The day when Tim Cook will appear on stage in Cupertino wearing Apple Glass seems a long way off, but leaked information continues to arrive: a patent for Apple Glass has just suggested navigating using subtle voice cues, and Apple has also been awarded another navigation patent.

As discovered by Apple Insider, this patent ("Navigating in the Environment") indicates that something like Apple Maps' Look Around or Google's Street View could be replicated on the glasses. Instead of seeing the part of the world you want to see on your phone's screen, it is projected onto the lens as if you were there.

"Some computer generated rendered (CGR) applications display the CGR environment from a specific location in the CGR environment," the patent explains." In some cases, the location represents the position of the user or virtual camera within the CGR environment. [However,] some applications may desire the user to move within the CGR environment and/or view the CGR environment from a different position.

The patent explains that "movement within the CGR environment need not correspond directly to the actual physical movement of the user in the real world," although the user can stroll down a virtual street in real time if desired.

As one might expect, the patent suggests that the view changes with the wearer's head movements. In this case, the patent suggests that it is not only vision that may change with a turn.

Unlike Google Street View, which only follows a route, this patent suggests a more versatile approach. To soften the blow of jumping around the map in this way, the patent suggests making this a two-step process - first zooming in on the section of the map of interest, and then having the option to move closer if you like.

It may be one of those things that requires experience to see the benefits, but I can certainly see the appeal to me as a directionalist. Maps are abstract and confusing, even with the addition of GPS. Being able to trigger memories by virtually visiting nearby streets seems like an ingenious way to retrace one's steps without actually having to physically move. And that's before considering the possibility of exploring a fantasy environment.

Of course, this is just a patent, and patents are not always used. And it becomes even less certain when one remembers that Apple Glass has not been officially confirmed and has not yet been given a release date. Some are optimistic, others pessimistic. Either way, we will not see this interesting new mapping anytime soon.