Apple filed a United States patent application in April for "Humanized Navigation Instructions for Mapping Applications", Autoblog reported on Wednesday.
The app's key aspect is the first word in its title, the fact that it's meant to humanize navigation systems so that they are more colorful and less binary would be a serious help for drivers. The explanation says the system is "focused on comprehension rather than precision," which means giving you more detail about your surroundings when starting your trip and when close to your destination.
That could mean getting oriented in the proper direction by using nearby landmarks or your surroundings, instead of through instructions like "Head north." Apple's planned system would try to describe "visible attributes of the destination." Along the way, the app would do more to find the right streets - especially when there's no posted sign and get on the proper highway ramps and in the proper lanes.
Apple's patent application says modern systems "do not account for the mental state of the user." It isn't clear how Apple's idea would address that, but anything that will help current navigation systems do a better job of what they do is all right with us.
Apple isn't likely to move into making standalone GPS systems; however, rumors recently suggest the company is planning on moving fully into the automized car industry in the coming years. If true, the shift from technology to auto would likely shake up the car industry like they have already done in the home entertainment and mobile phone sectors.
