The last has not been heard about the much-hyped Apple car in the making. Recently Apple was reported to be in talks with Korean partners on the development of the Apple car, and more details are now available.
A Patent filed by Apple has revealed that Apple car owners can authorize other users to drive the car without releasing the keys. Indeed, there have been several Patents relating to the Apple car covering a wide array of concepts and components that have been filed.
Obviously, the Apple car will not need physical keys as it would be operated via an iPhone. So the car will have digital keys which would allow for key sharing. According to the patent documents, the system will allow someone else to drive your car without the owner divulging critical and confidential information.
To be clear, the new patent is not about sharing passcodes or critical access data that can be snooped and used by third parties. According to Apple, if access is controlled by secret data, the owner must communicate the secret data to the individual which may be insecure. Apple has instead explored a token-based framework powered by an iPhone using an app from the iPhone. Similar to a one-time passcode, it may only be used once and access to the car will be restricted after the use.
There are still some fine details lacking for this concept of transferred digital access.
What happens when a user who has been given one-time access to the car parks may be to go for groceries? Will he be able to restart the car?
Although we are still in the dark on the date of the unveiling of the Apple car, some sources claim 2025 as the launch date. Apple has however not made any definitive statement yet on the matter.
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(via)
