Apple Maps has a secret weapon to end the hegemony of Google Maps. A new patent from Cupertino giant reveals that its mapping application will integrate an AR (Augmented Reality) service to improve urban navigation.
The Cult of Mac portal revealed that Apple applied for a patent titled "Augmented Reality Navigation", and describes that the application will overlay "route information onto live views of the road in front of the car.".
Augmented reality would require the driver's iPhone to be mounted on the car's dashboard and with the camera pointing towards the road.
The driver would see real-time views of their route overlaid with navigation information, such as speed limits, directions, and street names.
The patent description explains that, "by overlaying the navigation layer onto captured images, the user can clearly and easily understand which lane to place themselves in without having to decipher how general symbols correlate to the real world".
Cult Of Mac indicates that this feature could work with augmented reality glasses, although this technology has not worked exactly, and there are possible safety concerns associated with drivers having their field of vision blocked by computer-generated symbols.
As with any patent, there is no guarantee that AR navigation will come to Apple Maps, but if it does, it could give the application a much-needed boost ahead of Google Maps.
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