“Back in late March Apple acquired indoor-GPS Company called WifiSLAM signaling that Apple could be entering the indoor mobile location services business sometime in the future,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple. “WifiSLAM’s software allows a user’s smartphone to pinpoint its location (and the location of friends) in real-time to 2.5m accuracy using only ambient WiFi signals that are already present in buildings.”
“Today, a key patent application from Apple titled ‘3D Position Tracking for Panoramic Imagery Navigation’ was published by the US Patent and Trademark Office,” Purcher reports. “On one hand, the patent is about bringing detailed street-views to Apple’s Map application. On the other hand, we get a smidgen of understanding as to why Apple acquired WifiSLAM.”
Purcher reports, “Apple’s patent filing is very stingy in providing us with details about the second half of their invention. Apple states that ‘In some implementations, forward and backward translation enables the user to enter an indoor panorama of a structure (e.g., a commercial venue),’like a store for making a purchase. Although Apple has recently taken a bruising over their Map application’s turn-by-turn navigation inaccuracies, it’s crystal clear that they’re charging ahead with determination to bring newly advanced services to Maps in the future.
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Understanding Apple’s WiFiSLAM acquistion and what’s next – April 4, 2013
Apple acquires indoor location company WifiSLAM for $20 million – March 23, 2013
Apple Maps turning a corner – March 26, 2013
How indoor location could find its way into Apple services – March 25, 2013
Apple wants to map your favorite malls and airports – March 25, 2013
Apple acquires indoor location company WifiSLAM for $20 million – March 23, 2013
Cool! There will finally be a practical use for a revamped QTVR panorama.
If only I had an indoor map of this big box store.. Then we’d really be in business!
(I’m looking at you Costco.)
It won’t help you in the Burbank Costco. Every day is like Christmas in there. Slammed! So it doesn’t matter if you have a map telling you where to go if you can’t get there easily anyway. So you might as will just take your time and stroll around the place. Check out the new LED exterior lighting offered. Pick up a few bags of those RiceWorks rice chips. mmmmmmmm good! Their bags of frozen salmon fillets are hard to beat. Learn a new language as you walk around. It’s like visiting the UN. You want to the cheap hot dog and soda combo? It’s outside. In Burbank the food court is outside. Always 75 to 100 people at the picnic tables. Besides, maps for navigating inside stores? How lazy can we get? Okay, maybe for the bathrooms.
Sounds to me like they’re connecting maps and webpages. You navigate the map right to the store panorama, which you can enter to make purchases.
How about Strip Club? or Men’s Club? 🙂
I doubt anyone in there needs map, all attention will be on t___ anyway 🙂
With the arrival (I keep dreaming) of the 3D GUI, navigation of this kind will be standard.
Whether people will get used to actually using 3D computer navigation is another matter. I suspect it will be another adventure in the kids picking it up quickly and the geezers complaining about it. Let’s watch…
“I suspect it will be another adventure in the kids picking it up quickly and the geezers complaining about it. Let’s watch…”
Kids pick up bright shiny objects, and touch hot stoves.
Geezers know better.
Although its not really a bright shiny object or a hot stove, its more of a ” who cares”?
Apple is a big hypocrite and a thief just like their iLeader. Can’t even come up with their own names, Apple, iPhone, iPad. What a bunch of iDiots and iGnorants.