Apple Filed A Patent About Maps Services With Augmented Reality

For long Apple has been actively working on creation of its own map service – we repeatedly heard that Apple hired leading specialists in that field and acquired companies developing such services: in 2009 and 2010 Apple bought well-known companies in this field Placebase and Poly 9. In addition, Apple has actively recruited specialists in its “Geo Team”, who could take their Maps app to the higher level.

Last week it became known that former CEO of Placebase Jaron Waldman, who works now for Apple, has filed a patent application regarding using of augmented reality technology in smartphone navigation services. The usage of this technology is primarily intended for assisting users with directions and searching for points of interests.

Such solution is not something new – we have already seen similar apps in AppStore. This technology is based on taking live video with your iPhone and then the application superimposes relevant information such as directions and points of interest on this video.

Early applications with Augmented Reality looked clumsy, but seem to have a great potential.

Many patent application filed each week by Apple means that most of them will never be implemented in products. However Apple’s show great interest in mapping services and it is likely that we see something from Apple in this field any time soon.