Apple’s Upcoming High-End Headphones Could Launch With Touch Gesture Controls

A new patent reveals Apple's plans to release a wireless headphone that can detect how it is worn on the head and accurately read touch gestures used on it regardless of orientation.

According to a patent recently published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple is working on technologies that will allow a high-end pair of headphones to detect its orientation, or simply put, how it is worn at any moment. This technology is seen to improve the way wireless headphones are used.

Previously, wireless headphones such as those included in the Beats lineup feature physical buttons that can be actuated to turn the device on, control playback, adjust volume levels, and turn the device off when it is not in use.

Apple Insider noted that while it is feasible for tech companies to equip their wireless headphones with touch surfaces for input and playback control, such features will not make it easy for people to use the devices.

This is because first, users won't see the touch surface and won't be able to tap on the correct designated area all the time, or be able to use the correct gesture for certain functions. Second, the device itself might fail to interpret gestures correctly, leading to mistakes in usage.

Furthermore, such wireless headphones will require users to input the correct gesture specifically at the designated spot. Wearing these headphones the other way around (unintentionally swapping left and right, for example) will mean having to learn to input gestures the other way around. Those who wear their headphones a bit forward or backward will also mean risking inputting the wrong gestures.

Apple thought of this and developed a technology meant to provide headphones with the ability to detect ears and accurately interpret gestures based on the ear data. Here's how it will do this:

• First, the headphone will use sensors to determine the presence of an ear in the earcups. These sensors will either work to detect the ear upon contact, or will monitor if an ear is present inside the earcup.
• Second, the sensors will determine the headphone's orientation relative to the ear by detecting the shape of the ear itself. Once the orientation is detected, the headphone will then adjust how it will interpret touch gestures.

Considering that this is still a patent, the timing to market is unknown at the moment. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, however, indicated that Apple might release a “high-end Bluetooth headphone” in 2020. The device in the patent might be what Kuo expects to see this year.