Oh, Apple patents. There are so many of you! The latest Apple patent to set the tech world into a frenzy is an in-car touchscreen patent. This patent was granted to Apple last week, and it certainly looks interesting. Since it's only a patent right now, it's hard to determine what the in-dash touchscreen will look like. But, there are a few details to be told.

An All Digital Car

Is Apple branching too far out with watches and in-car dash systems? Maybe. For now, though, Apple forges ahead with strange and curious inventions. The Apple in-car touchscreen patent shows a car that's entirely controlled by a touchscreen. Not sure what that means? Imagine replacing all of the manual dials and buttons in your car with digital touchscreen options.

Make more sense? Apple has also announced an upcoming in-car feature as part of the new iOS 7 (2014). Presumably, that feature will connect to Apple's new dash, but it's hard to tell for sure. The Apple patent has noted that a Canadian designer is working on the new Apple touchscreen dashboard module, and this designer has been showing off some prototypes. One such prototype was placed inside of a Tesla Motors dash, and it does look promising. But, is this all practical?

All Digital: More Problems

The all digital in-car touchscreen panel is a unique one, but, typically, the more gadgets a car has, the more that car has problems. Apple also has to make agreements with various car companies in order to sink the panels into cars - unless Apple plans to make a car too? So, the touchscreen panel won't surface anytime soon.

Right now, Apple's 'Siri Eyes Free' system is already in a the Chevrolet Spark and Sonic, and six additional car companies (Jaguar, Toyota, Honda, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Land Rover) have all announced that Siri Eyes Free will be included in upcoming models. It sure looks like Apple is making its way into the car sphere. Whether or not the touchscreen panel will succeed is another story, though.

Nothing New Here

As exciting as it may seem that Apple is trying to enter the car market, touchscreen dashboards and panels aren't really anything new. These types of panels have been around for some time now. Sure, Apple's logo on an in-car panel is something unique, but that's about it. Why, then, do we get all frenzied about an Apple in-car touchscreen panel?

Presumably, it's because we expect Apple to do something different with the same old technology. We want iPhones at every turn. However, Apple is new to the car world, so it might be a while before Apple comes up with something truly mind-blowing when it comes to cars. It's worth remembering, too, that the above storey is based on a file patent. And apple loves patents.

In fact, Apple creates more patents than most other companies, just in case someone else comes up with the same idea. How much weight can you put into a new in-car Apple touchscreen panel surfacing this year? Not much. But, it's a nice idea.


Photo Courtesy of Cult Of Mac