Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (number 11,180,005) for a “system with windows” for a vehicle.
About the patent
In the patent, Apple notes that windows such as vehicle windows sometimes include laminated glass layers. Laminated glass may be used, for example, to provide strength to front windshields.
Apple says that, however, it can be challenging, to incorporate desired features into vehicle windows without creating structures that are vulnerable to damage or that do not offer desired levels of performance. The tech giant wants to overcome such challenges.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A system such as a vehicle may have windows. A window may have a structural window layer such as a structural window layer formed from laminated glass layers. A thin chemically strengthened glass layer may be coupled to an inwardly facing surface of the structural window layer.
“A guest-host liquid crystal light modulator layer or other electrically adjustable optical component layer may be interposed between the chemically strengthened glass layer and the structural window layer. An infrared light-blocking coating may be formed on an inwardly facing surface of one of the pair of laminated glass layers. The inwardly facing surface of the thin chemically strengthened glass layer may be provided with a coating that includes a low emissivity layer to block heat and that serves as an antireflection coating.”
When might we see an Apple Car?
On. Nov. 18, 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. According to Bloomberg, potential features of the Apple Car are:
° No steering wheel or pedals accompanied by an interior designed for hands-off travel;
° An emergency takeover mode (though I’m not sure how this wold work with no steering wheel or pedals);
° An infotainment center in the middle of the vehicle;
Following its prediction that Apple will be a “game changer” in augmented reality, Morgan Stanley researchers see the same happening with the “Apple Car,” but at a slower pace. The research firm expects sales to be slow at first, but will accelerate as time goes by.
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.
According to analyst Daniel Ives, Wedbush continues to believe that it’s a matter of when — and not if — Apple releases a self-driving car. Ives adds that the company’s entry into the auto market could add $30 per share of total addressable market to Apple’s growth story.
