Apple Patent Hints at 'Bone Conduction' Headphones

Apple Researching on Bone Conduction Technology

Patent awarded to Apple recently indicates that the company has been researching on the use of bone conduction technology in enhancing voice call quality in its EarPod headphones. The US Patent portrayed a diagram specifying a pair of wired earbuds having an internal accelerometer that tends to distinguish between the voice of the user and ambient noise by just sensing the vibrations in the bone structure of the user.

The technology is said to be in contrast to prevailing bone conduction headphones like the AfterShokz Bluez which seem to transmit sound through cheekbones so one hears the music rattling around in the head. Apple has also been awarded another patent for a `liquid resistant acoustic device’ with a mesh umbrella which could possibly produce a waterproof speaker port for forthcoming devices.

An identical component tends to exist in the Apple Watch. A patent has developed portraying that Apple is considering experimenting with waterproofing features for a forthcoming iPhone build and a second patent could lead to EarPods that tend to have the prospective of noise-cancelling through an integrated accelerometer and a bone conduction procedure.

Patent – Liquid Resistant Acoustic Device

The patent for liquid resistant acoustic device tends to define how a standard headphone jack could comprise of an `umbrella section’ in the prevention of internal damage to a device. Being filed way back in July 2014, the protective measure seems to sound comparable to the O-ring of Apple Watch, in its speaker unit that provides an IPX7 rating for the Watch. Many reports have recommended that the Cupertino Company has been considering water-proofing its 2017 iPhone duplication and the invention defined in the patent could become a part of the construction of the forthcoming iPhone or iPad.

 Though there seems to be many discrepancies on the invention, the solution grips on improving the standard protective mesh layer found in most headphone ports with an `umbrella’ so that probable damage to the internal acoustic device components or to the mesh can be alleviated. Still interesting is another patent that had been filed in March 2013 which tends to define hands-free headphone system centred on an internal accelerometer that has been designed to enhance recorded sound quality.

Accelerometer Retained in Earbud – Utilised in Detecting Vibration of Vocal Chords

The patent which had been spotted by source that  had stated that an accelerometer which has been retained inside an earbud could be utilised in detecting vibration of the vocal chords of the user based on vibration in bones as well as the tissues of the head of the user. This with the aid of an on-wire microphone tends to filter out non-vocal acoustics for the receiver.

A single variant also records the probable use of an inertial sensor as against an accelerometer though most of the listed versions seem to aim on separating `voiced speech as well as unvoiced speech, with the previous being familiar and improved by bone construction.

Irrespective of seeing a `bone conducting’ set of EarPods hitting the market anyone who seem to have been on the receiving end of a inaudible,, distorted hands-free conversation could find some peace in the fact that improvement seems to be at least reflected upon for hand-free quality call.

iPad Pro 9.7 Review

Pro 9.7 –Smart Move by Apple

Apple intends the user to replace the laptop with an iPad, particularly if the laptop seems to be powered by Windows. However, before the changeover, the iPad needs to perform everything that a laptop can do and much more. It is here that the iPad Pro tends to come in. Released at the same time as iPhone SE. one would think that the little brother of iPad Pro could be an afterthought from Apple. However, the Pro 9.7 seems to be everything one would want in a laptop.

It is a smart move of Apple by enfolding the competences of the full size iPad Pro in the dimensions of an iPad Air 2. The outcome is the substantial power of the 12.9inch Pro version though with the added portability of a standard iPad which seems to be very good. WIRED had deserted from a campsite in Dorset to check if there was a possibility of working totally on the iPad Pro 9.7 for a couple of days and then compare the experience to filing copy, dealing with emails as well as web search from a desktop PC. Besides this, the evening entertainment, music as well as video would also have to be provided by the tablet.

Difficult to Differentiate Between Air 2/Pro 9.7

It seems difficult to differentiate between the Air 2 and the Pro 9.7 with its same weight, same dimensions except for the four speaker grilles towards the top and bottom of the casing which has been inherited from the first Pro, which shows the difference.

Moreover, there is also the addition of the keyboard cover with conforming trio of magnets towards the side edge for the purpose of connection and the camera lens tends to stick out a touch on the Pro as well. When it is opened and placed on the table, the Pro’s 2048 x 1536 display with the pixel density of 264ppi deals admirably in the day’s glare. Apple has claimed that fiddling to decrease reflectivity on the table by around 40% cannot be confirmed though in the tests reflections seemed to be much less predominant. This made the sessions of screen-based activity in the open space not only possible but also pleasant.

Edit Three Streams of 4K Videos Simultaneously

The A9X and M9 coprocessor which has been taken from the 12.9 Pro tends to make multitasking on the 9.7, a delight. Moreover the RAM is dropped from 4GB to 2GB though it is not visible and the Pro seemed to handle everything thrown at it, amazingly. For instance, it can edit three streams of 4K video simultaneously.

Till date it is the most powerful iPad with its new A9X chip and does everything an old iPad can do with a much better performance. It is also well-suited with the Apple Pencil as well as the Smart Keyboard and is now made available in a smaller version with a 9.7-inch display. The new model is said to be easier to carry along anywhere though it packs in precisely the same stroke as the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the same stellar speakers. It also tends to accept the incredible 12-megapixel iSight camera from the iPhone 7 together with the dual tone LED flash.

Apple Files Patent for Walkie Talkie Headphones

Apple’s Patent for Device to Call over Local Wireless Network

A patent for a device which tends to permit people to call each other over local wireless network has been filed by Apple wherein the patent describes a set of headphones connected to a mobile device. The headphones are said to transmit voice calls to a person wearing an identical set-up and who could be within the range for the devices to get connected. It does not seem that Apple intends to phase out all non-technological human interactions at the moment, though the patent may provide a way to talk securely and subtly in busy environments for individuals.

The device tends to utilise ad hoc wireless network that enables user to speak using encrypted signals, which could be complex to interrupt. The patent states that the other types of local communications like walkie talkies do not support encryption and could be vulnerable to interference. According to the patent, the wireless headsets, elsewhere would permit users to `communicate over secure wireless communication connection while at the same time retain freedom of movement within a range of each other. Moreover, the device could also be capable of automatically detecting and notify similar headsets within a certain range.

Direct Audio Communication Between Users

The patent details features, from the headset, like ambient noise filtering, Bluetooth calls and the ability to control a variety of apps comprising of email and camera.Apple has mentioned in the patent filing that conditions for direct audio communication between users in close vicinity could be less than ideal. For instance where two users seem to be nearby in a noisy atmosphere, direct audio communication between the two could be difficult taking into consideration the interference from ambient noise, that could hinder one or both the users from being able of distinguishing words that are spoken by the other user.

Such ambient noise would need the users to be in proximity of each other, which could impede freedom of movement of one or both the users during the duration of the direct communication. Unrestricted freedom of movement of one or both the user may be essential, in some instances and a headset which tends to double as walkie-talkie device could handle these issues. Digital communication suite tends to offer improvements such as signal encryption as well as multi-user conference calling. Besides, ambient noise could also be filtered through the application of dedicated software.

Patent First Filed in November 2014

The wireless headphone does not seem to be the only development which Apple has been probably keeping a secret for the moment. The German paper Franfurter Allgemeine, had reported in April, that the firm has been setting up a dedicated `car lab’ in Berlin. The rumoured plan of Apple to launch an electric car, the German car lab, by 2019, is intended to bring `15 to 20’ of the top automotive engineers of the country on site to play with the idea, which is likely to be connected to Project Titan.

As in the case of all patents, there is no surety that the product would develop and Apple refrains from commenting on rumours. It is not clear whether the company intends to implement such technology. The advanced walkie-talkie patent application of Apple had first been filed in November 2014, crediting Esge B. Andersen and Cedrik Bacon as the inventors.

Samsung to Supreme Court: Apple got too Much Money for its Design Patents

Grossly Over-Rewarding Design Patents – Hurt Competition/Innovation

When it comes to legal damages, it is said that design patents are given considerably value and Samsung has argued to the U.S. Supreme Court in its patent dispute with Apple. In a brief opening which had been filed recently with the nation’s highest court, Samsung had presented its cause on why an earlier ruling in favour of Apple should be discarded. It is said in the filing that `at a minimum, a new trial is essential’.

Samsung opposes that Apple should get the profits only from the parts of a smartphone which encroach on the patents of Apple, the front face and a grid of icons on the interface of a user and not the profits from the complete phone. It is mentioned that `grossly over-rewarding design patents’ would hurt competition and innovation and would lead to `absurd’ results in the other lawsuits.

Samsung had made a comment in a statement that `if the current ruling is left to stand, it would value a single design patent over the hundreds of thousands of ground-breaking technology patents, leading to vastly overvalued design patents’.

Damages Collected for Complete Value of Device

Apple had not responded to a request for comment. In March, the Supreme Court had decided to evaluate the long-running dispute between Apple and Samsung and for the first time had looked at a design patent since the 1800s. A pronouncement by the court may have a ripple effect over the technology industry and eventually affect the gadget one tends to buy since it could ultimately define the value of the design work.

Samsung desires that the Supreme Court should provide guidance on what is covered by design patents that tend to protect the way an item is utilised and how it works as well as on what damages it could be collected. Presently damages can be collected by the companies for the complete value of the device and not just the trespassing design features.

In the case of Apple versus Samsung, it had led to an initial damage award amounting to over $1 billion. The original trail of Apple against Samsung in 2012 had mesmerized Silicon Valley as well as the tech industry since it had exposed the inner workings of two extremely secretive companies. It had been just of one the several trials across the world since the rivals fought both in the marketplace as well as in the courtroom.

Samsung to Pay Apple in Damages

Last year, Apple and Samsung had agreed to bury the hatchet in their overseas cases though their US court conflicts seems to continue. Samsung had filed a motion with the Supreme Court requesting it to re-examine the patent breach case after it lost its case in court to Apple.

 As a consequence of the trial, Samsung had to pay off to Apple the $548 million in damages that had been ordered by court. That motion had been granted by the Supreme Court and for the first time it had considered a design patent and is likely to consider the case later in the year.

Samsung had requested that the next weeks’ damages retrial should be kept on hold in order to evade a probable fourth trial and `avoid probably duplicative and wasteful proceedings’.

Apple Pencil 2 new Features and Release Date Rumour

Apple Pencil – Stylus for iPad Pro – Best Tablet Stylus

The Apple Pencil, the stylus for the iPad Pro is perhaps said to be the best tablet stylus presently in the world. The first Apple Pencil had been launched together with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in September 2015 and hence the most apparent time to anticipate an update is in autumn 2016. In the iPad Pro 2 report summary, various theories were considered regarding when Apple would update the 9.7-inch types of the device and these could have suggestions for the stylus accessory.

One is that Apple tends to do an iPad update in September 2016 though it is clearly a minor one, only to bring the Pro 12.9 to the standards of the 9.7 and then the iPad Pro 2 comes out in March 2017 thereafter is updated on a yearly basis. An Apple patent has been found which recommend that the future Apple Pencils could be offering same features. The patent filed in 2011 and had been published on May 3, 2016, defines an intelligent stylus wherein each nib seems to have its own sensor that tends to pair with a separate sensor in the body of the stylus. Two tilt sensors in the tip tends to calculate the precise orientation and the angle of your hand and as one tends to write or draw, the relative position of the sensors is detected by the Multi-Touch display.

Touch Input Information

Hence one can create the effects of shading by just tilting Apple Pencil the way one would do with a charcoal or a conventional pencil. The patent’s detailed description states that `the stylus 110 can include multiple sensors to provide information about its condition, where the sensors can be selectively used alone or in various combinations. The ability to provide information beyond simply touch input information, particularly information about the condition of the stylus which the stylus determines itself, gives this stylus intelligence, absent from a traditional stylus’.

Apple has also mentioned in the patent that the possibility of turning the back end of the Apple Pencil into an erase. The detailed description states that `for the additional contact/proximity sensor at the stylus non-tip end, the MCU can determine the stylus’s condition at the non-tip end as touching or hovering over a surface for instance, to emulate an eraser’. Besides this it also states that the MCU can extract fingerprints from the touch measurement and can identify the user of the stylus. The MCU can transmit the user identification to the touch sensitive device.

Touch Sensitive Device – Authenticate User’s Stylus

The touch sensitive device can then perform some action based on the identification. For instance, the touch sensitive device can authenticate the user of the stylus and can accept stylus input if the user is authenticated and deny stylus input if the user is not. Patently Apple had smartly marked what it tends to believe to be a reference in a 2014 Apple patent filing to a stylus which can control the track-pad on a Mac.

 It is speculatedif the Apple Pencil would achieve the skill of controlling iPhones and other iPads besides the Pro models, the Mac range is a bigger jump than expected. Patent for the Stylus With Inertial Sensor comprise of drawing which tend to show what appears to be a Mac and track-pad system.