Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for enhanced contactless vehicle codes, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on May 11th, 2021, published on January 31st, 2023, and assigned serial number 11568164.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed its fair share of patents aiming to reinvent the way we access vehicles in the future – as well as those that involve contactless actions – including one for a vehicular facial recognition system, a session unique access token for vehicles, a new hands-free charging system, and a window based keyless entry system. Now, that trend continues with this – a new Ford patent outlining an idea for enhanced contactless vehicle codes.
As this Ford patent points out, people are more keen to avoid contact these days, whether that be while hopping in a rideshare vehicle, being pulled over by police, conducting transactions, or simply picking up items. This is precisely why contactless payment methods have become so commonplace, though as this patent points out, many methods of doing these things still require contact with people and/or objects.
Some people may be apprehensive about completing various tasks that require contact with people or things out of the fear of getting sick, and as such, this Ford patent presents an idea for vehicles that could generate unique codes that can be read by people or devices without requiring any sort of contact – whether that be a QR, NFC, or ultrasonic code.
As an example, if a vehicle is parked illegally, law enforcement would be able to scan this code and issue a ticket electronically. Additionally, if emergency personnel arrive at the scene of an accident and the driver is incapacitated, they could obtain personal and medical information by scanning the same code. It’s an interesting idea, and one seemingly stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic – but it could also be used for a pretty wide variety of other purposes, too.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford patent news, Ford business news, and non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comment
Too funny, Ford just deleted the door code feature that is built into the drivers door of many models because of supply chain issues affecting another technology providers. So why not patent another one. Hey guys just fix SYNC3/4 and most customers would be happy.