Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has filed for a patent (number 20210027070) for a vehicle video system for an autonomous (self-driving) car.
Images would be obtained using cameras mounted on a vehicle, and at least a portion of them displayed on a screen. Motion of the vehicle could be controlled such that it moves toward a physical destination selected from images obtained using cameras mounted on a vehicle.
In the patent filing, Apple says that automated control systems for vehicles may navigate to a general area. For example, automated control systems may navigate to a general area as designated by a point on a map.
Navigation using information such as maps is not well-suited to designating a destination at a very specific location, such as the location of an entry door to a building or a place where a person is standing.
Apple’s idea is for its vehicle video system to obtain images using one or more cameras, send data to a display device, receive data representing a selected part of the obtained images, and correlate the selected part of the obtained images with a geolocation. The powertrain would be configured to move the vehicle toward the geolocation.
On January 8, Korea IT News reported that Apple and Hyundai would team up to produce electric vehicles. On January 10, it was reported that Apple and Hyundai plan to sign a partnership deal on autonomous electric cars by March and start production around 2024 in the U.S.
Then, on January 19, Korea’s eDaily claimed that Hyundai intends to transition the company’s “Apple Car” partnership to its Kia brand as part of an arrangement that could see production move to the U.S.
The report added that Hyundai has decided it’s “not suitable” for the Apple Car business because of its will, to continue the Hyundai brand. Plus, the car maker purportedly doesn’t want to come an original equipment manufacturer for Apple vehicles.
The accompanying image is courtesy of the Freelance site.
