Tech giant Apple is seeking a patent for an augmented reality display system that can project various information on the surface of a car windshield. According to the information in a U.S. Patent Office filing, the iPhone company is proposing an advanced high-end technology with a graphical overlay that provides drivers with real-time data about the environment, such as other vehicles, pedestrians, objects in the distance and more.
This AR display system could utilise the same advanced sensors used in Apple’s Vision Pro headset to collect information about the environment, relying on a variety of sensors, such as light cameras, infrared cameras, ultrasonic sensors, depth sensors, LiDAR and more to create a three-dimensional model of the car’s surroundings.
Integrating digital elements
The patent also refers to the use of geographical positioning devices and radar devices. Apple’s AR project wouldn’t simply overlay the physical elements of the environment, but would instead integrate them into full-scale projection.
The company’s 24-page patent also suggests that Apple is working on a FaceTime application that would allow occupants in the same vehicle or in different vehicles to have synchronised conversations.
Apple writes in the patent, “In some embodiments, an augmented reality display system included in a vehicle enables visual communication between an occupant of the vehicle and a remotely located user, including an occupant of a separate vehicle.”
However, many proposals in what is Apple’s latest patent application aren’t exactly brand-new concepts. The company filed a similar patent in 2018 for what was then a ‘smart’ windshield.
During its annual developers conference last year, Apple also previewed an updated version of CarPlay that would allow it to take over more of a car’s dashboard, displaying virtual gauges and widgets for things like calendar alerts and weather information.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
