Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Vanarama
It’s no longer a secret Apple is working on an EV, and based on the patents the firm keeps filing, the vehicle is going to significantly change the rules of the game in the auto industry.
A recent idea describes a method to provide what could be vehicle occupants with different content on the same screen based on where they are located inside.
The patent doesn’t specifically mention vehicles, but Apple says it can also be used for navigation screens. That’s another way of saying “cars”, as the Cupertino tech firm is obviously trying to keep its ambitions for the automotive world below the radar.
The so-called “display with a time-sequential directional backlight” filing explains that a screen could present different content to different viewers. It’s not hard to figure out how this could work in a car.
The screen on the dashboard could be used to provide navigation to the driver. This is something that’s already happening, but given it’s just one screen, it can only be used for a single activity. Because route guidance is so important, navigation apps are typically favored.
Apple’s patent envisions a world where the other vehicle occupants could also be provided with images on the same screen. Only that they wouldn’t see the navigation information, but something else. Such as a Netflix movie or a clip on YouTube. The idea is to keep everybody entertained without producing driver distraction. In some cases, the screen could only show a blank image to the driver, while everybody else watches Netflix.
Apple says the system uses a backlight uni. It controls how the light and images are presented at different angles. Polarizing the screen would make it possible for different content to be displayed at different angles, and given the field of view would be limited, it makes perfect sense in a car.
A similar approach could improve user privacy on smartphones. While iPhone users could see the content rendered on the display, people nearby would be provided with a blank screen.
Apple has so far remained tight-lipped on its plans for the automotive market. Sources close to the matter claim the vehicle would see daylight at some point in 2025. Apple’s innovative vehicle design wouldn’t be ready in time for the 2025 unveiling. So the first version of the Apple Car could launch with a more conventional approach.
Apple wants the Apple Car to be a living room on wheels with full self-driving capabilities. The original version could launch with a more conventional approach that has pedals and a steering wheel, while a new-generation refresh could be given to the Apple Car towards the end of the decade when Apple completes the work on more advanced tech.
The patent doesn’t specifically mention vehicles, but Apple says it can also be used for navigation screens. That’s another way of saying “cars”, as the Cupertino tech firm is obviously trying to keep its ambitions for the automotive world below the radar.
The so-called “display with a time-sequential directional backlight” filing explains that a screen could present different content to different viewers. It’s not hard to figure out how this could work in a car.
The screen on the dashboard could be used to provide navigation to the driver. This is something that’s already happening, but given it’s just one screen, it can only be used for a single activity. Because route guidance is so important, navigation apps are typically favored.
Apple’s patent envisions a world where the other vehicle occupants could also be provided with images on the same screen. Only that they wouldn’t see the navigation information, but something else. Such as a Netflix movie or a clip on YouTube. The idea is to keep everybody entertained without producing driver distraction. In some cases, the screen could only show a blank image to the driver, while everybody else watches Netflix.
Apple says the system uses a backlight uni. It controls how the light and images are presented at different angles. Polarizing the screen would make it possible for different content to be displayed at different angles, and given the field of view would be limited, it makes perfect sense in a car.
A similar approach could improve user privacy on smartphones. While iPhone users could see the content rendered on the display, people nearby would be provided with a blank screen.
Apple has so far remained tight-lipped on its plans for the automotive market. Sources close to the matter claim the vehicle would see daylight at some point in 2025. Apple’s innovative vehicle design wouldn’t be ready in time for the 2025 unveiling. So the first version of the Apple Car could launch with a more conventional approach.
Apple wants the Apple Car to be a living room on wheels with full self-driving capabilities. The original version could launch with a more conventional approach that has pedals and a steering wheel, while a new-generation refresh could be given to the Apple Car towards the end of the decade when Apple completes the work on more advanced tech.
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