Comcast received a patent for this smart speaker design, but will it ever be released?

A patent for a smart speaker has been received by the company, and it has a very unusual design. A sketch shows a speaker with a sloped top and a wide base, instead of opting for a spherical shape that comes with the Amazon and Apple devices.

Online records show that the patent was first filed by the company last year. The device appears to have a small stand on the bottom and a button on the side of the speaker.

Image: Comcast via USPTO

I suppose it makes sense for a company that specializes in connecting to the internet to have a device like this. After one of my colleagues said it looked like a bedpan, I couldn't unsee the resemblance.

The funny thing is that the company was looking into making a speaker that tracked bathroom habits. It was supposed to come with sensors that would track how long someone stayed in the bathroom and how often they used it. The speaker was not a smart speaker. The two devices are not completely clear if they are related.

It's hard to tell how the smart speaker will look from this sketch alone, so I'm going to try my best to reserve my judgments. If the device is ever released, I would like to see how it converts into a speaker.