Sometimes, even if we are not getting too old (promise!) we can never find our cars in a crowded parking garage or lot. We walk out of wherever we are with conviction, take about 10 steps and stand there, stupefied, wondering where in the world the car is. We may one day get a helping hand from Apple.
Published by the U.S. Trade and Patent Office, an Apple patent application called
“Method for locating a vehicle” describes a technology in which your mobile device can talk to your car through a Bluetooth connection to confirm that it’s parked somewhere nearby. The parking garage itself would also have its own wireless system to pinpoint the exact location of your car. A map would then display on your phone to lead you to your car, similar to the way current GPS systems lead you to a specific address.
So, say you found your car and you swear you had them, but you can’t find your keys. No problem. Your iPhone could lend a hand with that too. Another patent application called “Accessing a vehicle using portable devices” details a way to unlock the door using your mobile device. Your phone would essentially act as a replacement for a key fob, using certain security and authentication methods to gain access to your car.
Once inside, you could then use your phone to start the car, turn on the radio, adjust the seats, activate the headlights, and open the sunroof. Your car could even change certain settings based on the credentials stored on the iPhone. For example, the car seats or mirror would adjust themselves automatically depending on who’s in the driver’s seat.
According to the application: In some embodiments, the vehicle-related operation can include a personalization operation, in which the vehicle automatically adjusts an environmental setting (e.g., seat position, mirror position, temperature controls, settings for an audio or audiovisual entertainment system) based on the received vehicle access credential and/or on the particular portable device from which the vehicle access credential is received.
Apple, along with everyone else in this industry, is set on saving us all, one piece of technology at a time.
