Jul 29, 2020 12:06:00

Possibility that Apple's AR headset ``Apple Glass'' will realize a more advanced AR experience with 3D audio

Rumor has long existed that Apple is developing its own AR headset. At one point , it was reported that the AR headset development team within Apple was disbanded , but since the company acquired VR related company NextVR in May 2020, development of ARVR products is also expected. It is believed that it is in progress. It is said that Apple has been developing for a long time, and it is not said that the original AR headset ``Apple Glass (tentative name)'' originally developed will support the 3D audio and further enhance the AR experience. That's what Appleinsider reports.

Apple Glass could make AR believable with accurate 3D audio | Appleinsider
https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/07/28/apple-glass-could-make-ar-believable-with-accurate-3d-audio

With stereo headphones, you can basically only output sound from the left and right, but using virtual surround technology makes it possible to reproduce an acoustic space as if you were virtually playing sound with multiple speakers. For example, the sound that is played behind the user's head is muffled, and the sound that is heard from the front is expressed more clearly, giving a pseudo three-dimensional effect to the sound.

On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Apple obtained a patent entitled 'Choice of Head Transfer Function (HRTF) for Binaural Sound Playback'. This patented technology aims to further enhance the effect of virtual surround.

HRTF is a transfer function that expresses changes in sound caused by surrounding objects including the ear shell, head, and shoulders of the human body. It is unrealistic to reproduce realistic stereoscopic sound with HRTF, because it is a time-consuming task, but with the widely used value of HRTF, realistic 3D audio for many users can be obtained. It can be easily realized.

The patent is based on the idea of 'choose the HRTF value that is closest to what you need', and how to set the HRTF value is selected from different characteristics such as height, gender, race, and age for each user. It is supposed to be.

In addition, it is also recommended to perform binaural measurements on your audio device for better 3D audio. If the audio device is used by only one user, it is OK to make the measurement only once.

It is also planned to analyze what kind of HTRF value users have with what characteristics, for example, users aged 20-25 prefer HRTFs with specific properties. If there is a tendency, it is recommended to recommend this setting to users who meet this condition.

Appleinsider cites Apple Glass, which is said to have been developed by Apple for a long time, as the one that should adopt this patent, ``Apple Glass sounds exactly so that it matches the source of sound in real space. If we realize the 3D audio function that can be expressed, we will be able to provide a more advanced AR experience together with AR content that is displayed so as to overlap the real world view.”

It should be noted that Apple applies for many patents every year, and not all of them are adopted in products and services.