An Apple patent application published today describes what Patently Apple suggests may be a new all-in-one Travel app – but more likely describes ways to make Apple Maps smarter …
Here’s the site’s take:
The patent text is pretty vague, and written in the usual patenteze, so it’s certainly possible that Apple is working on a whole new stock app.
It would appear that Apple is still working on a new travel app, even if it’s being done glacially.
But our take is that the company is describing features that could be added to Apple Maps.
Apple of course already uses this general approach, suggesting when to leave for an appointment found in Calendar based on traffic and transit information pulled into Maps. It also pulls in things like local weather and opening times for restaurants.
The patent application goes on, though, to describe sharing travel data between devices owned by different people.
Potentially, then, Apple Maps could recognize from a calendar entry that you are travelling with a partner, friend or business colleague, and ensure that everything is synched between you.
One illustration references accessing both a friends database and a destination database. Another possible application here would be to alert you when friends are travelling to your city, subject to them giving Apple Maps permission to share the data.
