Apple Could be Working on Earphones With Pressure Sensors For a Better Sound Experience

[RaduTyrsina]

According to a recent patent discovered by AppleInsider, it seems that Apple is working on a better sound technology that could be embedded in a new generation of earbuds. This is going to be possible by embedding pressure sensors into the earbuds which can detect when the earbuds aren’t a perfect fit. Here are some more details:

Apple's patent application for "Pressure sensing earbuds and systems and methods for the use thereof" makes a number of claim modifications to the original grant issued in 2011 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, though both filings describe a system by which an earphone delivers optimized sound on a per-user basis.

Standard in-ear headphones, including Apple's EarPods, do not achieve an airtight seal with a user's ear canal, which in turn affects acoustics. While not technically a degradation of sound quality, and barring outside factors like ambient noise, an earphone's frequency response changes depending on how well it seals with surrounding skin.

To compensate when an earphone doesn't quite fit, Apple proposes a product capable of dynamically altering volume levels over a range of audible frequencies based on ear size. Instead of manually measuring a user's anatomy, the patent estimates dimensions informed by data from pressure sensors embedded in an earphone, earbud or over-the-ear headphone.

The earbuds will be to adjust themselves dynamically to deliver better audio quality, which means users won't have to continuously adjust the earbuds in their ears. The electronics that could be used for the sensors include elastomeric material, piezoelectric, or capacitive units.

Apple's pressure-sensing earphone patent application was first filed for in May 2015 and credits Jonathan Aase as its inventor. What do you think about this, would you love to have such a technology in your earbuds?

Source: AppleInsider