Advanced Computing in the Age of AI | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Apple Hits the Road with iOS in the Car and an In-Car Touchscreen 

<img style="float: left;" src="http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2013/06/dash005.jpg" alt="" width="95" height="63" border="0" />Apple, the empire created by Jobs and Wozniak, would like to extend its reach even further, and has set its sights on the auto industry. In 2009, the company filed a patent that was finally granted this past Tuesday, which deals with in-car displays, with Apple’s special touch, of course.

Apple, the empire created by Jobs and Wozniak, would like to extend its reach even further, and has set its sights on the auto industry.  In 2009, the company filed a patent that was finally granted this past Tuesday, which deals with in-car displays, with Apple’s special touch, of course.

Entitled, “Programmable tactile touch screen displays and man-machine interfaces for improved vehicle instrumentation and telematics,” the patent is for an entirely new and advanced dashboard.  Not only does it have audio and navigation controls like one would expect, it also has embedded tactile controls that would control everything from temperature to windshield wipers.

Portions of the capacitive touchscreen are raised and indented and these areas have the ability to light up and “glow” when they’re ready to be used.  Once their specified action has been completed, the light will fade out, letting the user know that it is done.  The system also has cameras and a heads-up display that can detect the position of the driver’s head.

Since the patent just got approved this week, it’ll probably be a while before we see this system in any vehicles.  In the meantime, Apple has something else planned for our transportation. 

At WWDC last month, Apple announced iOS in the Car, an integration of a mobile OS into the dashboard of a car that would allow an iPhone to integrate with the dashboard.  It includes the Lightning to USB connection that is compatible with most new vehicles, along with an option to connect to the car’s head unit over WiFi. 

By either pressing the buttons on the dash or by speaking with iPhone’s Siri, you can control everything from iTunes Radio to Maps. 

This will most likely be seen in 2014 as many automakers are excited to integrate this technology with their vehicles as quickly as possible. Honda, Volvo, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and even Ferrari have all shown interest in iOS for the Car.     

As the system works its way from Apple to the assembly lines, we should expect to see the iOS make its debut with 2015 model lines.

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