Photo: USPTO
Apple announced the new-generation CarPlay earlier this year at WWDC, with the company promising to see it live on several cars launching in late 2023.
While we’re still some one year away from the moment this is scheduled to happen, the Cupertino-based tech giant is already working around the clock on getting this massive upgrade for CarPlay ready for prime time.
And a recently discovered patent provides us with an early look at how the next version of CarPlay could be integrated into the driving experience.
First of all, we already knew that CarPlay would take over all displays inside the car, including the dashboard screens behind the wheel. But according to the patent, Apple plans to provide carmakers and users alike with full customization power (this isn’t necessarily surprising, though, as Google is also using a similar approach for Android Automotive).
The patent envisions what are described as widgets, which are essentially the apps that will show up on the screen where CarPlay is running. You can choose from music, time, weather conditions, navigation, and so on.
Furthermore, Apple will let users configure the color of the widget and the position on the dashboard, though worth knowing that even the template itself can be configured. This means you can choose from multiple layouts and then decide where each widget is placed in a way that lets you configure the most convenient and easy-to-read interface.
The navigation app can also be placed at the forefront of the entire experience, and this isn’t necessarily surprising, given most drivers rely on such software behind the wheel. The rest of the CarPlay UI would be placed right next to it, this time with a more classic approach that looks similar to the one already available today.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind this is just a patent for now, so there’s no guarantee the ideas described by Apple here would eventually get the go-ahead.
And a recently discovered patent provides us with an early look at how the next version of CarPlay could be integrated into the driving experience.
First of all, we already knew that CarPlay would take over all displays inside the car, including the dashboard screens behind the wheel. But according to the patent, Apple plans to provide carmakers and users alike with full customization power (this isn’t necessarily surprising, though, as Google is also using a similar approach for Android Automotive).
The patent envisions what are described as widgets, which are essentially the apps that will show up on the screen where CarPlay is running. You can choose from music, time, weather conditions, navigation, and so on.
Furthermore, Apple will let users configure the color of the widget and the position on the dashboard, though worth knowing that even the template itself can be configured. This means you can choose from multiple layouts and then decide where each widget is placed in a way that lets you configure the most convenient and easy-to-read interface.
The navigation app can also be placed at the forefront of the entire experience, and this isn’t necessarily surprising, given most drivers rely on such software behind the wheel. The rest of the CarPlay UI would be placed right next to it, this time with a more classic approach that looks similar to the one already available today.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind this is just a patent for now, so there’s no guarantee the ideas described by Apple here would eventually get the go-ahead.
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