We’re used to reporting new patent purposes from digital camera and cellphone producers, however a camera-related patent from the Ford Motor Firm? That is a brand new one for us. Nonetheless, this is not Ford making an attempt to make it into our greatest mirrorless digital camera record, and even our greatest dashcam choice. Reasonably, the patent considerations digital camera tech that may detect dashing autos and mechanically report them to the police.
The title of the patent is “Methods and Strategies for Detecting Rushing Violations”, initially filed by Ford on January twelfth 2023. It discusses strategies {that a} future Ford car might use to observe the velocity of oncoming/close by vehicles. Ought to such a car be approaching at a velocity above the posted velocity restrict, the built-in digital camera might {photograph} the car and a report with the captured velocity knowledge and offending car particulars might then be despatched to a close-by police automotive, or any internet-connected regulation enforcement unit.
(Picture credit score: Ford Motor Firm)
At first look this all sounds quite dystopian and a possible violation of civil liberties – is Ford actually engineering future vehicles to spy on unsuspecting highway customers and mechanically report them to the police, all with out its prospects understanding or consenting to being unwitting snitches? Nicely truly, this isn’t what Ford has in thoughts. In an announcement from Ford to Motor Authority:
“The patent explicitly states this concept is particular for utility in regulation enforcement autos, such because the Ford Police Interceptor, and it is a system that will automate a functionality that regulation enforcement have already got in use at the moment, besides this could make the most of the built-in system and sensors within the car. This patent doesn’t state that driving knowledge from prospects’ autos could be shared with regulation enforcement, which is what some media have incorrectly reported. And word, patent purposes are supposed to guard new concepts however aren’t essentially a sign of latest enterprise or product plans.”
So there you may have it: sure the anti-speeding digital camera tech within the patent would work as you’d anticipate, but it surely would not be included into civilian Ford autos – it is solely supposed for Ford police vehicles. This makes rather more sense, as there would not be a lot of a enterprise case for becoming velocity detection cameras to regular shopper vehicles – it’d enhance manufacturing prices, and few prospects could be completely satisfied to pay a premium for a function that has little profit to them straight.
The enterprise case for integrating this type of surveillance tech into police autos is much stronger although. Police car contracts may be profitable, so if a automotive producer can provide police interceptors with police gear like this already in-built, it could save municipal police forces the time and expense of getting to retrofit such gear, and will give Ford a bonus over different car producers when bidding for police contracts.
