AppleInsider writes today that Apple’s forthcoming iOS 6 software, due for launch on September 12, will have among its many features, built-in compatibility for “Made for iPhone†hearing aids. In addition, AppleInsider notes that two new patent filings from Apple in the US, just published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office, show Apple’s possible future plans for this feature. The first of the two patents is a “hearing assistance system for providing consistent human speech,†and is designed to help people who use hearing aids who are struggling to listen to someone who is speaking with inconsistent speech patterns, or who generally speaks in a hard-to-follow way, which hearing aids can have trouble picking up. The patent outlines how an iPhone or iPad could be used to take this inconsistent speech pattern, convert it into text, and then in turn convert that text into more consistent computer-generated speech that is easier for a hearing aid to pick up.
The second patent, as described by AppleInsider, involves an alert system that would give the user either audible or visual alerts when something like a doorbell or a fire alarm sounds. Intriguing stuff and great that Apple is looking to make life easier for people with hearing problems.
Source: Apple looking to refine hearing aid output, add customizable alerts with iDevices
