Name: Future AirPods could use bone conduction for improved audio | AppleInsider
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Future AirPods could use bone conduction for improved audio | AppleInsider

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.A future iteration of could take advantage of bone conduction technology to provide audio in a variety of situations where normal earphones aren't effective, with a proposed system combining bone conduction with normal air-based sound transmission. Over the years, has been a way for people to listen to music or take phone calls using a headset, without relying on earpieces. Instead of transmitting sound through the air, bone conduction devices instead contact specific points on a user's head, sending sound into the skull and through to the ear, where the vibrations are translated into sound. Such systems have their benefits, for example by enabling the ear canals to be free and allowing users to hear their environment at the same time as audio from the device. It is also useful in some cases where there is damage to the ear that prevents normal headphone or earphone use. It also helps in situations where air-based methods like speakers fail, such as if a user is underwater. There are some drawbacks to bone conduction that limits its utility, with the first being its ability to work at high frequencies. While human hearing typically ranges from 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hz, bone conduction is only really effective at sub-4,000Hz levels, with audio quality deteriorating at higher Hertz ranges. The fact that it needs contact with the head is also an issue, as it can tickle the user at high intensities, making it uncomfortable to wear. In a granted to Apple on Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark Office titled "Multipath audio stimulation using audio compressors," Apple suggests the issues with bone conduction could be mitigated, in part through the support of standard air conduction methods. The plan involves two general areas of attack, covering audible ranges and compression. Audio signals are filtered into three categories, consisting of high-frequency components, mid-frequency components, and low-frequency components. The mid-frequency and low-frequency components are then processed using compressors to reduce the dynamic range, and then put together into a combined component. This combined signal is then sent through the user's skull using bone conduction, due to consisting of low-frequency and mid-frequency signals within its range of utility. The high-frequency component, which wouldn't be effective when sent through bone conduction, is instead sent through the air to the ear as normal. Apple does suggest that the air conduction system is constructed in such a way that it does not block the ear canal from other audio sources, namely it would still allow the user to hear the environment. The result is a system where the user has the benefits of bone conduction over the environmental audio, while still receiving the benefits of the full audio range by receiving high-frequency sounds via another method. In cases where the environmental audio may drown out the high-frequency sound, users would still get the mid- and low-frequency signals via bone conduction. The filing lists its inventor as Tomlinson Holman, and was initially filed on May 25, 2018. This is not the first time Apple has looked at using bone conduction technology. Patent filings from and indicate it was looking into wireless earphones using bone conduction. Despite the years of work, Apple has yet to introduce some form of bone-conducting product, but the existence of its AirPods lineup seems like a suitable candidate for the technology's use.I’ve been using Aftershokz bone conduction headphone for years. &nbsp;I am excited to see how Apple’s Airpods perform, especially playing 3D sounds like the Dolby ATMOS new headphone consumer implementation.said:An example of a headset that incorporates bone conduction with normal earphone usage.I've seen this before...^^Goodness. Samsung will copy and claim Apple copied that.Looks interesting. &nbsp;A question since I’m a complete ignoramus when it comes to acoustics: can these have active noise cancellation without the ears being physically blocked? (Of course one could use these with simple earplugs.)said:Looks interesting. &nbsp;A question since I’m a complete ignoramus when it comes to acoustics: can these have active noise cancellation without the ears being physically blocked? (Of course one could use these with simple earplugs.)I’m thinking no to that. &nbsp;As you suspect, your ears are still getting everything in the environment. &nbsp;I could be wrong.&nbsp;I don’t know about you all, but I found the bone conducting headphone sensation kind of unpleasant.&nbsp;&nbsp;There were bone conducting electric toothbrushes that would play a song while children brushed. &nbsp;Scratch that, I just checked - there still are such things. &nbsp;Here’s one that might make a person want to jam the toothbrush down their throat and choke to death:&nbsp;Please enable JavaScript to comment&nbsp;Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside an updated Apple Watch SE on September 7. Here's how they compare with one another.High demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max led to Apple server crashes in China as consumers placed over two million preorders in 24 hours.In iOS 16 Apple introduced Haptic Feedback to the iPhone keyboard. Here's how to use it.Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside an updated Apple Watch SE on September 7. Here's how they compare with one another.Apple made considerable upgrades to the iPhone 14 Pro while making fewer than usual to the iPhone 14. Here's how the two similar-sized flagship iPhone models differ.Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have arrived. Here's how they stack up versus the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.Apple's iPhone 14 is aimed at about the same market that the iPhone SE targets. Here's how it compares to the third-generation iPhone SE.Apple announced the second generation of AirPods Pro at its "Far Out" event on September 7. Here's how it compares to the first generation.&nbsp;LG's professional-grade UltraFine OLED Pro displays are heavily discounted this week, offering content professionals true 10-bit color and 99% Adobe RGB color gamut coverage in your choice of 27-inch or 32-inch sizes.Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside an updated Apple Watch SE on September 7. Here's how they compare with one another.High demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max led to Apple server crashes in China as consumers placed over two million preorders in 24 hours.In iOS 16 Apple introduced Haptic Feedback to the iPhone keyboard. Here's how to use it.On Tuesday, Amazon released a pair of Kindles with USB-C, a new high-resolution display, and twice the storage of older models.Apple's iOS 16 makes the iPhone more customizable than ever. This is the ultimate guide on how to make the iPhone a more personal device.Apple's 2022 MacBook Air sports the new M2 chip and an all-new chassis. And it's up to $200 off, with upgraded models starting at just $1,279.New regulatory filings show that the Apple Watch Ultra has a battery that is 76% larger than that in the Series 8, and more than double the size of the small Apple Watch SE.Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside an updated Apple Watch SE on September 7. Here's how they compare with one another.High demand for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max led to Apple server crashes in China as consumers placed over two million preorders in 24 hours.In iOS 16 Apple introduced Haptic Feedback to the iPhone keyboard. Here's how to use it.Apple's iOS 16 makes the iPhone more customizable than ever. This is the ultimate guide on how to make the iPhone a more personal device.It's been a rocky road to the iOS 16 launch. Here are the high-profile features that didn't debut in the initial release of Apple's operating system.Apple's annual update to its operating system brings new features and much-needed changes. Here are the stand-out features in iOS 16.Apple's "Far Out" event is on September 7. Beyond the new iPhone 14, here's what to expect from September's Apple event — and beyond.The second-generation Razer Kishi is here for iPhone users with a new design, better buttons, and a companion app. How does it stack up to the Backbone One?Less an overhaul and more refining what's already in place, iOS 16 is all about personalization on top of a retained solid foundation.With the SwitchEasy four-in-one MagPower multi-charger, you can power up all your gear with a single device — including your Apple Watch with an Apple-certified puck.The Benks Grand Pro Headphone Stand for AirPods Max is a welcome upgrade over the original. However, it introduces complexity where there was none before — while also ignoring an obvious problem.Keep tabs on the air quality of your home — including potentially deadly radon levels — with the Airthings View Plus.Apple didn't make a Magic Keyboard for iPad mini 6, and Lululook's Magnetic Keyboard perhaps acts as a testament to why.{{ summary }}{{{ reviewStars.html }}}

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.A future iteration of could take advantage of bone conduction technology to provide audio in a variety of situations where normal earphones aren't effective, with a proposed system combining bone conduction with normal air-based sound transmission. Over the years, has been a way for people to listen to music or take phone calls using a headset, without relying on...

Future AirPods could use bone conduction for improved audio | AppleInsider

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