Apple recently filed a patent application that would allow iPhones and Apple Watches to dynamically change the sound level of notification alerts using a separate wireless device. This would enable the iPhone or Apple Watch to occasionally measure the level of sound in a room and adjust the intensity of the notification alert depending.
If you were wondering what this translates into, it means that an iPhone and Apple Watch could work in conjunction with each other to measure background noise activity. The iPhone, when placed in a pocket or a purse, is at a disadvantage when trying to gauge how loud it is in the room, due to being muffled.
Another possible use of the technology mentioned in the patent is “adjusting speech detection algorithms” that Siri uses to understand commands from users. Depending on the level of background noise, the inner mechanics of how Siri recognizes voice could change by using the iPhones and Apple Watch microphones in parallel.
While users can manually adjust the volume of their iPhone notification alerts currently, few people do, leaving it at full volume no matter the situation. The technologic system that Apple is exploring in this patent application seems like an extension of the concept behind the “Auto-Brightness” feature located in the iPhone settings.
