Apple mass transit system for Maps detailed in new patent

Posted:
in General Discussion edited December 2014
A pair of patent filings uncovered on Thursday reveal what could be Apple's answer to mass transit mapping, a highly requested feature since Google Maps was replaced in iOS by the first-party Apple Maps in 2012.


Source: USPTO


Two extensive documents published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, titled "User interface tools for commute assistant" and "Location-based features for commute assistant," detail a comprehensive integrated daily commute tool, and possibly the first look at Apple's take on mass transit mapping.

Filed back-to-back, the inventions describe a user-friendly interface for viewing various mass transit services, including buses, shuttles, trains, metros and subways, on an iOS device. Airplanes, helicopters and even boats are also mentioned in the patent language, suggesting Apple is planning to create a one-stop-shop for users' commuting needs.

Everything revolves around a dynamic focus table, which is most easily described as a rolling list of transit types, routes and stops. Rolled in with physical location information is rich metadata pulled from online servers. Information ranges from schedules to route changes and, in some embodiments, advisories from third-party services.




As outlined, Apple's dynamic focus table appears to be quite flexible and easy to use, with a familiar layout modeled after current iOS lists and charts. For example, users can select a particular route, either searched for by name or offered by the device based on current location, to view trip details and other relevant information. Simple tap and scroll gestures are available for navigation.

When the dynamic table is populated with route information, users can scroll through trips and services scheduled to travel along that route throughout the day. Alternatively, time-based queries may show upcoming trips at a particular location, while yet another example allows users to browse all trips moving through a bus stop or area, irrespective of time.

In some cases, the UI is split into two distinct columns for displaying all stops along a selected route as well as their estimated arrival and/or departure time. The commute assistant is able to automatically shift focus table contents based on device location as well as time, bumping nearby routes to the top while removing others. This process can be executed dynamically, meaning users will have the most relevant routes presented to them as they continue on their trip.




Apple importantly details a so-called "Map view" in which stops, routes and other data are overlaid atop a map. Graphically, the feature looks to be similar to current implementations of user-created routes in Apple Maps, but with added capabilities that pull on metadata for upcoming trips, countdown timers for arriving vehicles and more.

As with other Apple products, the commute assistant comes with a few novel UI features that make it easier to use. An entire section of one patent is dedicated to a "Favorites" tool that allows users to set saved routes for quick recall at a later time. Another tentpole feature is side-by-side viewing of multiple routes for planning transfers or future travel.




The future of Apple's commute assistant invention is unknown, though customers have been calling for such feature to be included in Apple Maps for some time. The company is aware of the hole and previously gathered compatible transit apps in a special section of the iOS App Store.

Additionally, Apple conducted strategic acquisitions of public transit data and mapping app companies Embark and HopStop over the past two years, though assets from those purchases have yet to make an appearance in Maps. The feature was rumored for launch with iOS 8, but was ultimately not included with Apple's latest mobile OS.

Both of Apple's commute assistant patent applications were filed for in November 2013 and credit May-Li Khoe, Joseph A. Hagedorn and Marcel van Os as inventors.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 42
    ecatsecats Posts: 273member
    Now pair this with extending apple pay into public transit.
  • Reply 2 of 42
    ecats wrote: »
    Now pair this with extending apple pay into public transit.

    Not sure how keen Apple is on pearing.
  • Reply 3 of 42
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    I believe transit was supposed to be announced in iOS 8 but a host of personnel and management issues slowed it down.

    http://tinyurl.com/mkzh8tk

    [QUOTE]Why didn’t they appear? One tipster says it was a personnel issue: “Many developers left the company, no map improvements planned for iOS 8 release were finished in time. Mostly it was failure of project managers and engineering project managers, tasks were very badly planned, developers had to switch multiple times from project to project.”… It’s a take that is both contested and corroborated by our other source. “I would say that planning, project management and internal politics issues were a much more significant contributor to the failure to complete projects than developers leaving the group,” the source said.[/QUOTE]

    I'd love to see Cook hire a SVP just to run Apple's cloud business. Give this person control of maps and Siri too. Let Eddy focus on App Store, iTunes, ?TV and ?Pay.
  • Reply 4 of 42
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    I wonder if this will be US only, or a global thing from day 1.

    Apple already is asking companies to add their business info to Apple Maps:

    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/53035/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]


    https://mapsconnect.apple.com

    Also for Indoor:

    [IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/53036/width/500/height/1000[/IMG]
    [SIZE=1]
    [quote] Read Me Before Signing Up
    Thank you for your interest in Apple's new indoor positioning technology. We
    have received an overwhelming response on this service and we are prioritizing
    our efforts to focus on venues with the following attributes:
    Accessible to the general public
    Annual visitors in excess of 1 million per year
    Availability of complete, accurate, and scaled reference maps
    Enabled with Wi-Fi throughout
    Associated app is authorized by venue owner[/quote][/SIZE]

    https://mapsconnect.apple.com
  • Reply 5 of 42
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    I really have to suspect that AppleInsiders claim here that such a feature is in hot demand. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.

    Beyond all of that the vast majority of people using mass transit are at best lemmings anyways, recycling the same route day after day after day after day. If you can run your schedule in your sleep why would you need an app?
  • Reply 6 of 42
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    I believe transit was supposed to be announced in iOS 8 but a host of personnel and management issues slowed it down.



    http://tinyurl.com/mkzh8tk

    I'd love to see Cook hire a SVP just to run Apple's cloud business. Give this person control of maps and Siri too. Let Eddy focus on App Store, iTunes, ?TV and ?Pay.

    They need to eliminate some more businesses as well. I actually somewhat agree with Ben Thompson's latest, he wants Apple to dump iWork and iLife entirely, as well as some other elements, to help focus on the big issues (i.e. iCloud).

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post



    I really have to suspect that AppleInsiders claim here that such a feature is in hot demand. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.



    Beyond all of that the vast majority of people using mass transit are at best lemmings anyways, recycling the same route day after day after day after day. If you can run your schedule in your sleep why would you need an app?



    I think it depends on where you are, as far as demand goes. Most of the US doesn't even have mass transit. Yes, I know Europeans will complain I'm too 'US centric', but that's where the features get developed for first right now, followed by China.

     

    Personally, I have no issue navigating mass-transit (knack for it, I suppose, that or I just think similarly to the engineers who lay stations and lines out).

  • Reply 7 of 42
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    wizard69 wrote: »
    Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.

    I agree. My 9 yr old son is a master with the NYC subway map. There's an app called Embark NYC that has subway schedules, and is updated to show delays, or temporary reroutes.
  • Reply 8 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dasanman69 View Post





    I agree. My 9 yr old son is a master with the NYC subway map. There's an app called Embark NYC that has subway schedules, and is updated to show delays, or temporary reroutes.



    And that's where mass transit will benefit the most, from native apps developed by the transit authority, because they will be able to show delays and other such info.

  • Reply 9 of 42
    wizard69 wrote: »
    I really have to suspect that AppleInsiders claim here that such a feature is in hot demand. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.

    Beyond all of that the vast majority of people using mass transit are at best lemmings anyways, recycling the same route day after day after day after day. If you can run your schedule in your sleep why would you need an app?

    Evidently you've never ridden a bus, train or subway?
  • Reply 10 of 42
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    I agree. My 9 yr old son is a master with the NYC subway map. There's an app called Embark NYC that has subway schedules, and is updated to show delays, or temporary reroutes.

    Apple bought Embark in 2013 (a really well designed app, by the way).

    http://www.macworld.com/article/2047277/apple-acquires-embark-another-public-transit-app-developer.html
  • Reply 11 of 42
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member

    And that's where mass transit will benefit the most, from native apps developed by the transit authority, because they will be able to show delays and other such info.

    The amazing thing about Embark is that it's not a native app. We took a ride this past weekend, and before we left the house my son knew that the train we were taking was going to skip some stops.

    http://letsembark.com/#apps
  • Reply 12 of 42
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Apple bought Embark in 2013 (a really well designed app, by the way).

    http://www.macworld.com/article/2047277/apple-acquires-embark-another-public-transit-app-developer.html

    Well designed indeed especially when a 9 yr old can easily use it. Thanks for the info.
  • Reply 13 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ECats View Post



    Now pair this with extending apple pay into public transit.


     

    If your transit system uses NFC, as Chicago's Ventra system does, you already can use Apple Pay for pay-per-ride. There's no way as of yet to associate a multi-day pass with Apple Pay yet, though.

  • Reply 14 of 42
    tenlytenly Posts: 710member
    wizard69 wrote: »
    I really have to suspect that AppleInsiders claim here that such a feature is in hot demand. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.

    Beyond all of that the vast majority of people using mass transit are at best lemmings anyways, recycling the same route day after day after day after day. If you can run your schedule in your sleep why would you need an app?

    I agree completely. I have no doubt that some people will find this feature extremely useful - although it will be a small percentage of users, and many of those users will only use it once - to calculate their best route. If it ends up having global support, I can see some tourists taking advantage of it - but again, not in overwhelming numbers.
    I've taken public transit both at home and abroad-so I can definitely see some people looking forward to these capabilities. I don't think that @wizard69 was saying that this is a useless feature - all he was saying is that the media seems to be thinking/implying that this feature is in much higher demand than it actually is.
  • Reply 15 of 42
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by tenly View Post





    I agree completely. I have no doubt that some people will find this feature extremely useful - although it will be a small percentage of users, and many of those users will only use it once - to calculate their best route. If it ends up having global support, I can see some tourists taking advantage of it - but again, not in overwhelming numbers.

    I've taken public transit both at home and abroad-so I can definitely see some people looking forward to these capabilities. I don't think that @wizard69 was saying that this is a useless feature - all he was saying is that the media seems to be thinking/implying that this feature is in much higher demand than it actually is.

    Right, I was trying to think about how I might use this. Most transit systems are pretty easy to navigate. I take the train to work every day but rarely ride the bus, and even less often use the commuter rail, so I guess this might be useful as I don't know those routes.

     

    I could also see it being useful when visiting other cities. But I don't need end-to-end directions. I just want to know what subway line stops at the station I want, and maybe to figure out which station is closest to my destination. (This is really only an issue in New York, as far as US cities go) So far, I've had great luck using Embark's existing apps in New York and SF, so integration with Maps wouldn't really give me that much more.

  • Reply 16 of 42
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    wizard69 wrote: »
    I really have to suspect that AppleInsiders claim here that such a feature is in hot demand. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.

    Beyond all of that the vast majority of people using mass transit are at best lemmings anyways, recycling the same route day after day after day after day. If you can run your schedule in your sleep why would you need an app?

    Evidently you've never ridden a bus, train or subway?

    How can he, being an iPhone owner? According to Apple][ only Android users take public transportation¡
  • Reply 17 of 42
    philboogie wrote: »
    wizard69 wrote: »
    I really have to suspect that AppleInsiders claim here that such a feature is in hot demand. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.

    Beyond all of that the vast majority of people using mass transit are at best lemmings anyways, recycling the same route day after day after day after day. If you can run your schedule in your sleep why would you need an app?

    Evidently you've never ridden a bus, train or subway?

    How can he, being an iPhone owner? According to Apple][ only Android users take public transportation¡

    When needs must.

    Even iPhone users have to resort to public transport from time to time.
  • Reply 18 of 42
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post



    I really have to suspect that AppleInsiders claim here that such a feature is in hot demand. I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Mass transit systems really aren't that hard to figure out really, it isn't like the rails get moved around on a regular basis. Even if we talk buses here they still run very fixed schedules.

     

    Fixed schedules??? WTF is a fixed schedule? The reality, at least in Chicago, is the bus you  are trying to get is early. The next 2 busses are late and show up with the 3rd next bus 45 mis later.

    Alternates route could be needed and could save time, and not everyone only goes to the same places every day.

  • Reply 19 of 42
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    philboogie wrote: »
    How can he, being an iPhone owner? According to Apple][ only Android users take public transportation¡

    I thought they were all chauffeured in a Rolls Royce, and went around lending out jars of Grey Poupon, and never ever say "would you please pass the jelly?" :lol:
  • Reply 20 of 42
    I use public transport everyday (I don't always use it to go to the same place) and this application really excites me.
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