In another effort to make its devices safer for its users, Apple is trying to upgrade the AirPods with some security features that can save users from mishaps if they are using the gadget in places such as a heavy traffic area or a construction site. Apple has recently filed a patent before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a system that will make automatic audio level adjustments on crucial audio cues from the surroundings according to a Slash Gear report.
AirPods will have the ability to pause or lower the volume if the user is entering an area where audio cues from the surrounding are crucial such as car honking or an emergency alert, as per the details of the patent. At present, most premium earbuds provide noise-cancellation capabilities, which can be unsafe in some instances.
In order to do so, AirPod’s sensors will use data including the speed at which a person is traveling and the total distances covered in combination with data GPS data collected by the paired phone or Apple Watch. The AirPods-based system will also detect the user’s movement and accordingly adjust the volume level on the left or right earbud to let in ambient audio cues along with a set of inbuilt alerts in iPhones or the Apple Watch.
The patent details also suggest that the playback music might be paused or lowered in situations where “a user’s attention is necessary, such as hazardous locations, at a job site, in an education facility.” The system could also have features to alert users in emergency situations such as floods, accidents, and weather.
The patent promises more intelligence to the devices: AirPods might also let you know when you are not following an exercise instruction properly using sensors in a “smart workout mat”.
However, it is important to know that these are just patents and do not guarantee that the technology will ever make its way to a commercially available device in the near future.
