The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded Apple a patent for voice recognition, paving the way for new features in future versions of the iPhone.
The new patent comes in a group of 16 patents granted to the Cupertino, Calif.-based company this week. The official name of the patent is "User Profiling for Voice Input Processing," and reportedly covers technology that allows users to be identified by the sound of their voices.
Apple's new patent takes voice technology to the next level by adding in the factor of "sound of voice," which pinpoints unique qualities of a voice like pitch and timbre. Key words and phrases are currently what current voice command technology in the iPhone and certain Android-based phones. If the technology is used in a future iPhone, however, it would allow new privacy features, like having personal information only be accessible by a person's individual voice.
While the patent has officially been awarded to Apple, there's no indication the company will use it in the coming iPhone 5. Apple has filed several patents in the past that have not ever shown up in its hardware to date. For example, the company holds patents for 3D technology, solar powered devices and half e-ink, half LCD screens, all of which haven't been used in publicly released products yet.
However, analysts believe Apple might use the voice technology soon. While 3D screens and solar powered devices require new hardware that is likely some time away, Apple could conceivably begin to introduce its new voice technology through a software update to iOS 5.
In getting this patent, the iPhone maker is likely looking for any advantage it can gain over Android phones. Once the leader in market share and innovation, the iPhone has ceded ground to Android-based devices, which also feature apps, touch screens and other hallmarks once exclusive to Apple's handset. The iPhone may better differentiate itself if it includes voice recognition tech that users can't get anywhere else.
If Apple can execute this technology in a future version of the iPhone, the company may once again boast a feature that competitors would love to duplicate.
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