Florida Company Says Apple Smart Devices Copy Voice Command Tech

Tech company Acoustic Array Technologies LLC is suing Apple Inc. for allegedly copying microphone systems that help users communicate voice commands to smart devices.

The technology has become widely adopted in consumer electronic devices, and can be found in Apple products including various iPhone and iPad models, as well as some HomePods, the complaint filed Friday in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas said.

“Apple commercializes a wide range of ‘smart’ products that users can control with their voice,” which infringes AAT’s protected microphone arrays under US Patent No. 7,092,539, the complaint said.

Apple didn’t ...