USPTO has granted Apple’s patent for AR headphones where you can listen to people’s voices as if they’re in the room — but there’s actually no one there.
Using AR technology, the headphones will produce augmented stereo sound that replicates a real physical meeting so everyone has their own “position” so when you’re looking at a different direction, the audio volume changes accordingly. This allows user to detect the person speaking without depending solely on his/her voice, resulting in a more natural experience.
Just like physical conference rooms, the AR headphones will position each individual in different ‘seatings’ in its self-created virtual room. If Apple really proceeds with creating the AR headphones based on the patent, these headphones can be extremely useful as a business tool for conference calls and meetings.
On a side note, Apple is also reported to be developing AR Glasses that may be arriving in 2021 or 2022.
