Apple HomePod 2 May Feature Super-Adaptive Sound, Patent Hints

Even though the 2017 Apple HomePod is yet to hit the shelves, hints about the features of next year’s model have been revealed by a patent published Thursday. The United States Patent and Trademark Office published a new Apple patent, titled “Loudspeaker with Reduced Audio Coloration caused by Reflections from a Surface,” which hints that the next model could be more focused on music than the present one.

As the title of the patent suggests Apple’s invention is related to reducing the effects caused by reflections of sound on a surface on which the smart speaker is kept. While a previous report suggested that the device would make this adjustment to its surroundings based on feedback from an onboard camera, the patent suggests something entirely different — it would be dependent on a stand for the speaker, which will be useful in creating the audio adjustment needed to adapt to its surroundings.

Generally, a loudspeaker is fitted inside devices like the Apple HomePod and comes with a converter, called the transducers, which converts electric audio signals into sounds. When these transducers are placed close to a surface, the sound bounces off creating a combing effect, which provides sort of a distortion, which comes after the sound is played.

Apple seems to have a solution for this — according to the patent, the company will fit its speaker with an array of transducers which will all work at similar frequencies. As an alternative model, it might also have different transducers targeting different frequencies. These can all be attached to a solid baseplate, which will provide stability to the structure. The transducers would be placed at such an angle, that it will minimize the combing sound. Using this technique, according to the patent, both the sounds will be made to rest before reaching the ears of the user. Basically, it will combine the path of both the reflective and direct sound, so that a user cannot tell the difference between the two.

This will work, whether the user is sitting or standing — the sound will reach the listener optimally, reducing distortions that are produced in regular speakers.

Apple stepped into the smart speaker segment only this year and was late to the field, following in Google's and Amazon’s footsteps. Amazon just launched a new set of its Echo smart speakers, while Google is expected to come out with the next version of the Google Home next month. Apple’s speaker, which was revealed only in June this year, will actually be launching in December when these products would have most probably hit the shelves.

While patented features might not necessarily appear in the products that follow, chances are that Apple endows its next HomePod with the feature, just to catch up with its rivals and maybe entice the consumer with something on top of the artificial intelligence based Siri voice assistant.