According to a list published by the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO), Apple has recently been granted a patent for the technology of the HomePod. The patent sketch adds a camera to the HomePod, allowing users to control various smart home devices.
According to the patent description, the purpose of Apple’s camera in the HomePod is not for FaceTime remote video calling or for home security monitoring, but for facial recognition to identify which person in the room is sending a request to the HomePod, and to provide more intimate and easier control of smart home devices based on the preferences of the requesting user.
Apple believes that a pain point of the current control of smart home devices is that users need to remember the names of these devices only accurately say the names of these devices to accurately control them. If there are more devices, it is very easy to create confusion.
Apple’s patent simplifies the process, for example, the user releases “open that light”, and the camera can follow the user’s gaze to identify the need to activate the light.
