Apple has been granted 63 patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office. Of the patents granted, one of them describes a device, such as a headset, that can use both audio output and haptics.
Earlier this year, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a series of 63 newly granted Apple patents. The patent of most interest from this bunch described future devices that could use haptics and audio output.
A haptic device is something that provides tactile feedback to a user. The Apple patent application describes a wearable band with multiple audio output transducers. The device is illustrated in the patent in the form of a headset. Apple states in their patent application that the device could apply to a wide range of products, such as iPhones, headphones, etc.
While wearing the device, the user may be able to play synchronised waveforms from the actuators to enable them to feel effects. For example, a user may be able to ‘feel’ a vehicle passing by. The haptic actuators may also be used to provide directional information. For example, a right turn may be indicated by a vibration that starts on the right side and finishes on the left side of the headset.
The inventors listed in the haptic device patent are Tao Jai, a machine learning software engineer who was previously at Fitbit and Qualcomm before moving to Apple; Alex Lee, a haptics engineer who has worked on Touch ID, Apple Watch Digital Crown, and heart rate sensors; and Shingo Yoneoka, a hardware engineering manager.
Source: Patent News by Direct Validation
