Current:Home > StocksA new Ford patent imagines a future in which self-driving cars repossess themselves -Wealth Axis Pro
A new Ford patent imagines a future in which self-driving cars repossess themselves
View
Date:2025-04-14 00:55:16
Imagine it's the near future, and you've bought a new car with a self-driving mode. But hard times hit and you fall behind on loan payments – then, one day you find your car has driven itself away to the repossession lot.
That's the vision of a new Ford patent published last month that describes a variety of futuristic ways that Ford vehicle systems could be controlled by a financial institution in order to aid in the repossession of a car.
The company told NPR that the company has no intention of implementing the ideas in the patent, which is one among hundreds of pending Ford patents published this year by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
"We don't have any plans to deploy this," said Wes Sherwood, a Ford spokesperson. "We submit patents on new inventions as a normal course of business but they aren't necessarily an indication of new business or product plans."
As repossession tactics have changed over time with the advent of social media and GPS technology, Ford's patent shows how lenders might wield smart car features to repossess vehicles from delinquent borrowers. It was previously reported by the Detroit Free Press.
Of the innovations described in the patent, titled "Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle," perhaps the most striking is about self-driving cars.
A financial institution or repossession agency could "cooperate with the vehicle computer to autonomously move the vehicle from the premises of the owner to a location such as, for example, the premises of the repossession agency" or "the premises of the lending institution," the patent states. The process could be entirely automated.
The car could also call the police, the patent suggests – or, if the lender determines the car is not worth the cost of repossession, the self-driving car could drive itself to a junkyard.
Semi-autonomous vehicles that aren't up to the challenge of driving long distances could instead move themselves a short ways – from private property ("a garage or a driveway, for example," the patent suggests) to a nearby spot "that is more convenient for a tow truck."
Among the various ideas described in the patent is a gradual disabling of a smart car's features. Lenders could start by switching off "optional" features of the car – like cruise control or the media player – in an effort to cause "a certain level of discomfort" to the car's driver.
If the owner remains behind on payments, the lender could progress to disabling the air conditioner, or use the audio system to play "an incessant and unpleasant sound every time the owner is present in the vehicle."
As a last resort, a lender could disable "the engine, the brake, the accelerator, the steering wheel, the doors, and the lights of the vehicle," the patent suggests, or simply lock the doors.
Other suggested features include limiting the geographic area in which a car can be operated and flashing messages from a lender on a car's media screen.
Like many large corporations, Ford proactively applies for patents in large volumes. The repossession patent was one of 13 Ford patents published on Feb. 23 alone, and one of more than 350 published this year to date, according to a review of U.S. patent records.
Last year, the company was granted 1,342 patents "spanning a wide range of ideas," Sherwood said.
The company's other recent patents cover a wide range of applications: powertrain operations, speech recognition, autonomous parking, redesigns of tailgate attachments and fuel inlets.
veryGood! (544)
Related
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Maryland OKs $50.3M contract for removal of bridge collapse debris
- Prince William Joins King Charles III and Queen Camilla for Royal Duties in Scotland
- Is there life on another planet? Gliese 12b shows some promise. | The Excerpt
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- 1 shot at shopping mall food court in Seattle suburb
- Copa América 2024: Will Messi play Argentina vs. Ecuador quarterfinal match? Here's the latest.
- Robert Towne, legendary Hollywood screenwriter of Chinatown, dies at 89
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Maine attorney general announces resource center to aid local opioid settlement spending
Ranking
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Tom Hanks’ Son Chet Hanks Clarifies Intentions of “White Boy Summer”
- 2024 MLB All-Star Game starters: Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani lead lineups
- Maine attorney general announces resource center to aid local opioid settlement spending
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Ranger injured and armed person making threats dies at Yellowstone, park says
- What is the Nathan's hot dog eating contest record? List of champions, records
- Christina Applegate shares bucket list items with 'the days I have left': 'Shots with Cher!'
Recommendation
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Dave Grohl's Sleek Wimbledon Look Will Have You Doing a Double Take
In letters, texts and posts, Jan. 6 victims react to Supreme Court ruling on Trump immunity
Man charged in connection to mass shooting at Oakland Juneteenth celebration
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
The Daily Money: Investors divided on Trump vs Biden
9 killed in overnight strike in Gaza's Khan Younis, hours after Israel ordered mass evacuation
Federal Reserve minutes: Inflation is cooling, but more evidence is needed for rate cuts