Apple’s new patent wants to stop your headphones from cutting out
When you put the words “Apple” and “headphones” together, it doesn’t always bring up very positive thoughts. But it looks like Apple is taking a stab at improving the way we listen to music via devices such as the iPhone with a new patent that cuts down on audio dropout.
The move could also point toward Apple removing headphone jacks from future iPhones all together -- a concept that's long been in the rumor mill.
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Apple Insider first noticed the company filed a patent application Tuesday for headphones that connect to a device like an iPhone with both wired and wireless connections. Having two connections seems redundant, but the purpose is to have a backup audio transmission if one cuts out.
Daily use of wired headphones inevitably causes degradation as the internal wire frays from being bent, pulled and twisted. Sometimes the wire splits and you get occasional audio dropout, briefly losing your connection to your device. With its new patent, Apple wants your headphones to recognize audio dropout and seamlessly switch to audio that is stored from the wireless connection, and then move back when the wired connection is restored.
The cable would be compatible with Apple's lightning port, and points toward the removal of headphone jacks on iPhones
According to the patent, the headphones would contain memory that temporarily stores upcoming audio from whatever you’re listening to, so there’s no noticeable switch from wired to wireless audio. There’s also a processor that handles the audio data being received by your device and determines when the audio quality drops in the wired connection and plays the stored audio.
A cable that supports transferring audio and power suggests that the cable would be compatible with Apple's lightning connector and hints at the removal of headphone jacks on iPhones. Apple's headphone diagram shows a port that looks like it would fit a lightning cable, as well. The headphones would have a rechargeable battery that charges through the wired connection, so losing your whole wired connection momentarily doesn’t mean your headphones will also have power cut immediately. There is no mention about any details about the battery.
Apple’s patent mentions this technology could be used in over-ear, in-ear or on-ear headphones, but there is no mention about including a microphone like many headphones have today.
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