A new patent published by Apple suggests the company is developing augmented reality (AR) technology. The application was originally granted to German AR company Metaio in 2010. Apple bought Metaio in May 2015, and was given ownership over the patent last year.
The patent describes an implementation of AR where real-world objects are digitally removed from the environment. The patent says this functionality could be used while driving to render parts of the car artificially invisible, giving the driver a clearer view of the road.
The patent outlines 'a method for representing a virtual object in a real environment', to do this is uses a 'recording device' (an iPad or iPhone presumably) to capture a 2D image in front of it.
The patent then shows a method of accurately integrating a digital object into a real environment. Drawings submitted with the patent application (see above) show an example of how it might work; giving users a virtual preview of how furniture in their home would look before they place an order.