Google Maps Could Eventually Support "Administrator" Modes for Navigation

Apple has recently shifted its strategy towards a Google-inspired approach. The company abandoned the Apple Car, turning its automotive expansion into a software and services-exclusive plan. The company's push in this sector will be spearheaded by Apple Maps and CarPlay.

Meanwhile, Google is also exploring ways to keep Google Maps at the forefront of the navigation space on mobile devices and in the car.

Immersive view for routes is a fantastic idea whose availability should increase fast, allowing users to preview their routes in a multidimensional mode, realistically simulating the real world.

However, Google is also exploring other ideas, some of which can be previewed thanks to recently filed patents.

One such idea is called "supporting multiple roles in voice-enabled navigation" and describes a way for Google Maps to make a difference between the users interacting with the app using voice commands. It means users will be able to assign an "administrator," instructing the app to ignore commands from other people.

If you're a tech-savvy person, the administrator configuration is already available in popular software, including Windows. Microsoft allows users to set up multiple accounts on the same computer, assigning different rights to each account. Eventually, only administrators get full permission to change the computer settings and read and modify system files.

Google is now working on a similar approach for Google Maps. The application already supports voice commands and recognizes input via Google Assistant on Android, but Google wants to push the experience to a new level.

The search giant explains in the patent that Google Maps will be able to store multiple user profiles based on their audio fingerprint.

Google explains that while Google Maps supports voice requests, "passengers may also interfere with the navigation session by, for example, inappropriately modifying the route." The company goes on to detail how assigning administrator rights to certain users would prevent this from happening, allowing only authorized users to control the app.

Google calls the settings authorization and priority levels for "additional users who are not included in the user profile." While the main user, in this case, the owner of the mobile device where Google Maps is installed, always has full control over the app, the other configured profiles come with a lower priority level.

Google says it'd support multiple authorization levels. The first authorization level would allow users to configure navigation, including changing the destination, adding or removing stop points, or adjusting route preferences. Multiple priority levels can eventually be configured to let users access Google Maps data, including route information, without access to adjusting navigation or other features restricted to administrator accounts.

Assigning different roles in Google Maps will be possible with the audio fingerprint.

Google Maps will be able to store audio recordings comprising the voice characteristics of every user whose account receives access to certain features. When someone sends a voice request, such as adding a new stop, Google Maps compares the live audio with the information stored in the application. If there's a match, Google Maps performs the request. Otherwise, it shows an error or reads a message telling the user they are not allowed to run the requested operation. An administrator could also be notified that someone tried to perform an action without having the necessary rights.

Google Maps will also be able to automatically create profiles and assign authorization levels based on usage data. For example, if you and your wife drive the same car running Android Automotive (where Google Maps ships pre-loaded with the car if Google's Automotive Services are installed), the application can automatically create a voice profile and add both users to the administrator list. It can also ask for confirmation that a certain user can be assigned the administrator role, allowing the main user (the device's owner, who gets full rights by default) to delete accounts and adjust permissions at any given time.

Such a system can be helpful in shared cars, rentals, or even self-driving vehicles where configuring navigation should only be permitted for certain users. Google seems to be planning in advance, envisioning a future where Google Maps would become the navigation engine in self-driving cars, preventing others from changing their routes when traveling to a configured destination.

Meanwhile, the idea is still in the patent stage, so we're still far from when the search giant could begin the development of such a feature. Sometimes, companies patent technology only to protect their ideas, so you'd better not hold your breath for user profiles in Google Maps because Google can always drop it.

You can find the full patent in the box after the jump if you want to read all the technical tidbits about how Google Maps would offer read-and-write access only to certain users.