Patent for an interactive screen on the Airpods charging case that enables music and texting

Written by Amira Shehata

Saturday, 08 April 2023 04:00 AM

Apple may add a touch screen to the charging case AirPods The tech giant has published a new patent detailing that the primary focus of the innovation is to allow users to access certain information without accessing their iPhones.

According to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, the document describes the feature that allows access to audiobooks, maps, iMessage and the weather application, and the images indicate that the screen will be placed in the front where the case is closed and can be connected to an Apple Home device.

Apple states that an interactive display will reduce the number of inputs from the user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface.

The patent, first reported by Patently Apple, was filed on September 19, 2022 with the US Patent and Trademark Office, indicating that Apple is exploring the idea.

“There is a need for a headphone storage device that can control operations traditionally associated with headphones (eg, playback controls, changing audio sources, changing audio output modes, etc.),” the patent reads.

The patent describes different cases of how the display can benefit users while also noting that it will not replace existing touch controls on AirPods.

Apple will also allow access to apps such as Stocks, Calculator, and Alarm Clock, showing a picture of a movie playing on the screen and streaming audio via AirPods, with similar images showing the user listening to a radio show or audiobook.

The charging case can have built-in touch controls, which are activated when the user taps the case and changes sound modes.

Although the patent seems more realistic than many of Apple’s ideas, it’s not yet clear if the screen will make it into the AirPods charging case.