Apple files for patent involving ‘problem reporting in maps’

Apple is planning a revamp of its Maps app. And the tech giant has applied for a patent (number 20180197332) for “problem reporting in maps” that shows its serious about beefing up its mapping application. 

In the patent filing, Apple notes that, despite their popularity, mapping and navigation applications have shortcomings with their user interfaces and features that cause inconvenience to the users. The company wants to address this.

One option: a “page curl” displayed on a map view. It would allow a user to browse or search a location or to identify a route. 

Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “For a mapping application, a method for reporting a problem related to a map displayed by the mapping application is described. The method identifies a mode in which the mapping application is operating. The method identifies a set of types of problems to report based on the identified mode. The method displays, in a display area of the mapping application, a graphical user interface (GUI) page that includes a set of selectable user interface (UI) items that represent the identified set of types of problems.”

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.