“The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday published an Apple application for a method of generating car travel routes based on user preference and crowd-sourced real-time traffic data,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.
“Much like the popular crowd-sourced navigation app Waze, which was recently acquired by Google, Apple’s ‘User-specified route rating and alerts’ patent filing generates custom routing information based on user input,” Campbell reports. “As described, the system pertains to cellular-enabled mobile devices with built-in GPS components, like an iPhone or iPad.”
Campbell reports, “It is unclear if Apple will one day include the crowd-sourced alert and route rating system into its Maps app, though the number of iOS devices in use could make for a robust network if deployed correctly. Apple’s route rating patent application was first filed for in December 2011.”
Read more, and see Apple patent application illustrations and UI wireframes, in the full article here.
Do you think Google wants to purchase Waze to initiate yet another patent fight?
I ain’t a lawyer, but I can’t see where Waze has anything it can really protect.
I know lots of people like Waze, but I never saw the attraction- it’s butt-ugly and visually crowded, and while it has some nice integration, that can’t possibly warrant Google’s purchase, can it? I’m holding out that Apple’s solution will be the most utilitarian.
My experience with the iOS Waze app here in CA is mostly just folks wanting to chat. Cannot imagine how all these people can drive and tap their nonsense at the same time. Talk about distracted drivers. I have found that Maps and Google maps both show traffic pretty well. I do not need Facebook on the road.
I have been consistently impressed with Siri as a navigation system – way better than Garmin or TomTom! Siri has even come up with some very interesting (and smart) ways to get around Old City here in Philly, taking me down little alleys and back roads that were true time savers. The speed with which she recalculates a route once you decide to change course is also very impressive.
I noted earlier article about iPhone in the car. Suppose that every car could (with proper security in place) become a rolling traffic sensor feeding back to iCloud. Without users having to do anything, Siri would know traffic conditions automagically.
I just got a new iPhone 5 (I know there is a new model immanent but I needed it now) and Siri and maps are awesome ! I liked on the iPhone 4 but on the 5 it works beautifully. I tried Waze as well but was useless and ugly.
Apple’s seems to be adding similar functionality built into the core of iOS elegantly and integrated as opposed to google’s knobled together mess.
Can’t wait for iOS 7 !!!!
Coming in two years.