Apple HomePod patent with camera granted: no need to accurately name smart home devices

CTOnews.com, April 6, according to a list published by the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO), Apple recently obtained a technology patent for HomePod. The patent sketch adds a camera to the HomePod, making it easier for users to control a variety of smart home devices.

According to the patent description, Apple introduced the camera into the HomePod not for FaceTime remote video calls or for home security surveillance, but for facial recognition to identify who in the room made the request to HomePod and to provide it with a more intimate and easier smart home device control service based on the requesting user's preference.

CTOnews.com learned from the patent that Apple believes that one of the current pain points in controlling smart home devices is that users need to remember the names of these devices, which can be accurately controlled only if they are accurately named. If there are many devices, it is very easy to cause confusion.

Apple's patent simplifies the process, such as when a user posts "turn on that light," and the camera can identify the light that needs to be activated by following the user's eyes.