Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a continuation patent from Apple that relating to The AirPods Pro patent covers audio output that may be responsive to various types of input received at the device, including voice, touch via tactile structures and new in-air gesture input as presented in our cover graphic. Appleinsider is claiming today that this is a new patent application. It certainly isn't as we covered this in a "granted patent" back in August 2020. In a continuation patent Apple is restricted to updating their legal "patent claims" to emphasize what Apple wants to protect in a future product. We detail that aspect of today's continuation patent later in this report. 

Apple's patent FIG. 4A below depicts a user wearing the AirPods Pro; FIG. depicts the AirPods Pro being able to recognize in-air gesture controls; FIGS. 6A, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate different force sensor configurations that may be used in the future.

Apple's patent FIGS. 10 and 11 are more examples of possible future touch areas including a button and a rotary wheel with FIG. 12 illustrating a touch control area set into the face side of the AirPods Pro case that could be used in the future.

Apple doesn't delve into what the touch controls on the case will be used for other than controlling "audio output" of the AirPods Pro "among other functions" not described. Guessing, one of the other features may be to unlock the case and pop it open for users.

So, what's actually new?

To begin with, Apple actually cancelled all of their original patent claims 1-20 and replaced them with new claims numbered 21-40. To keep their granted patent valid, the claims numbers had to continue to 21-40 rather than simply replacing them numerically. Below are the new patent claims protecting Apple's granted invention.  

21. A wearable audio device, comprising: an enclosure comprising: a body defining an opening and an interior volume; and a stem extending from the body; a speaker positioned within the interior volume and acoustically coupled to the opening; an antenna positioned within the interior volume and configured to operably couple the wearable audio device to a companion device; a sensor configured to detect a touch input along a surface of the stem; and a processing unit positioned within the interior volume and operably coupled with the sensor and the antenna, the processing unit configured to: cause the speaker to provide an audio output using audio data received from the companion device; and cause the speaker to modify the audio output in response to the touch input at the stem.

22. The wearable audio device of claim 21, wherein: the wearable audio device further comprises a microphone positioned in the stem and configured to detect an audio input; and the processing unit is further configured to cause the speaker to modify the audio output in response to the audio input.

23. The wearable audio device of claim 21, wherein: the touch input is a first touch input; the first touch input comprises a first gesture in a first direction along an exterior surface of the stem; the sensor is further configured to detect a second touch input at the stem; the second touch input comprises a second gesture in a second direction along the exterior surface of the stem opposite the first direction; and the processing unit is further configured to cause the speaker to modify the audio output in response to the second touch input.

24. The wearable audio device of claim 23, wherein: modifying the audio output in response to the first touch input comprises increasing a volume of the audio output; and modifying the audio output in response to the second touch input comprises reducing the volume of the audio output.

25. The wearable audio device of claim 21, wherein: the sensor is a capacitive sensor comprising an electrode positioned at least partially within the stem; and the capacitive sensor is configured to detect the touch input by detecting a change in capacitance between the electrode and a user.

26. The wearable audio device of claim 21, wherein the stem extends from a lower portion of the body.

27. The wearable audio device of claim 21, wherein: the wearable audio device further comprises a sealing component positioned around the opening and configured to form a sealed passage between the interior volume of the body and a user's ear canal; and the speaker is configured to provide the audio output to the user's ear canal through the sealed passage.

28. The wearable audio device of claim 21, wherein the sensor is further configured to detect a force associated with the touch input at the stem.

29. A wearable audio device, comprising: an enclosure comprising: an earbud body; and a stem extending from a lower portion of the earbud body, the stem defining an input surface along an exterior surface of the stem; a sealing component connected to the earbud body and having a conformable surface; a capacitive sensor comprising an electrode configured to detect a touch input along the input surface by detecting a change in a capacitance; a microphone positioned in the stem and configured to detect an audio input; and a speaker positioned in the earbud body and configured to provide an audio output through an opening defined by the sealing component, wherein the audio output is configured to change in response to either the touch input along the exterior surface of the stem or the audio input.

30. The wearable audio device of claim 29, wherein: the wearable audio device further comprises: a processing unit operably coupled to the capacitive sensor and the microphone; and an antenna configured to receive audio data from a companion device; and the processing unit is configured to: cause the speaker to provide the audio output based on the audio data; and control a function of the wearable audio device using at least one of the audio input or the touch input.

31. The wearable audio device of claim 30, wherein the processing unit is configured to cause the speaker to modify the audio output in response to at least one of the audio input or the touch input.

32. The wearable audio device of claim 30, wherein: the processing unit is positioned in the earbud body; and the antenna is positioned in the stem.

33. The wearable audio device of claim 30, wherein: the audio output is music; and controlling the function of the wearable audio device comprises pausing playback of the music.

34. The wearable audio device of claim 29, wherein: the conformable surface of the sealing component is configured to conform to a surface of an ear of a user, thereby forming a sealed passage between the speaker and the ear; and the wearable audio device is further configured to detect a placement of the wearable audio device at least partially in the ear.

35. A system comprising: a first wearable audio device configured to provide a first portion of an audio output; a second wearable audio device configured to provide a second portion of the audio output; a case configured to receive the first wearable audio device and the second wearable audio device, the case defining an input region along an exterior surface of the case; and a processing unit configured to control the first portion of the audio output and the second portion of the audio output in response to a touch input received at the input region of the case.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein: the input region is a first input region; the touch input is a first touch input; the first wearable audio device defines a second input region; and the processing unit is configured to control the first portion of the audio output and the second portion of the audio output in response to a second touch input received at the second input region.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein: the case comprises a capacitive sensor comprising an electrode; and the capacitive sensor is configured to detect the touch input by detecting a change in capacitance between the electrode and a user.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein: the touch input is a first touch input; the case further comprises an antenna configured to operably couple the case to a companion device; and a second touch input received at the input region controls a function of the companion device.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein: the first portion of the audio output is a left channel of a stereo music track; and the second portion of the audio output is a right channel of the stereo music track.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein: the case further defines: a first receiving feature configured to receive the first wearable audio device; and a second receiving feature configured to receive the second wearable audio device; and the case comprises: a battery; a first connector in the first receiving feature configured to electrically couple the first wearable audio device to the battery to recharge the first wearable audio device; and a second connector in the second receiving feature configured to electrically couple the second wearable audio device to the battery to recharge the second wearable audio device.

Apple's continuation patent 20200344536 that was published today by the U.S. Patent Office was originally filed back in Q3 2020. You could review our original granted patent report posted in August titled "Apple Wins AirPods Pro with Force Sensors Patent that also reveals possible Future Features like Offering In-Air Gestures & more," for more information here.

Considering that this is a continuation patent, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.