蘋果向來對研發工作守口如瓶，尤其是涉及汽車技術時。但通過本月蘋果遞交的一項專利技術申請，我們能一窺蘋果未來可能推出的有趣產品：智能擋風玻璃。

據搜尋蘋果最新專利申請信息的博客Patently Apple透露，上周蘋果在歐洲為一款增強現實（AR）技術支持的擋風玻璃系統申請了專利，名為“抬頭顯示器”（Heads-Up Display）。

企業申請專利提到的發明往往不會變為現實，但蘋果研究的一些創意很有意思。值得一提的是，坐在不同車里的乘客可以使用該款AR擋風玻璃用FaceTime通話。

“在某些產品中，AR展示系統可納入車載視覺通信裝置，實現車內乘客和遠處的用戶溝通，也包括另一輛車的乘客。”上述蘋果專利文件寫道。

這項專利的另一個特色功能可能是，利用內置傳感器監控眼球活動、心跳、身體姿勢等信號判斷司機和乘客的壓力，然后AR擋風玻璃可以自動調節顯示器為用戶減壓。但現在尚不清楚該產品將采取何種方式實現減壓。

今年7月，蘋果申請了另一項專利，涉及乘客和自動駕駛汽車的“個人行車舒適偏好”（personal comfort profiles）。蘋果將根據乘客的偏好概況，通過各種方式指揮自動駕駛汽車。Patently Apple認為，AR擋風玻璃可能也會應用類似的技術。

蘋果的智能擋風玻璃還可能運用外部傳感器探測當前的行駛速度以及道路實際限速，同時展示在擋風玻璃上。

蘋果首席執行官蒂姆·庫克曾透露過些許蘋果研發車用技術的計劃，包括自動駕駛汽車。據媒體報道，蘋果已經放棄制造蘋果汽車的計劃，改為提供自動駕駛汽車技術。去年庫克承認，蘋果在研發汽車技術，但并未排除自行制造汽車的可能。

起初有媒體報道，蘋果計劃2020年發布自有電動汽車，但新近報道稱發布時間已推遲到2021年。（財富中文網）

譯者：Pessy

審校：夏林

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Apple tends to be tightlipped about its research and development efforts, especially when it comes to car technology. But a patent filed by the company this month gives a glimpse into an intriguing product it may offer in the future: a smart windshield.

According to Patently Apple, a blog that scours the latest patents filed by the Cupertino giant, Apple filed a patent last week in Europe for an augmented-reality powered windshield system, which it termed a Heads-Up Display.

While innovations detailed in corporate patents often don’t see the light of day, some of the ideas that Apple is exploring are interesting. Notably, its AR windshield may allow passengers in different vehicles to conduct FaceTime calls with each other.

“In some embodiments, an augmented reality display system included in a vehicle enables visual communication between an occupant of the vehicle and a remotely located user, including an occupant of a separate vehicle,” Apple’s patent said.

Another feature could use internal sensors to detect stress in drivers and passengers by monitoring eye motion, heart rate, body posture, etc. The AR windshield would then automatically adjust its display to potentially reduce stress, although it’s not clear from the patent how the display would accomplish this.

Last month, Apple filed another patent for “personal comfort profiles” of passengers and autonomous vehicles. Apple’s technology would navigate an autonomous car in different ways, according to a passenger’s profile. The AR windshield might rely on similar technology, Patently Apple said.

Apple’s smart windshield may also use external sensors to detect the current speed as well as the posted speed limit, displaying both on the windshield.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said little about the company’s plans to create technology for cars, including autonomous vehicles. The company has reportedly backed away from plans for an Apple car, providing instead technology that would power autonomous vehicles. Last year Cook acknowledged that Apple is working on car technology, but did not rule out building its own car.

Apple was initially reportedly aiming to release its own electric car by 2020, but a more recent report claims that the launch date has been pushed into 2021.