Apple patent involves syncing an Apple Car display with iPhones, iPads, Mac laptops : Tech Live Trends

Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (US 11692840) that involves easy syncing between an iPhone, iPad or a Mac laptop in a vehicle. 

About the patent

In the patent dubbed “Device, Method, And Graphical User Interface For Synchronizing Two Or More Displays,” Apple notes that the use of touch-sensitive surfaces as input devices for computers and other electronic computing devices has increased significantly in recent years. 

Sometimes users have access to multiple different displays that are capable of displaying different content. For example, a passenger in a car or other vehicle may have access to a smart phone and its display, as well as access to a car information/entertainment system and its display(s). 

However, Apple says that when multiple different displays are available, methods for displaying content on these different displays are cumbersome and inefficient. For example, displaying the same information on the different displays generally doesn’t provide any useful additional information to the user, while displaying unrelated information on the different displays can be confusing and inefficient for the user and sometime causes the user to spend extra time keeping relevant content displayed on both devices. 

In addition, these methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.

Apple’s goal is to a provide “a fast, accurate and efficient system and method for mapping controls and other input sources to different displays of the two or more displays.”

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “At a portable electronic device that includes a portable-device display and is in communication with a vehicle display, displaying a first user interface on the portable-device display. Sending, from the portable electronic device to the vehicle display, information for generating a second user interface, the second user interface including an affordance. While the second user interface is displayed on the vehicle display, detecting an input activating the affordance in the second user interface, and in response, causing the portable electronic device to invoke a digital assistant. 

“In response to invoking the digital assistant, prompting a user for an audible request. In response to receiving the audible request, causing display, within the second user interface, of a digital assistant dialogue box; and subsequently causing display, within the second user interface, of a user interface object associated with a search result, and maintaining the first user interface on the portable-device display.”

When might we see an Apple Car?

On. Nov. 18, 2021, Bloomberg reported that Apple is accelerating development on its “Apple Car.” The article says the electric vehicle will be self-driving and could roll out in 2025. 

What’s more, in a note to clients — as noted by AppleInsider — investment bank Wedbush says Apple is likely to announce a strategic electric vehicle partnership in 2022 to lay the groundwork for an “Apple Car” release in 2025.