These five patents provide tips on what an Apple car might look like

These five patents provide tips on what an Apple car might look like

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appeal (AAPL) has not publicly commented on his plans for the project, nicknamed Titan, so it is not clear what exactly is going to come. Some people who follow the company think it could release an all-electric, self-driving car from Apple. Others think it’s more likely that Apple will partner with existing automakers to sell an operating system (iDrive, perhaps?), Self-drive tools or other technology.

There are some clues available. Apple has many patents for car-related inventions that give a glimpse of what an Apple car might look like. Patent documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office paint a picture – albeit relatively vague – of a luxury vehicle designed to be very automatic and user-friendly.

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

This invention can have a huge impact on Apple, making it easier for people to use their iPads, Macs or other devices while driving a car, especially self-driving, without becoming motor sick.

The patent describes a system of virtual reality that will help prevent motion sickness in passengers by providing “supplemented or virtual” display correspondents with physical movements experienced by the passenger.
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In one example, the system can project content that a passenger wants to see, such as a book, as virtual content outside and at a distance from the car. In this way, a passenger can read the page as a fixed object in the external environment while still seeing visual cues about the movements of the car, enabling them to work comfortably, look or read without motion sickness to experience, as the passenger may appear. tried to work or view the content on a physical screen on a portable computer device sitting on their lap, “reads the patent.

“So … the VR system can boost productivity, as passengers in vehicles can perform work more comfortably while driving in the vehicle,” it says.

What’s more, it notes that VR experiences in a moving vehicle can provide ‘enhanced virtual experiences’ to passengers that is not possible, for example a VR entertainment system in one room of your home.

‘Climate control’

This invention basically reads like a mostly automatic climate control system for your car.

It uses sensors inside and outside a vehicle, in addition to other potential inputs, to measure data such as the temperature of car seats or certain body parts of the passenger, or the amount of sunlight radiating on a window or roof. The information can be used by the climate control system to create a comfortable environment 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 further alleviate the ideal climate in the car.

Based on the description, a car with this technology can, based on the temperature of the leather seats and other data, feel like it’s a hot day outside. And it may know, by communicating with your iPhone, that you’re just running. It can therefore automatically adjust the climate settings in the car to help you cool down.

‘System and method for dynamic privacy and window tint’

Conventional car windows can not adjust the amount of light they transmit to factors such as who is driving in the vehicle, what they are doing or how the weather is out there, says this patent, and will therefore benefit from many improvements. ”

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

For example, at night, the system can automatically lower the tint level so that a passenger can see light through the window, such as from street lights and other cars. But if the passenger closes their eyes, according to the patent, it can darken the tint to make sleep more comfortable.

‘As an additional example,’ reads the patent, ‘an occupant of the vehicle may place packages in a rear zone of the vehicle. The color system of the vehicle can adjust the hue of the adjustable outer surface to the outside to prevent others from looking at the packages. ‘

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

“Method to locate a vehicle”

This invention can help prevent the minutes (hours?) Of wandering in the parking garage if you forget where you left your car.

This is a method by which your “portable computer device” (for example, your iPhone) can communicate with your car or the parking structure through a wireless connection such as Bluetooth to help locate your vehicle. The location is determined using sensors on the car and in a parking garage.

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

In some cases, other information may be provided in addition to or instead of location data, including payment information such as’ rates to be charged for parking, where and how to pay, and / or how much is due, depending on the specific parking space and duration of parking, ”reads the patent.

‘Charging station with passive inline mechanism’

Most of us know the annoyance of having to get out of the car to get gas when it’s raining, cold or dark outside. What if you do not have to get out of the car with an electric vehicle to connect it? This is what Apple wants to accomplish with this invention.

“The exit of a vehicle to connect it to a charging station can be uncomfortable for the operator,” the patent reads. It adds that cars that need to be plugged in manually cannot be charged without a human operator, an issue that the company apparently also wants to address.

With this tool, an electric motor without human assistance can automatically connect to a charging station after being parked next to the charger (by a driver or with his self-driving ability). The charger also has an optional height adjustment mechanism to ensure that the plug can reach the car’s charging port.

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