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An alternative to in-car voice control: a steering-wheel-mounted click wheel. Image: Patently Apple

Its rare that an Apple patent application passes through the system completely unnoticed until its actually granted, but such is the case with a patent for a wireless remote control for a car steering wheel.

The patent, Wireless remote control device for a portable media device, was discovered by Patently Apple Tuesday. It describes a touch-sensitive, iPod-style clickwheel device that attaches to a vehicles steering wheel, and is used to control a media player.

The patent specifically mentions the remote controls potential for use with mobile devices like the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It would hook on to your steering wheel using adjustable clamping feet, and the faceplate, which could use either capacitive or resistive-touch technology, would be rotatable.

In-car entertainment and infotainment systems are becoming increasingly commonplace in todays vehicles. You can find them in everything from Toyotas to Mercedes to Fords.

These systems are usually compatible with your smartphone, allowing you to play music from your device on your cars stereo (among other uses). But theres one problem: Its not easy to safely control music playback functions while driving. Most current systems only output your devices audio, and to advance through tracks and the like, you have to manually adjust your mobile device.

Some auto manufacturers are addressing the interface hurdle via voice recognition. But if youre jamming out while youre cruising down the highway, do you really want to have to turn down the volume or yell over the music just to skip to the next track? It could be quite useful to instead adjust a remote control thats just a thumb-click away.

In case youre wondering, this patent wasnt filed during the click-wheeled iPods heyday it was originally filed in Q1 2011. It was designed by Apple UI Design Manager Policarpo Wood and Anton Davydov, a principal designer at Frog Design, the company behind the Apple IIc and NeXT workstation.

Read this article:
Apple Granted Patent for Steering Wheel Remote Control