Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (number 11713859 B2) for “systems with adjustable lights” for vehicles.
About the patent
To accommodate different driving conditions, Apple notes that headlights are sometimes provided with adjustable settings such as low beam and high beam settings. Apple’s idea is for the lights may be electrically adjustable so that the color and pattern of the illumination may be varied. Control circuitry in a vehicle may adjust the lights based on sensor data, user input, and other criteria.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A vehicle may have lights such as headlights and other vehicle lights for providing vehicle illumination. The lights may be electrically adjustable so that the color and pattern of the illumination may be varied. Sensor data and/or other data may be used in determining how to adjust the lights.
“A light such as headlight may have a light source such as a white light source or multicolored light source, a light collimator that receives light from the light source, and an adjustable lens array that receives collimated light from the light collimator and outputs corresponding adjustable vehicle illumination. The adjustable lens array may have fixed and/or adjustable lens elements and corresponding electrically adjustable light modulator elements.”
When might we see an Apple Car?
On. Nov. 18, 2021, 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.
