Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 53 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. In part two of this report, we briefly cover a patent that covers potential new AirPods Pro safety features for bikers and joggers plus a new smart exercise mat along with a patent for a ‘vital signs’ monitoring system. We also touch on two other granted patents relating to Beddit and an Apple display invention. And as always, we wrap up this week’s granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.
New AirPods Pro Features + Smart Exercise Mat
Apple was granted a patent today titled “Contextual audio system” that reveals all-new safety features built into next-gen AirPods Pro. For instance, if a user is biking, the AirPods Pro will know the user’s speed and velocity in relation to objects around them such as another biker and immediately shut off the user’s music to alert the biker to pay attention on the situation before them. Apple also introduces us to a new AirPods Pro accessory in the form of an exercise mat that is full of sensors. When the user’s posture is incorrect, AirPods Pro will stop a user’s music to instruct them to straighten out in various exercises including yoga.
Apple’s patent FIG. 4B below depicts the sample contextual audio system and its user in a second position, while cycling along the road; The system knows the user’s speed and location near another bike and adjusts the sound so that the user could focus on the situation at hand for safety reasons.
Apple’s patent FIG. 6 below illustrates a sample workout mat #600 that is one example of a sensing device. The mat includes drive lines #610 and sense lines #620 that, taken together, form a set of capacitive force-sensing nodes.
These nodes are examples of position sensors (#300). Here the position sensors detect a location of a person standing on the sensing mat.
Apple’s patent FIGS. 5A-5B above illustrate another example embodiment of a contextual audio system, in which a sensing device #520 and wearable audio devices 510a, 510b cooperate to determine when audio output is adjusted.
This is Apple’s second granted patent for this invention. Apple has added 22 patent claims to its original patent. To review their new patent claims, see granted patent 11,381,900.
Beddit: Vital Signs Monitoring System
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Apple acquired Beddit in 2017, the year that the invention was first granted a patent. Today, Apple was granted a second patent wherein they added 20 new patent claims to reflect Apple’s sense of the invention.
Apple’s patent FIG. 5C presented above illustrates a top view of an exemplary monitoring system including multiple sections. You could see the outline of two people lying in bed on top of a mat with electrodes. To review Apple’s 20 new patent claims, review granted patent 11,375,957.
Display Support Arm Mount
Last week Apple was granted a patent for Dual Pro Display XDR Stand. Today, Apple was granted a patent for their Pro Display XDR support arm mount. Apple’s patent FIG. 1 above shows a front view of a display in a landscape orientation and lowered position relative to a stand; and FIG. 2 shows a right side view the display assembly of FIG. 1. To review more details, check out Apple’s granted patent 11,378,225.
Today’s Remaining Granted Patents
