Apple wins new patent: automatic pre-setting and automation subsystem for vehicle personalized configuration

According to foreign media reports, the US Patent and Trademark Office announced 68 newly granted patents by Apple. Two of them cover Apple's semi-automatic or fully automatic electric vehicles (Titan Project), namely Automatic Configuration of Self-Configurable Environments and Vehicle with Automated Subsystems.

Personalized configuration automatic preset

The first patent involves a self-configuring environment, such as a car. Specifically, a user's iPhone can obtain configuration preference data from their personal car, and when using another car (such as when leasing or purchasing a new car), the user can import these configuration preferences into the car and automatically configure the car based on the imported data. The data includes seat orientation, radio (especially satellite radio), air conditioning temperature and other preferences.

Figure 2 below is a side view of the vehicle cockpit (#200). As shown, the cockpit includes an adjustable steering wheel (#201) and an adjustable seat (#203). By way of non-limiting example, the seat can be adjusted up and down, forward and backward, and the recline angle can be increased and decreased (#206), and the distance of the steering wheel from the driver can also be adjusted. Although not shown, other aspects of the passenger experience can also be adjusted, such as rearview mirrors, lumbar support, air conditioning temperature, radio preferences, etc.

(Image source: PatentlyApple) 

Figure 4 above shows a rear view of the car showing the back of the driver's head and its distance from the rearview mirror (#402), the driver's side mirror (#404), and the passenger side mirror (#406).

Vehicle Automation Subsystem

Road-going vehicles need to have components responsible for controlling operation, such as steering, propulsion and braking. Vehicles also need to have manual controls, as well as fully automated or semi-automated systems.

Some of Apple's latest patents can be used in vehicle automation subsystems, such as a propulsion system that can independently control the propulsion torque of each wheel; a steering system that can independently control the steering angle of each wheel; a braking system that can independently control the braking torque of each wheel; an active suspension system that can adjust the relative movement of the wheel and the body by independently controlling the force of each wheel; and a vehicle control module that can determine the expected horizontal movement of the chassis, the corresponding control strategy, and the output commands issued to the propulsion, steering, braking systems, and active suspension.

FIG1 below shows a wheeled vehicle for transporting passengers and/or cargo that is about to hit the road. The patent drawing highlights various subsystems, such as a propulsion subsystem, a steering subsystem, a braking subsystem, an active suspension subsystem, a thermal management subsystem, a power management subsystem, and a sensor subsystem.

(Image source: PatentlyApple)

FIG. 4 above shows the propulsion brake assembly and FIG. 8 shows the brake actuator assembly.