The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 50 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report Apple's newly granted patent covers their invention relating to an iDevice such as an iPhone detecting a vehicle network advertisement beacon over a first communication channel. The vehicle network advertisement beacon indicates wireless network capabilities of a wireless networking device hosting a wireless network in a vehicle. Responsive to detecting the vehicle network beacon over the first communication channel, a handoff process for migrating the multifunction device from a first wireless network to the wireless network in the vehicle is performed. A vehicle could be a car, boat or airplane. The vehicle in FIG. 3 would appear to be an autonomous vehicle due to the door design, though this isn't described as such in the patent. Apple's patent also extends to an iDevice communicating with a smart home network.

Apple's patent FIG. 3 illustrates a multifunction device interacting with network resources of a vehicle; FIG. 5 below illustrates a multifunction device interacting with network resources of an aircraft; FIG. 6 illustrates a vehicle transition module for interacting with network resources of a vehicle.

Apple notes in their granted patent that in some embodiments, the multifunction device (iPhone) performs detecting in the multifunction device the vehicle network advertisement beacon over a USB connection, which serves as first communication link. In some embodiments, multifunction device performs detecting in the multifunction device the vehicle network advertisement beacon using Bluetooth device recognition, which serves as first communication link. In some embodiments, multifunction device performs providing authentication information for verifying the multifunction device as an authorized user of the wireless networking device hosting a wireless network in a vehicle and establishing communication with resources of the vehicle over the wireless network in a vehicle. Examples of such authentication information include but are not limited to personal identification numbers (PINs) or quick response (QR) codes.

Apple further notes that the system can also apply to home security systems, entertainment systems or appliances.

Apple's granted patent 9,730,116 was originally filed in Q4 2016 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

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