Sunday, December 22, 2024
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Apple patents filing is for NR vehicle-to-everything communication for an Apple Car

The pictured Apple Car concept is courtesy of Vanarama.

Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has filed for a patent (number 20220086607) for “system information design for new radio (NR) vehicle-to-everything (V2X) sidelink operation.” Basically, it involves plans for such a vehicle to be able to easily communicate with other Apple Cars, iPhones, and Apple Watches.

About the patent filing

The patent filing involves vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications —  automobile technologies designed to allow automobiles to communicate with each other and with other devices (e.g., pedestrian smartphones and traffic lights). Apple says these technologies have the potential to redefine transportation by providing real-time, highly reliable, and actionable information flows to enable safety, mobility and environmental applications. Additionally, these techniques may pave the way to connected and automated driving (CAD). 

5G NR (New Radio) is a new radio access technology (RAT) developed for the 5G (fifth generation) mobile network. It was designed to be the global standard for the air interface of 5G networks.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing with technical details: “This disclosure relates to embodiments New Radio (NR) vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. Some of embodiments generate system information block (SIB) messages having configurations for V2X communication modes, and transmit the SIB messages to a user equipment (UE). V2X communication modes include unicast, groupcast and broadcast modes. An example configuration includes a sidelink communication using a V2X communication mode.”

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. 

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.

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.