These five patents offer suggestions on what an Apple car might look like

by

apple (AAPL) he has not publicly commented on his plans for the project, nicknamed Titan, so it is unclear exactly what will come of the effort. Some who follow the company believe it could launch an entire electric, self-driving car from the Apple brand. Others think Apple is more likely to partner with existing automakers to sell an operating system (iDrive, perhaps?), Auto-driving tools, or other technology.

There are some clues available, though. Apple has a number of patents for car-related inventions that offer a look at what an Apple car might look like. The patent documents filed with the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office draw a picture, albeit relatively inaccurate, of a luxury vehicle designed to be highly automated and easy to use.

Below are some of Apple’s most interesting car-related patents.

This invention could be important to Apple, making it easier for people to use their iPads, Macs, or other devices while traveling in a car, especially a self-employed one, without getting sick.

The patent describes a virtual reality system that would help prevent the movement of passengers by providing “augmented or virtual” screens corresponding to the physical movements experienced by the passenger.
Apple Car speculation returns. This is what we know so far

In one example, the system could project content that a passenger wants to see, such as a book, as virtual content outside and away from the car. In this way, a passenger could read the page as a fixed object in the external environment while still seeing visual cues about the car’s movements, allowing them to “work, watch, or read comfortably without experiencing motion sickness as it can occur if the passenger was trying to work or view the contents on a physical screen of a portable device sitting on his lap, ”the patent states.

“So … the virtual reality system can help with productivity, as vehicle passengers can perform jobs more comfortably while driving the vehicle,” he says.

He also points out that virtual reality experiences in a moving vehicle can provide “enhanced immersive virtual experiences” to passengers that are not possible, for example, from a virtual reality entertainment system in a room in their home.

‘Climate control’

This invention basically reads like a primarily automated climate control system for your car.

It uses sensors inside and outside a vehicle, as well as other potential inputs, to measure data such as the temperature of the car seats or some parts of the passenger’s body or the amount of sunlight radiating to a vehicle. window or a solar roof. This information can be used by the climate control system to create a comfortable atmosphere inside the car for passengers.

The system is also designed to communicate with wireless user devices to access information such as “user health data, user activity, user preferences” to learn more about the ideal weather at the inside of the car.

According to the description, a car with this technology may be able to intuit, depending on the temperature of the leather seats and other data, that it makes a hot day outside. And you can know, by communicating with your iPhone, that you just ran. Therefore, it could automatically adjust the weather settings in the car to help you cool down.

“System and method for dynamic privacy and window dyeing”

This patent window indicates that conventional car windows cannot adapt the amount of light they let into factors such as who is driving in the vehicle, what they are doing or how the weather is outside, and will therefore “benefit from many improvements. “. ”

The invention described in this patent is a tinted film that covers the exterior of a vehicle that adjusts based on data from various sensors, as well as “explicit” and “implicit” applications or commands to tint “.

For example, at night, the system could automatically lower the dye level so that the passenger in the vehicle could see light through the window, such as streetlights and other cars. But if the passenger closed his eyes, it could darken the tone to make sleep more comfortable, according to the patent.

“As an additional example,” states the patent, “a vehicle occupant can place packages in a rear area of ​​the vehicle. The vehicle’s tinting system can automatically adjust the tint of the adjustable adjustable outer surface to prevent others from see the packages. “

Although the invention is discussed in the context of a vehicle, the patent adds that it could also be used for privacy and dyeing in other environments, such as residential or commercial buildings.

“Method for locating a vehicle”

This invention could help prevent the minutes (hours?) Of wandering around the garage when you forget where you left your car.

It’s a method by which your “portable computer device” (e.g., your iPhone) could communicate with your car or parking structure via a wireless connection like Bluetooth to help locate your vehicle. The location is determined by sensors in the car and in a garage.

One of Apple’s car-related patents describes an invention in which a wireless connection between the car and the phone can help you locate the car in a parking structure.

In some cases, other information may be provided, in addition to or in place of location data, including payment information, such as “fees to be charged for parking, where and how you have to pay and / or how much you owe depending on the location of the particular parking lot and the length of the parking lot, ”the patent states.

‘Charging station with passive alignment mechanism’

Most of us know the hassle of having to get out of the car to get gas when it’s raining, cold, or dark. What if, with an electric vehicle, you don’t have to get out of the car to plug it in? This is what Apple intends to allow with this invention.

“Leaving a vehicle to connect it to a charging station can be inconvenient for the operator,” the patent states. He adds that cars that would have to be plugged in manually could not be charged without a human operator, a problem that the company apparently also wants to address.

With this tool, an electric car could be automatically connected to a charging station without human help after being parked next to the charger (either by a driver or with its self-driving capabilities). The charger also has an optional mechanism to adjust the height, to ensure that the plug can reach the charging port of the car.

.Source