A US patent application by Apple would give the tech company's devices control of car interior settings and maybe even the home.
Imagine getting into any modern car -- even a rental -- and everything being just right. The wing mirrors are at the perfect position, the seat at the optimum distance from the pedals, the air conditioning is how you like it and the music playing on the stereo is made up entirely of your favorite tracks from your favorite artists. As Apple's invention notes, while such self-configurable environments are convenient, they are rarely transportable. To solve this apparent problem, the patent application details a method of using a portable device, such as an iPhone, to take environment configuration information on-the-go. The technology could allow for an iPhone to become a universal configuration tool for the world around its user. The document focuses mainly on the car, which is understandable given the level of environment customization implemented by a number of auto makers. In one embodiment, the portable device acts connects with the car's computer to relay a set of custom options stored by the user. For example, a user could store their personal preferences onto a portable device, and when that device enters a car, it will send the appropriate configuration information.
Aside from the basic seat positioning information, the patent filing goes further and describes an embodiment that can adjust components in a car based on angle measurements, driver positioning, and other metrics. Driving the advanced configuration is "environment-translation software" that would run on a user's device, adjusting options based on measurements taken by the car. Such a system would be useful in the case of car rentals, or new car purchases, the application notes.
Imagine getting into any modern car -- even a rental -- and everything being just right. The wing mirrors are at the perfect position, the seat at the optimum distance from the pedals, the air conditioning is how you like it and the music playing on the stereo is made up entirely of your favorite tracks from your favorite artists. As Apple's invention notes, while such self-configurable environments are convenient, they are rarely transportable. To solve this apparent problem, the patent application details a method of using a portable device, such as an iPhone, to take environment configuration information on-the-go. The technology could allow for an iPhone to become a universal configuration tool for the world around its user. The document focuses mainly on the car, which is understandable given the level of environment customization implemented by a number of auto makers. In one embodiment, the portable device acts connects with the car's computer to relay a set of custom options stored by the user. For example, a user could store their personal preferences onto a portable device, and when that device enters a car, it will send the appropriate configuration information.
Aside from the basic seat positioning information, the patent filing goes further and describes an embodiment that can adjust components in a car based on angle measurements, driver positioning, and other metrics. Driving the advanced configuration is "environment-translation software" that would run on a user's device, adjusting options based on measurements taken by the car. Such a system would be useful in the case of car rentals, or new car purchases, the application notes.
Apple's "Automatic configuration of self-configurable environments" filing, originally applied for in 2012 and made public on Thursday, August 1, details how with nothing more than a device such as an iPhone, all of this -- and a lot more -- could become a reality.
A number of modern cars have a memory setting so that one, two or even a family of drivers can save their seat and mirror position settings, and while that's great, those preferences can't be carried over to other vehicles easily. OK, with the 2013 range of BMWs, a driver can export his or her settings to a USB thumb drive and then connect it to another BMW. But unless you only ever drive or rent 2013 BMWs it is of extremely limited use.
The features described in Apple's concept, first discovered by Appleinsider, could take this one stage further by being able to communicate with the car in question to take measurements within the cabin in order to calculate the optimum position of things such as wing mirrors -- after all each car is different in the sense that windshields, rear and side windows are different: shapes, sizes and heights and overtaking mirrors are sometimes mounted forward of the front doors, and sometimes are part of the doors.
In other embodiments, house or hotel climate controls, television, lighting and other home automation settings are briefly covered. Though sparse on details, it can be imagined that a portable device would be able to control an entertainment system, air conditioning, and other connected appliances.
While Apple's invention would rely heavily on the cooperation of third-party manufacturers to build out the robust ecosystem required to facilitate such a system, the benefits to the user would be substantial. The company is already rolling out a type of configuration method in iOS in the Car, though it has already seen pushback from car manufacturers hesitant to implement the solution in their infotainment systems.
Though focused on the car -- because of the number of motorized, electronic customizable elements already found in the cabin -- the filing also covers smart living environments and how a device could transfer home settings -- such as lights, air conditioning and preferred TV channels -- to a hotel room.
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