Apple patent filing involves a ‘vehicle viewing system’

Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has filed for a patent (number 10,306,289) for a “vehicle viewing system.” It involves a method that  includes obtaining a video based on images detected with cameras mounted on a vehicle and displaying a portion of the video corresponding to a time offset and a viewing angle.

In the patent filing, Apple notes that some folks have difficulty seeing out of a vehicle, because their view is obstructed by their positioning within the vehicle or because of vision. Others wish to update friends or loved ones about their progress on a trip, e.g., when they are traveling in a vehicle to meet someone. 

Conventional facilities for sharing current location include providing coordinates on a map. But, map data may not tell the whole story. Apple thinks its vehicle viewing system is the answer.

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.