FYI: Ford’s New Technology Patents Could See Cars Reporting Speeding Drivers
Ford has initiated a groundbreaking move by patenting a technology allowing vehicles to report speeding drivers. This innovative patent proposes the use of an onboard camera to monitor the speed of other vehicles, capturing data that could be relayed directly to law enforcement.
Patent Details
Ford’s patent, titled "System and Method for Detecting Speeding," was released publically by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 18, 2024. The initial filing took place on January 12, 2023. The application describes utilizing a car’s built-in camera to detect speeding vehicles around it and subsequently reporting them.
How the System Works
According to Ford, this technology would enable cars to engage in car-to-car speed monitoring. For instance, if a vehicle surpasses the speed limit, the system uses the onboard camera to capture an image of the offending vehicle. This image, along with the recorded speed data, is then transmitted over an internet connection to law enforcement, such as a patrol car or a traffic monitoring unit.
This system aims to aid police by automating the process of identifying and tracking speeders, potentially integrating this function with self-driving cars equipped with speed detection technologies. This way, some of the enforcement work typically needed by human officers can be outsourced to automated systems.
Legal and Practical Considerations
It’s currently unclear what legal basis Ford might assert if it decides to deploy this technology. Traditional speed cameras operate by issuing tickets based on license plate numbers because they can’t identify the driver. The introduction of such a system could raise significant legal challenges given the lack of human oversight on the detections made by the automated system.
Additional Technological Innovations
Ford has shown a keen interest in developing advanced automotive technologies. Alongside the speed detection patent, the company is also attempting to patent a "night driving mode," which automatically limits a car’s speed during nighttime, potentially applicable even to emergency responders. This further illustrates Ford’s ambition to leverage technological advancements in improving road safety, even if every patent doesn’t necessarily reach production.
Conclusion
Ford’s foray into developing a system to monitor and report speeding drivers highlights the continuous evolution in automotive technology and its potential impact on law enforcement and traffic management. As legal frameworks adapt to technological advancements, the integration of such systems could lead to significant changes in how speeding violations are monitored and enforced.
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Donald Smith, Editor of Automotive.fyi
