Apple clearly believes a lot in the potential of augmented reality (AR) as it has been pushing developers to create AR applications for its iOS platform for a couple of years now. A new patent filing from the Cupertino giant has surfaced online showing one important area where Apple is working to leverage AR to facilitate users. Ride-hailing apps like Uber have made commutes much easier for frequent city travelers and it is becoming increasingly popular due to its convenience and affordability. However, with more and more people using such services and apps, a big problem is identifying a customer/driver.
Apps like Uber do include GPS pointers to pinpoint the exact position to both the individuals involved, however, it can get confusing at times. For example, crowded locations which are common in big metro cities would make the identification issue much tricky. Apple’s AR solution is simple and effective. It will pinpoint the exact ride through an on-screen indicator. It’s kind of like what you see in games when vehicles have some pointers or highlights over them that indicate they can be used. The system would be usable both by the driver and the customer as well, suggests the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The AR system would feed the customer’s app with the vehicle’s model, and colour and then identifying with it with the rear camera. A similar system would be used to identify the customer such as a photo. It is worth noting that this is merely a patent and it doesn’t mean that a similar feature will be introduced in the future. However, it does show that Apple is interested in that particular application.
(source)
