Apple Really Wants to Control Your Car (Or at Least Part of It)

This week, a patent filing from Apple was discovered.  The US Patent and Trademark Office has in its possession a document called "Synchronizing Mobile and Vehicle Devices."  It looks like Apple is looking for ways to more tightly integrate iPhones/iPods/iPads with the infotainment systems in cars.

Apple Insider published this drawing.

Obviously, Apple wants to use the iPhone's GPS with cars.  But what other ways are they thinking about when they say "Sync Device and Vehicle?"

I'd love it if someone came up with an interface that replicated the display on my phone on the display in my dashboard.  After fighting with a couple of infotainment systems over the past year, I just want all my devices and vehicles to get along using a standard interface.

In an ideal world, whatever was on your phone--iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, Blackberry--would be accessible through the dashboard using the same interface.  Is that too much to ask?  (I'm not being sarcastic; I really want to know.)

Comments

[Aaron]

If Apple gets this patent, then yes, it will definitely be too much to ask if you are a non-Apple user. ;-)

[James DeLara]

I read something recently about using VNC (Virtual Network Computing) for just this purpose. It replicates the desktop of any mobile device to a screen in the vehicle. I've been using VNC to remotely control computers both in another room and a thousand miles away for years. It's really just a window through which to see and control a computer that's not in front of you, and would serve your wish completely.

I don't really know where this went -- my car is too old to make use of it, so I haven't been paying close attention to this sort of use for the technology.

I just know that it works.