Do your headphones recognize you? Apple AirPods patent exposed

For increasingly smart headsets, it may not be enough to rely on phone pairing. Apple recently filed a patent with the U.S. Patent Office called "User Identification Using Headphones." Perhaps in the future, AirPods products will become another way to identify after Touch ID and Face ID.

Apple's patent explains how the system uses AirPods to authenticate users using nearby devices, ultrasonic signals, voice recognition, and more. The patent also describes the potential security risks of wireless headphones — because anyone can wear it for information.

In addition, AirPods can also use the motion data of the iPhone and Apple Watch. This will enable the system to learn the user's walking patterns, gait, to confirm their identity. For example, various features of the user's ear provide an echo of the ultrasonic signal, which is unique to the user. Changes in the surface of the user's ear canal may cause the ultrasonic signal to be reflected from the surface and produce an echo with characteristics that are relevant to the user.

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