Recently, a new Apple patent focused on gesture controls on its AirPods headphones was discovered. Instead of current capacitive sensors, the US company wants to transition to ultrasonic sensors.
The document in question was recently submitted to the competent US entity. This means that this new technology will hardly integrate the AirPods Pro 2 that should arrive next September.
Apple includes ultrasonic sensors inside AirPods
The patent filed by Apple with the USPTO refers to an ultrasonic touch technology to be applied in headphones. Such discretion indicates that this approach could integrate both the AirPods Pro line and the more expensive AirPods Max.
Regardless of the product that launches this technology, its objective is to improve the recognition of gestures made by users. To do this, Apple wants to get rid of the current capacitive sensors in favor of ultrasonic sensors.
Apple’s solution involves adopting guided waves in a radial direction for better finger detection. In this way, you will not only eliminate so-called ghost touches, but also improve the accuracy of command recognition.
This new approach will be of great help in all situations where it is difficult to interact with AirPods Pro. Examples of this are when the user is wearing gloves or when the AirPods or fingers are wet.
As Apple states in its patent, an ultrasonic touch-sensing system will be less affected by liquids that carry electrical current when they come into contact with touch-sensitive surfaces.
The fact that Apple has filed this patent does not guarantee that the technology described will be part of a ready-to-consume product. For now, it is just an idea of American technology that may or may not integrate some of its audio products to reach the market in the coming years.