Apple's Future AirPods Could Adjust Audio To Help Wearers Hear Potential Hazards

Apple is looking to make its wireless earbuds, the AirPods and AirPods Pro, more useful to wearers in varying situations, a new patent reveals.

Apple's AirPods and AirPods Pro offer great sound and convenience, especially for iPhone and iPad users. These audio accessories make listening to music enjoyable and with less hassle compared to when using wired EarPods. But like the EarPods, these also come with some risks.

To help users become more aware of what's happening in their surroundings, Apple equipped the AirPods Pro with Transparency mode, a feature that lets users hear the noise around them when they listen to music or are in the middle of a phone call. This feature helps users hear announcements and other important things like vehicles as they cross streets.

That feature, however, is limited to the AirPods Pro. The regular AirPods do not have it, which means wearers might not be able to hear outside noise especially if the volume level is a bit high.

To deal with this problem, Apple has patented a new technology that will automatically adjust audio or video playback depending on the earbuds' positional data. This means the AirPods will be adjusting volume levels based on if and how they are worn, where the wearer is located at the moment and what the wearer is doing.

How it works

The patent describes several embodiments of how the so-called “contextual audio system” will work. Basically, the AirPods will work with a wearable sensing device, such as an Apple Watch, to determine where the user is and what he is doing. The Apple Watch will send signals telling the AirPods what to do: to lower volume for one or both earbuds or shut it off completely.

The patent said the technology will allow the Apple Watch to monitor whether the user is on the road or just the side. It will then watch for cues indicating whether the user is riding a bike, running on the road or simply riding a mode of transportation such as a train.

The Apple Watch will then send signals to the AirPods depending on what it observes. It can either lower the volume for the earbud at the side of the road, lower volumes for both earbuds or silence both earbuds.

If it notices that the user doesn't need to be “alert” (i.e., riding public transport), it will not adjust the AirPods' volume.

The patented technology is seen to help AirPods users become more aware of what's happening around them during the times they need it the most. Despite being patented, however, there's no guarantee that such a technology will make it to production.