14 DAY TRIAL // The US Patent and Trademark Office has a published a new filing by Apple. The invention details ways an iDevice user can track his car in a big parking lot even if the vehicle has been moved, or if the phone doesn't get good cell reception.
Apple has been toying with this idea for more than a year now. PatentlyApple reveals that there were a number of filings related to the matter. A new one, published by the US Patent and Trademark Office seems to be linking to the previous ones and sheds some more light on how this idea may turn into reality.
The Cupertino tech giant is probably not ready to ship this in iOS 8 as part of the Maps app, but that doesn't mean they cannot create a totally separate app for that purpose. Similar to Find my iPhone or Find my Friends, the new Find my Car app will use cellular coverage only if the phone can get it, but it will not base its functionality on it.
The filing explains how mobile phones are always with the user. Keeping it in his pocket can create a huge advantage for the user that wants to find lost items, even if that item is a moving one. On the other hand, Apple explains that locating a vehicle in a big parking lot can prove difficult especially when you deal with hundreds of cars or bike racks spread on multiple levels.
Apple's outdoor/indoor parking location technology is a solution for the user that does not have any apps running on mobile devices that are accurate enough to provide directions in a parking lot. The invention also explains how an app could be sending the user a signal when is moving, is the parking is done by someone else, for example.
After that, when the user is trying to find his car, the information is associated with his latitude and longitude, the car's coordinates, the parking level and it can also integrate with other apps like Maps.