Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to a basic vehicle console user interface that includes an indication that the computer system is attempting to connect to one or more external devices. When the connection is successfully established before a first threshold duration of time is reached, the display is updated with an enhanced console user interface. This is part of the CarPlay with an Instrumental Cluster that was first introduced  at WWDC-22 and updated technically for developers at WWDC-24.

Apple notes that some techniques for managing communications with external devices using electronic devices are generally cumbersome and inefficient. For example, some existing techniques use a complex and time-consuming user interface, which may include multiple key presses or keystrokes. Existing techniques require more time than necessary, wasting user time and device energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.

Accordingly, Apple's invention/patent describes providing electronic devices with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for managing communications with external devices. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace other methods for managing communications with external devices. Such methods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computing devices, such methods and interfaces conserve power and increase the time between battery charges.

Apple's patent figure series 6 illustrate exemplary user interfaces for managing communications between a vehicle's instrument cluster and external devices (iPhone, iPad+). The system communicates with both the vehicle cluster panel and the infotainment system.

For details, go to USPTO, enter the patent number 20240348714 and then hit the Search button for results.