Apple is committed to bringing its autonomous car to the roads and there are already several tests underway. A new patent reveals that the car’s center panel may be able to display different information to passengers and the driver, depending on where you’re looking at it.

Apple filed a 21-page patent application that was approved yesterday for a new car display technology. Basically, it allows one screen to display two sets of information as the viewing angle changes.

This technology is based on a previous patent granted to the company for an image display with a view to privacy. To the eye it appears that there is no information, but with an iDevice the image is revealed. In this case, the new technology consists of a panel with eye tracking software and a layer of prismatic lenses above the screen.

By controlling the backlight, the screen can show two different images at the same time, thanks to the prismatic lens, at different angles.

In the patent application, Apple lists several potential uses – from privacy situations to screen sharing. But the most obvious use is the navigation device mentioned by Apple.

As Apple Car development progresses, the company is clearly considering using a single, centrally positioned display that provides the driver and front passenger with only the information relevant to each other.

This way, the driver can concentrate on his task with all the essential information at hand – navigation and car information – while the passenger can watch a movie without distracting the driver. Likewise, this can allow rear seat passengers to enjoy different content without the need for multiple screens.

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