'Project Titan' could use True Tone to even out interior lighting

A newly granted patent could point to Apple using True Tone-like tech in its ongoing "Project Titan." The project is believed to be related to a car of car automation system, with True Tone likely to allow interior lighting to be altered to suit ambient light levels.

The new patent, titled "Adjustable lighting systems" and spotted by Apple Insider, was granted to Apple by the US Patent and Trademark Office and outlines how ambient light data could be used to adjust interior lighting.

In the filing, Apple suggests the use of internal sensors within an enclosure to sense an internal light condition and generate a signal based on that status. It is suggested this could be a camera which collects data from an image, comparing what it receives against known values for the image to determine differences in lighting.

This data is then fed to a lighting controller and control components to adjust the lighting, in a bid to bring the data gleamed from the camera sensor closer to the preconfigured values.

True Tone does something similar on iPhones and iPads, allowing sensors to detect the ambient light. The display output is then adjusted accordingly to ensure it doesn't appear too blue or yellow when viewed. Having a car interior that does something similar, ensuring an even light throughout a journey, is definitely something that sounds distinctly Apple-like and isn't something car manufacturers offer right now.

Of course, and as always, it's important to remember that Apple is granted many patents each year. They don't all turn into products that we can buy so this might not go anywhere at all.

Or it might be the next big thing in cars. Who knows?