Apple reveals its vision for the future of maps

Apple has filed a patent for a map app that allows you to see routes between any two places which you tap with your finger, and which can display layers of additional content to help you find shops, tourist spots or petrol stations.

The company filed a patent for an “interactive map” with the US Patent and Trademark Office last night. Existing apps from Google and others already offer layers for satellite views, weather and other functions, but the patent suggests layers that are more specific, even down to the road you are currently driving on or the shop you are walking through.

Within the patent application there is an example where a user taps the road they are on from the app and are presented with information on the slip roads, junctions and service stations available from that location.

This could also be applied to airports, where tapping that spot shows lists of flight arrival times, for example. It is not clear if Apple is currently developing this software, but it would need to sign deals with third party providers to deliver the necessary data.

There will be different modes, each of which will emphasise parts of the map. In a shopping mode the app could be used to show special offers at nearby shops, potentially linked to Apple’s recent iBeacon launch.

The iBeacon system allows a store to install transmitters that could then wirelessly connect to an iPhone when a customer walks near a certain product, providing updates and additional information such as pricing.

Other modes in Apple's interactive map could include “travel”, “sightseeing” or “nature”, the company says in its filing.

“For instance, a large park might be apparent on the map, but due to scale, smaller parks may be difficult to discern without enlarging the map,” says the filing.

“If the user taps or clicks on the visible large park, all of the parks on the map can be emphasized, e.g. displayed in a bright green colour. As a result, if the user sees a bright green dot representing a small park in an area of interest, he or she can expand the map in that particular area to see the park and its surroundings, without having to perform a laborious search for the park.”