Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a boat launching detection system, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on March 31st, 2021, published on October 6th, 2022, and assigned serial number 0314996.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed a number of towing-related patents in recent months, including one for a retractable drop leg trailer assist system, a trailer sideswipe avoidance system, and a pivoting trailer hitch, to name just a few. Now, this new Ford patent continues that trend by presenting an idea for a boat launching detection system, which would help drivers complete a task that – when done wrong – has resulted in disaster more than once over the years.
According to this Ford patent, such a system would be able to detect when the driver is in the process of launching a boat or preparing to load the boat back on a trailer after a day on the water, using a variety of methods such as GPS data and/or sensors. It would then send that data to some sort of device, which could in turn notify others of the presence of that boat launching site in the future.
The idea here isn’t to make boat launching or loading easier, per say, but rather, to help boaters find places they can utilize to launch those vessels. However, that possibility is left a bit open in the patent, which notes that the system is capable of detecting when the vehicle is towing a trailer, backing up, its physical location, and the angle at which it’s approaching the water.
Ford notes in the patent that boat launching sites can sometimes be difficult to find, so perhaps such a system could prove useful for those that are looking for a spot to do so. However, that information is also apparently readily available with a simple internet search as well.
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