Apple iPhone Next-gen OS Features revealed: Face Recognition, text filtering etc

Men at Cupertino never seem to rest. With iPhone sales rocketing, Apple’s slogging hard to transform its smartphone into a super-gadget. In most fluky turn of events Apple filed a number of patent application with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office that included a group related to iPhone software as reported by McRumors. Providing an insight on the patent applications, Unwired view anticipated the new upgrades in iPhone OS that includes live object identification, face recognition, text filtering, smarter messaging, voice alteration. Let’s explore what the new iPhone OS might carry in its next update, say 4.0 or 5.0 OS, for its aficionados.

Real world object recognition

This patent app somewhat imitates Nokia’s Point and Find. Once you point at a real world object, the mobile device would recognize the object via camera, RFID sensor or other means and provide additional information about the object. To make the object recognition easier an users can set various location and context based modes like Museum, Restaurant, Electronics shop, etc. Apple sources provided an example of the patent with an art museum.

It shows out how a user can click a photo of the museum and expect the iPhone to automatically identify and provide additional information on it, or even take for an audio tour or podcast. For more you might get some contents beyond what’s provided in the audio. That’s not all, it will allow the user to create logs/albums of recognized objects that they can archive for future reference.

Face detection and recognition

It’s something more than what you find on most digital cameras. The patent explains the technique for incorporating face detection and recognition technologies into iPhone, and other compatible Apple devices. The technology would allow iPhone to determine whether a user is interacting with it. With the face recognition technology implemented, the users will be able to control the different operations. Interestingly, the technology has a better use in restricting users access to certain applications or data.  It seems that Apple’s facial recognition algorithm might use the iSight camera built into the Macs that would allow them to log in just by recognition of the camera.

Text Message Filtering

Message filtering is common feature with a number of mobile phones including the Nokia E 71. However, the patent by Apple seems to hold more than what’s expected normally. The method would enable filtering and controlling all the text based communication including e-mails, text, MMS, IM and other messages. Filtering would be applicable on both the incoming as well  as outgoing messages. With the help of text control the user would be able to alter the objectionable text. The control mode might include an instructional tool or study enabling the administrator to set one or more modes like language, grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, and/or other content of a text-based communication.

Better messaging interface

This includes two patent apps that defines the way for overall messaging/communication experience. Let’s take a look at them separately:

Multiple recipient message

The patent provides a technique for manging message sending to multiple recipients. The idea is that you send multiple messages to a group of friends for a meet, but if all the messages are not delivered, the device alerts you and offers an interface to resend a message to those who didn’t receive the message.

Alerts for unread messages

This is one of the most interesting patents by Apple. Let me explain this with an example, suppose you are about to contact a person for a meeting, now there might be some changes in the schedule informed to you over message. It’s important to at least have a look at the unread message before initiating contact with the person. This new app would compares your  unread messages, e-mails, voicemails, etc; with the information of the person you are about to contact and alerts you about any unread message on your phone.

What’s more, apart from checking the contact information the message app will also check certain keywords, for instance name of a project that you are involved in and inform you about unread messages relating to it.

Voice Modulation

In this patent application Apple provides the technique for modulating voice audio output that would result in an additional voice. Apple provides a very productive usage of the app with multiple examples. The app would allow a mother to change narrator’s voice to read an audiobook to her child. Another example describes a student being able to modulate the voice in a section of podcast lecture for emphasizing that portion.

Keep your fingers crossed until you have the latest iPhone OS update. Until then you can share your over these innovations with us.

Source: Unwiredview.com, macrumors.com

Pic source: Unwired.com