An Apple Inc. patent has been unearthed from the United States (U.S.) Patent and Trademark Office, and it may favor health and fitness while using the headphone system.

According to the patent titled "Sports Monitoring System for Headphones, Earbuds and/or Headsets," a monitoring system can be created and placed to the head or ear of the user. The monitoring system can be used with headphones, headsets, and even Apple's earbuds. With the monitoring system, the user's heart rate, perspiration, and temperature can be sensed.

The Apple patent recognized pedometers are typically placed on a person's wrist or hip in order to track and display the user's traveling distance. Recently, similar technologies such as accelerometers have been placed inside a user's shoe to measure the distance and speed traveled by the user. Apple is already familiar with the technology as it utilizes the Nike+iPod feature, which is also a sports monitoring product tied with a digital media player to monitor speed and distance.

The patent in question, however, has another twist.

"Advantageously, the invention can provide monitoring capabilities within a hearing device. Assuming the user is otherwise using the hearing device, such as to provide audio output by a portable media player, the user gains monitoring capabilities without requiring the user to wear or carry an additional article," noted patent No. 8,655,004.

One example of the monitoring system patent is the integration of earbuds or headphones. It can also be coupled instead, with such headphones or headsets. Regardless of the user's method, the monitoring system can be connected to earbuds or headphones that are either wired and wireless. With the monitoring system, a device can be controlled, either mobile or stationary, from telephones and media players.

Although the patent acknowledged monitoring systems are usually suitable in sports-related data, it can be applicable to any other type of monitoring. For example, the patent inventors noted the invention could be used for physiological monitoring.

According to the inventors, the information described in the patent is not final as "numerous modifications and changes will readily occur," however, the scope of the invention will remain intact.

The patent's inventors are credited to Christopher Prest from California and Quin C. Hoellwarth of Indiana. The patent was originally filed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 21, 2008.

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