by Tim Hardwick
Apple has designs on a future AirPods case featuring a built-in touchscreen display that would enable users to control audio sources and interact with apps associated with the connected device, according to a newly published patent.
Filed by Apple in September 2021 and published last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, "Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interface Interactions with a Headphones Case" clearly depicts various embodiments for such a design, complete with images of AirPods and a touchscreen on the case's front.
"Audio output device cases are commonly passive devices used to charge audio output devices," reads the patent. "The utility of a headphone case can be enhanced, and user control over a user's wireless headphones can be improved, by configuring a headphone case with an interactive user interface to enable user control of operations associated with the wireless headphones." The patent continues:
There is a need for a headphone case device that can control operations that are traditionally associated with headphones (e.g., playback controls, changing audio sources, changing audio output modes, etc.). There is a further need for a headphone case that can also convey information to a user, through haptics and/or display devices. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement conventional methods for controlling wireless headphones. Such methods and interfaces reduce the number, extent, and/or nature of the inputs from a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface.
In one embodiment, Apple envisions controlling Apple Music via the case through the use of a capacitive touchscreen with a GUI that also provides tactile feedback, allowing the user to control audio playback, adjust volume, favorite songs, and interact with their music in other ways without necessarily looking at the case to do so.
In another embodiment, the case responds to specific gestures such as taps and swipes to navigate onscreen content and invoke Siri. In one scenario, Apple describes how squeezing the case could even be a way to change the listening mode of the AirPods – likely referring to Noise Cancelation and Transparency.
Apple suggests that the case could include additional processors and memory modules that would allow it to carry out specific instructions that are traditionally associated with smartphones, computers, and other connected devices. For instance, some embodiments show the case's touchscreen providing interactive access to iPhone apps including Phone, Mail, Messages, Camera, Calendar, Weather, Maps, and more.
By integrating an interactive touchscreen display in such a way, the patent argues, "deficiencies associated with user control of wireless headphones are reduced or eliminated."
As with any filed patent, the technology it describes is unlikely to appear in a product anytime soon, if at all, but it does offer an interesting look at how Apple is exploring ways to make an AirPods case more of a functional intermediary between the AirPods themselves and the connected audio source.
Since the first AirPods launched in 2016, Apple has worked to enhance the functionality of the AirPods Case for different models. The AirPods Pro case in particular has benefited from the addition of MagSafe wireless charging, a U1 Ultra Wideband chip that supports Precision Tracking with Find My, a lanyard loop, a built-in speaker for locating and status updates, and increased battery life.
(Via Patently Apple.)
Related Roundups: AirPods 3, AirPods Pro
Tag: Patent
Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Don't Buy), AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods
[ 132 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
floral
13 months ago
Slowly, we're bringing the magic of iPod back... all we need is a clickwheel XD
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix
13 months ago
out of ideas
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hybrid_x
13 months ago
Why not just embed file storage and a music player directly into the case? Call it the… iPod?
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SD449
13 months ago
This seems quite cool.
Then the next version can have strap accessories and a clock face animation and we’re back to this:
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crsh1976
13 months ago
You already have an iPhone and Watch, but hey let's add you a third screen.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️
13 months ago
It would be cool if it contains iPhone 14 Dynamic Island.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments
Popular Stories
iPhone 16 Pro Expected Later This Year With These 10 New Features
Monday March 11, 2024 7:51 am PDT by MacRumors Staff
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still around six months away from launching, there are already many rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of March 2024:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch...
Read Full Article
iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily
Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
Read Full Article • 107 comments
2024 iPad Pro: Key Rumors to Be Aware of Ahead of Announcement
Monday March 11, 2024 6:00 pm PDT by Hartley Charlton
Apple's next-generation iPad Pro models are expected to be announced in a matter of weeks, so what can customers expect from the highly anticipated new machines? The 2022 iPad Pro was a minor update that added the M2 chip, Apple Pencil hover, and specification upgrades like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. The iPad Pro as a whole has generally only seen relatively small updates in...
Read Full Article • 142 comments
Apple Preparing iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone
Monday March 11, 2024 6:05 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple appears to be internally testing iOS 17.4.1 for the iPhone, based on evidence of the software update in our website's logs this week. Our logs have revealed the existence of several iOS 17 versions before Apple released them, ranging from iOS 17.0.3 to iOS 17.3.1. iOS 17.4.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear when...
Read Full Article • 63 comments
Apple Said iPhone Driver's Licenses Would Expand to These 8 U.S. States… Two Years Ago
Thursday March 14, 2024 7:33 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In just four U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports, businesses, and venues. Adoption of the feature has been slow since Apple first announced it in September 2021, with IDs in the Wallet app only available in Arizona,...
Read Full Article • 133 comments
Apple Announces Ability to Download iPhone Apps From Websites in EU
Tuesday March 12, 2024 5:00 am PDT by Hartley Charlton
Apple today announced three further changes for developers in the European Union, allowing them to distribute apps directly from webpages, choose how to design in-app promotions, and more. Apple last week enabled alternative app stores in the EU in iOS 17.4, allowing third-party app stores to offer a catalog of other developers' apps as well as the marketplace developer's own apps. As of...
Read Full Article • 493 comments
Video Comparison: M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro
Tuesday March 12, 2024 10:42 am PDT by Juli Clover
With the refresh of the MacBook Air models in March, Apple now has M3 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Air, 14-inch MacBook Pro, and 15-inch MacBook Air, all with the same chip inside. For those trying to decide between the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air, we did a comparison video to highlight what you're getting with each machine. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. ...
Read Full Article • 100 comments
Apple Vision Pro Likely to Launch in These Nine Countries Next
Wednesday March 13, 2024 4:55 pm PDT by Aaron Perris
Apple will soon add 12 new languages to the virtual keyboard on the Vision Pro, based on code discovered by MacRumors. Right now, the Apple Vision Pro keyboard only supports English (US) and Emoji, which makes sense as it is limited to the United States. To bring the Vision Pro to new countries, Apple needs to add support for additional languages. The code indicates the following languages...
Read Full Article • 74 comments