A couple of new patents suggest Apple may be working on a drone

Apple Drone Patents
Image: Patently Apple
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Tech behemoth Apple is assumed to be working on a self-driving car, yet the project has a long way to go. Now, the company seems to be working on a drone, since the patent for it has surfaced online recently. So, let’s walk through the details surrounding the new Apple drone patents.

Apple Drone Patents:

Patently Apple, a site that covers Apple-related news, was the first to uncover two new Apple drone patents. They depict small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones that communicate with wireless controllers over a mobile network. The patent was initially submitted in Singapore, but it eventually found its way to the US Patent and Trademark Office in February and April and was awarded to Apple on November 11.

From the files

The first patent called “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Controller Association” lists the details of using wireless controllers to operate Apple’s UAV. It includes information about apparatuses, systems, and methods for pairing/unpairing UAVs to/from UAV controllers.

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Drone Patent

According to the application, the controllers would have at least one antenna for cellular connection with the drone. They will also be outfitted with memory and processing elements that would allow them to recall past tasks delivered by the controllers.

The second patent application, titled “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Tracking and Control” is about tracking and controlling drones or UAVs using a cellular network system. Here, Apple mentions “UAVs may be utilized to travel to remote, inaccessible, and/or inconvenient locations to perform various actions”.

According to the patent, a smartphone, presumably an iPhone, could be used to operate the drone; while game consoles such as the Nintendo DS or Gameboy Advance can power the UAVs.

Apple Drone Patents: Verdict

Although Apple’s new patents have appeared online, it is not certain that the company is working on a drone. Nonetheless, the patent certainly hints at its interest in the drone industry.

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SOURCEPatently Apple