Even as the “Apple Car” rumors continue to pick up steam, Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,293,718) for a “motion control seating system” for a vehicle. It’s designed to combat motion sickness.
Apple says that vehicle occupants can experience different types of motion that can cause physical discomfort. Vibration, for example, can negatively impact blood flow and nerve sensation of the vehicle occupant, particularly during driving periods having a long duration. Motion sickness is another common discomfort reported by vehicle occupants. Apple says that reducing or removing the effects of vibration and discordant stimuli can improve the overall comfort of vehicle occupants.
The seating system includes a support surface having a surface contour formed by first springs having fixed stiffness values, a frame, and second springs having adjustable stiffness values coupling the support surface and the frame. The first springs and the second springs together control motion of the support surface in relation to motion of the frame.
Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.
