Apple's patent history reveals a major push into autos

Applications for self-driving and connected-car technology rise rapidly

Now that the smartphone market has matured, Apple will likely target the automobile sector, if its patent applications are any indication. (Source photos by Reuters and Takuya Imai)

KOTARO FUKUOKA and NAOSHIGE SHIMIZU, Nikkei staff writers

July 25, 2022 12:21 JST

TOKYO -- A joint investigation by Nikkei and a Tokyo analytics company found that Apple has jumped into automobile-related technologies, as shown by the company's recent patent applications.

Apple has filed patents in self-driving and other vehicle software as well as in hardware related to riding comfort, such as seats and suspension. The U.S. tech and services company is also targeting vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, which allows cars to communicate with each other and connect to the "Internet of Things," moves seen as a major push by Apple to build its own platform and join a growing industry shift from just cars to overall mobility.