Apple is working on the space audio system for virtual and mixed reality devices

In a July 8 patent application, Apple details an interface system that could present a “synthesized reality” to users. However, the patent application details how this reality could go beyond the visual and include other senses, such as the ear.

A synthesized reality, in this case, is defined as a total or partial computer-generated configuration with which a user could interact or perceive it. This includes both virtual reality and augmented reality, both technologies that Apple is rumored to be working on.

The patent details a user interface system that could fit an experience beyond the visual.

“For example, an SR system can detect a person walking a few steps forward and, in response, can adjust the graphics and audio presented to the individual in a similar way to how these landscapes and sounds would change in a physical environment “.

“An individual may interact and / or detect an SR object using any of its senses, including touch, smell, sight, taste, and sound. For example, an individual may interact and / or detect auditory objects that create -dimensional (e.g., three-dimensional) or spatial auditory configuration and / or allow auditory transparency, ”says the patent.

More specifically, Apple says that the inclusion of multidimensional or spatial sound configurations could “provide a person with the perception of discrete auditory sources in multidimensional space.”

Apple in 2021 introduced a new spatial audio feature that recreates the experience of listening to audio content in three-dimensional space. What the patent suggests is that this technology could be incorporated into the experiences of Apple AR or Apple VR to enhance realism or user interaction.

Apple files numerous patent applications on a weekly basis, and not all of them describe the technology used in a consumer product. Patent applications do not provide any indication of whether or when a technology can reach the market.