microphones also makes it possible to use only these two microphones, with the logic that the microphone of the two with the loudest volume is closer to the mouth.

Location of the microphone in each headset to determine the orientation in the Apple patent application

The system also suggests the use of three or more microphones in a single headset to perform the task, rather than relying on microphones on both sides because sufficient information would be extracted from volume levels on each side of an ear to determine the orientation.

In any case, when the orientation is set, the corresponding audio signal is transmitted to the appropriate headsets.

The plurality of microphones could also help eliminate noise when the headset is used for voice calls or commands. Additional data points from multiple microphones could be used for beam shaping to more accurately capture the voice, as well as for noise reduction.

This is not the only method proposed by Apple to solve the problem of badly applied helmets. Another patent application revealed in October suggested the use of capacitive proximity sensor electrodes in the atrium, which could detect the presence of the ear and its shape to determine if it was the left ear or the right ear, for similar purposes.

This proposal could also be used in a pillow, for example, to determine the behavior of the user while sleeping.

Apple has also invested a lot of time and effort in other helmet-related elements, including a patent on "helmet space transparency," which could adjust the audio source to give the impression that the user hears the sound of his environment and not the helmet. A dual-mode headset that can be used as a loudspeaker has also been suggested, as well as headphones with sensors that can be used for monitoring health status.

According to rumors, the iPhone maker would offer high-end headphones on the ear under its own name rather than under the Beats brand. Rumors are lamenting a delivery of the headphone cover before the end of 2018, but the chances of that happening are, at this stage, pretty slim.