Apple may have given up on Project Titan, but it’s still in the vehicle game. Now, it has an idea for a better vehicle visibility display.
Apple worked on Project Titan for at least a decade, focusing on the development of an autonomous car. Although the company canceled the project at the beginning of this year, its interest in vehicle-related features didn’t disappear.
Recently, the company’s patent, “Displays for exterior views,” was approved. The new patent suggests new types of displays that could show drivers what’s happening on the right and left sides as well as in the rear without having to look at mirrors attached for this purpose.
The document explains why the “conventional” way of using mirrors to navigate while driving can be dangerous.
“[...] mirrors are located separately from the front windshield, so a driver or other passenger in the vehicle must look away from the front windshield to check the mirrors before changing lanes, breaking, or taking other actions. If care is not taken, the risk of collisions may be increased when the user is looking away from the front windshield in order to check the mirrors.”
According to Apple, the solution to this problem is integrating one of the displays, which may include a “head-up display, a surface-laminated display, an embedded display, and/or any other suitable type of display,” into the car’s front windshield. This way, the driver no longer has to shift and check each side or the back to spot any obstacles.
How would this work? The displays integrated into the windshield could show images from cameras installed into the vehicle. For example, cameras integrated into each side of the car could display images or live views on the front windshield, providing a driver with a full view of what’s going on on the road.
While Apple has stopped Project Titan, Patently Apple notes that it’s not clear whether these patents mark the start of a new venture into the auto industry or if the company is ready to sell them to other interested parties.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are markedmarked