Apple gets patent for steering wheel remote control

Among 21 patents for Apple published yesterday by the US Patent and Trademark Office is a remote control that clips to your steering wheel.

It looks remarkably like the thumb-operated click wheel now made familiar by the former long reign of the Apple iPod – before the crown was taken by the iPhone (now looking nervously over its little shoulder at the iPad). The resemblance is probably the mark of a particular engineer who previously headed up design at legendary Frog Design in California, who have worked with Apple since the early days, according to a report on PatentlyApple.

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However the patent details the remote’s faceplate as being completely touch-sensitive rather than rotationally, as the click-wheel was. PatentlyApple believes the remote control patent will mainly be used to develop interfaces for portable media devices, which means applications could also be developed to control future iPads – and whatever else Apple has coming down their clever line. Say bye-bye to factory-fitted audio, satnavs and possibly even telematics.

The only problem we can see with this part of Apple's grand plan is that the remote is bound to get in most people's way as they steer. From that, we believe the position on the outer part of the wheel will change before it gets to market. Stay tuned. But don't touch that dial.