Apple patent application shows ‘earplugs’ to be worn on clothing – Sound and Vision – News

A patent application has appeared from Apple showing an audio and recording device. Users can wear it on their clothes, after which the device sends the target sound to the ears.

By sending sound in a radial configuration from different speakers, the device protects users’ privacy, because others can hardly hear the sound, says apple† The device will also have several microphones that, by calculating where the sound is coming from, only listen to the user and not other sounds.

The goal is that this solution eliminates the need for users to wear earplugs or headphones to hear audio. “Many headphones are uncomfortable to wear and can limit a user’s ability to hear sounds from the environment. Communication with others can also be more difficult,” Apple said.

The app, released on Thursday and introduced last year, names designer Daniel Budhaji as the primary inventor. He worked for Apple on technology applications, among other things, in apparel companies.

The graphic accompanying the patent application shows that the device can be worn over clothing, like the Communicator from Star Trek. It is not known if Apple really wanted to make the product. Companies like Apple file a lot of patent applications, not all of which lead to a real product.