AppleGranted patentCars & transportInterest 6/10

Apple patents car dashboard that only shows controls when the vehicle is moving

Apple has been granted a patent for a computer system that detects when a user is present and checks if a separate vehicle is in motion. If the car is moving, the system displays specific user interface controls on a screen; if the car is stopped, it hides those controls.

Why it mattersThis filing suggests Apple is refining how in-car interfaces behave, potentially limiting certain settings to only be accessible while driving to prevent distraction or errors.

In the filing’s own words

The present disclosure generally relates to user interfaces and techniques for performing one or more operations in accordance with some examples, such as displaying user interfaces and/or configuring a device to perform a respective operation.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method, comprising: at a computer system that is in communication with a display component: detecting presence of a user; and in response to detecting the presence of the user: in accordance with a determination that a vehicle is in motion, displaying, via the display component, a user interface that includes a first set of one or more controls corresponding to a first type of setting, wherein the vehicle is separate from the computer system; and in accordance with a determination that the vehicle is not in motion, forgoing display of, via the display component, the user interface that includes the set of one or more controls.

Facts

Company: Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title: User interfaces for performing operations
Patent number: US12737108B2
Application number: 18896605
Filed: Sep 25, 2024
Granted: Sep 15, 2026
Inventors: 6
Claims: 39

Classified under

G06F 3/0487 Physics & computingG06F 3/0362 Physics & computingG06F 3/04842 Physics & computingG06F 3/04845 Physics & computingG06F 3/04847 Physics & computing

Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

More from Apple in Cars & transport

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Apple patents car-to-phone signal relay for vehicle networks Sep 1, 2026
Apple patents car-to-car sync method for when GPS signals drop Sep 8, 2026
Apple patents system for transferring digital car keys between devices Oct 6, 2026
Apple patents car controls in phone accounts app Sep 17, 2026

Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.