Apple patent would use Apple Watch to intelligently adjust iPhone alert volume on the fly

Apple patent iPhone Apple Watch alert volume adjustments drawing 002

If the contribution is outside acceptable levels, the patent abstract explains, a wearable device can notify an iPhone to adjust its alert volume or other alert characteristics.

By comparing an alert sound recorded by a wearable device against a stored reference signal based on ambient noise samples, a sound threshold analysis algorithm would determine precise volume adjustments.

Having an Apple Watch record ambient sounds is a smart idea, argues Apple, as the device is likely to be relatively exposed to the ambient air while it is being worn.

Apple patent iPhone Apple Watch alert volume adjustments drawing 001

In one embodiment, an iPhone is tucked in a pocket or positioned away from ambient air by a “sonic barrier”. A Watch can use inferences about whether and to what degree a barrier is present to adjust an iPhone’s audio output by increasing volume if a strong sonic barrier is detected or decreasing volume if no sonic barrier is detected.

The ability to automatically adjust iPhone alert volume should make users’ lives easier in noisy environments when the default volume level setting may be too low, or by lowering the volume or completely silencing alerts in quiet situations.

The invention could even help improve the accuracy of a tetherless ‘Hey Siri’ on the iPhone 6s by taking into account known characteristics of the human voice or speech generally, especially characteristics of the voice or speech pertaining to a particular user.

The patent application credits Apple engineers David J. Shoemaker and Eugene Dvortsov as its inventors.

Source: USPTO