| Apple Patents In-Car GPS with Safety Features
  Apple files a great many patents, nothing new there. It is standard practice for any tech company to patent anything and everything just in case it is of future value.
However this patent is relates to GPS and is for an in-car navigation system and more specifically safety features that prevent a driver from interacting with the device whilst in motion.
The patent filing states: "Many navigation systems use knobs and pushbuttons for entering destination and other information for use in determining driving directions. The accurate use of such input devices may force the driver to take her eyes off the road, resulting in a potentially hazardous condition."
The detail of the 11 page patent filing concerns methods of locking down the system or allowing operation by a passenger only. There are already systems in use that lock out access to the device when a vehicle is moving but the detail concerning sensors that can detect from which side of the vehicle a device is being operated are new.
It is a lengthy filing as is common with Patent filings but news of a patent that seek to restrict access will doubtless cause many to roll their eyes.
| Comments
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 Posted by bedbug on Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:05 pm |
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iPhone 4/4S (iOS 5.1.1); TomTom Western Europe (1.10)/USA & Canada (1.10); CoPilot for iPhone (8), UK mapping, Mac OS 10.8/XP Pro/Win7; Tongue firmly in cheek! |
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| Posted by SpikeyMikey on Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:35 pm |
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| Quote: | The accurate use of such input devices may force the driver to take her eyes off the road, resulting in a potentially hazardous condition."
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This made me laugh. 
Dons tin hat and hides in corner
Mike
TT GO6000 (Europe); iPhone and iPad Pro with iOS TT GO & MyDrive + CamerAlert |
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| Posted by Darren on Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:51 pm |
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ROTFL, for a moment there I thought it was my typo but no, for a change it's in the patent filing, nice!
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by MaFt on Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:19 pm |
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| Darren Wrote: | | The detail of the 11 page patent filing concerns methods of locking down the system or allowing operation by a passenger only. |
i presume then that apple believe it is safer for a passenger to lean over in front of the driver to control the satnav than the driver to do it?
what would stop the driver using their left hand to simulate being a passenger hand? maybe they could add fingerprint recognition to the touch screen...
MaFt
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| Posted by Darren on Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:23 pm |
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You haven't read the full patent then!
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by GerryC on Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:52 pm |
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| Patent Wrote: | | 8. The method of claim 1, where input includes input provided by one or more sensors from a group of sensors consisting of: a touch-sensitive display, a seat sensor, a seatbelt sensor, an infrared sensor, a proximity sensor, an optical sensor, a biometric sensor and a digital camera. |
Can we say "overkill"? 
With that many sensors, why can't it just "see" what the driver wants by hand waves etc without having to touch the screen at all?
Gerry
TomTom730T
Cameralert for Android
Brodit ProClip mount |
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| Posted by Darren on Tue Mar 31, 2009 4:05 pm |
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I think the key phrase is "one or more sensors"? I doubt they would ever prose employing them all at once.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by worried on Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:05 pm |
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That OK then my Navman has a remote control
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| Posted by Kar98 on Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:56 pm |
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| GerryC Wrote: | | Patent Wrote: | | 8. The method of claim 1, where input includes input provided by one or more sensors from a group of sensors consisting of: a touch-sensitive display, a seat sensor, a seatbelt sensor, an infrared sensor, a proximity sensor, an optical sensor, a biometric sensor and a digital camera. |
Can we say "overkill"?
With that many sensors, why can't it just "see" what the driver wants by hand waves etc without having to touch the screen at all? |
They're just covering all the possible bases they could think of. They would have added "or any other method anybody might think of in the future, feasible or not", if it were allowed.
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| Posted by culzean on Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:48 am |
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I think that when satnavs are used properly they are actually a great aid to road safety, they remove the need for people to balance a map book on the steering wheel (yes I used to see this often) or on the passenger seat and keep looking down at it. They can take the stress out of driving in strange places and having to look out for speed and other cameras.
I think that drivers shouldn't be able to mess with them too much while the car is moving - I use the 'garmin lock' on mine to stop myself from being tempted to poke at the screen while zooming along. There are far too many distractions in cars today for my liking - including drivers phoning / texting while driving and ICE systems with loads of fiddly little multi-function buttons that are a real distraction.
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