Apple may be considering equipping future HomePod smart speakers with cameras — but not for the reasons you may initially think.
Patent application 1619991 has been granted by the United States Patent Office, and describes a next-gen HomePod-like product that controls smart home devices and accepts voice command input, presumably to the Siri assistant. However, rather than the camera being used for video calling over FaceTime or for in-the-home security purposes, it’s instead being proposed as a Face ID system to better recognize which individual in a room is making a request of the HomePod — as well as what connected devices require the speaker’s attention.
Alongside voice recognition, the patent describes how a user could look at the speaker, and then make a more generalized voice command like “turn on that light”, with the camera being able to identify which light needs activating by following a user’s gaze. This would help solve a pain point of smart home control, where it’s often necessary to remember a device’s exact name to get a voice assistant to make it do what you want. The system is also intended to be smart enough to recognize what a user could be looking at, should they be turned away from the camera.
Making the smart home simpler
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