Speculation about the Apple car continues to heat up, and much of the chatter surrounding the Apple car is based largely on rumors.
However, it is possible to paint a concrete picture of what Apple thinks of its Apple Car by analyzing existing patents and patent applications for this project. So here’s a look at five Apple Car patents and what they reveal about the Apple Car.
1. iPhone Gesture Guidance System
Apple patent application, titled Guidelines for autonomous vehicles in destination zones using Intent Signs detailing how the Apple autonomous vehicle will successfully navigate challenging roads where some user input may be necessary. The patent application shows how a user can use a mobile device, presumably an iPhone, to steer the autonomous vehicle through a difficult road once it approaches a destination.
Apple wants its car to be autonomous, so driver input must be free of any modifications to the steering wheel or brake pedal. The way Apple has its Apple car in mind allows the driver to set the car’s direction and final destination by controlling it via gestures and voice commands.
The patent also describes how a user can control the vehicle’s displacement through a road using a virtual joystick on the mobile device’s operating screen. This technique will be especially useful when telling your Apple Car where you want it to park itself, either next to an X or a Y in a potentially ambiguous scenario.
This patent application sheds some light on how Apple plans to address some of the pitfalls that may arise when navigating a fully autonomous car and shows that user input will be present, at least in the first iteration of its Apple Car.
2. Automatic charging station
If Apple’s hiring of a former Ford executive is any indication, things are about to get a bit hotter in the electric car segment. But, any serious venture into the electric vehicle market must be accompanied by proper charging infrastructure. Along these lines, Apple obtained a patent described as “Charging station with negative alignmentwhich is primarily intended to eliminate the need for driver intervention when charging an electric vehicle.
According to the patent, the car will drive to the charging station and align with the charging mechanism without driver intervention. This patent aligns closely with Apple’s aspirations for self-driving vehicles.
Once the vehicle is driven close to the charging area of the charging station, the alignment mechanism connects itself to the vehicle’s charging port, beginning the recharging process without the driver being present.
This technology is somewhat comparable to manufacturers that allow swapping an entire car battery for a fully recharged battery because both methods potentially allow the entire process to happen without any intervention from the driver.
3. Informative outdoor lighting
Apple has registered a patent An application related to an advanced lighting system that displays information for other drivers. This system can use the rear windshield to display information such as a conventional third brake light and even warning text related to the vehicle’s operating status.
The rear window is used as a billboard of sorts to display a warning to other drivers when necessary, which clearly shows the bias towards driverless Apple Car operation as this interactive rear window will definitely obstruct the driver’s view when lit up.
This particular feature appears to be taken straight out of a science fiction movie and could revolutionize vehicle design. Cars are currently in a design rut, even electric. The car’s basic design has remained mostly the same for decades, but it appears Apple is on its way to changing the way the industry thinks about car design.
4. Augmented reality view of the world
AR technology has many great applications in our daily lives, and this system proposed by Apple is no exception. It was Apple Grant Patent No. 10922886 For an augmented reality show, the use cases are great. The system collects data from various sources, most likely cloud-based storage, and creates a virtual overlay of information on the realistic picture of the road ahead.
This information is used to create an AR model that complements the realistic view the driver is experiencing, helping to display more relevant data about a scene, even parts of it that may be obscured to the driver. The ramifications of this system as a safety device are great, especially if the driver can take advantage of warnings that pop up from the AR display regarding oncoming road conditions that they can’t see with the naked eye.
5. Indoor hidden touch screens
Another Apple Car patent is described as “hidden user interfaces“It describes a system that could become a staple in all future cars. The patent demonstrates how the touch screens scattered throughout the cabin can remain out of sight while not in use, and the moment a hand approaches the system, they light up, presenting themselves to the user.”
The technology goes much like Bentley does with its interior, hiding the navigation system behind a luxurious wood panel. But it’s possible that Apple Car will take it one step further by scattering these user interfaces throughout the car, perhaps in unexpected places like the car floor.
Apple’s self-driving car will be a high-tech car
The patents presented in this article point to the future of Apple’s self-driving car. From the informative lighting in the rear window of an Apple car to the automated charging station, it’s clear that Apple envisions its first independent foray into the auto industry.
In particular, it revealed patents covering Apple’s car interior elements, such as an interactive interior that can be filled with countless screens. The fact that Apple is considering ways to counter the navigational pitfalls associated with autonomous driving, specifically by entering passengers using a mobile device, also indicates Apple’s independent ambitions.
