Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a curfew enforcement system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on December 6th, 2021, published on June 8th, 2022, and assigned serial number 0175850.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed a number of patents aimed at making the roads safer over the past few years, including one for a distracted driving detection system and dynamic control of hybrid vehicle modes, and has also explored geofencing – in this case, used to automatically slow vehicles down in areas where the speed limit drops – via a recent trial in Europe. Now, with more teens dying on U.S. roads than ever before, the automaker has filed a new patent outlining an idea for a curfew enforcement system that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
The idea here is to help bring those numbers down by creating a system that ensures younger folks aren’t out past their imposed curfew. It accomplishes this by using geofencing and a processor to determine if the teen is out past their curfew, and if they are, it reports this information to a parent or guardian, as well as whether or not the vehicle is located within a geofenced area.
If the latter proves to be the case, the system would be able to send vehicle travel history info to parents and/or guardians, and can also determine if the young driver will make it back to the desired location before their curfew ends, based on vehicle speed and navigation data.
While this obviously seems a bit intrusive, the idea is to ensure that young folks are home by the time their parents dictate, which could potentially help avoid tragic accidents from occurring late at night, after that teen was at a party or somewhere perhaps they shouldn’t be. Given the fact that parents already have a number of ways to track their children, it wouldn’t be surprising to see such a feature show up in future Ford vehicles in some capacity.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford trademark news, Ford business news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.
Comments
And it will help the Canadian government (or any other government) prevent any future trucker convoys. It is all about having centralized control of the transportation system.
Avoiding domestic terrorism by other means, i.e. via chuckleheaded trucker convoys, and the like, seems a net positive.
Since the corruption of our government is on full display, handing any more power to “authorities” is a major mistake.
Glad to see your trip to the funny farm is over. Welcome back.
Instead of another useless patent, how about taking away the teen’s driving privilege for a week when they violate their curfew.
I am sure that Ford would not use these in an event of another covid like lockdown, even if the gov’t Requested.
They already have MyKey which allows prevents the car from going over 70 mph. This is not going to fly after the government locked people in their homes for a year while they all went out to dinner (California we are glaring at you…)
They can already remotely shut down the car during a pursuit.. this is more overreach and control.
No. Thanks.
LoL @ dude who thinks extended high speed pursuits are a good thing.
When I was 18, I worked 3rd shift at a manufacturing company. How would that system work properly on a 11pm to 7am schedule?
At 18 you’re already an adult and don’t need a curfew.
Listen up Ford have been broken into twice Michigan truck plant now rename Michigan assembly plant those crooks took a shot load of checks first than came back and open of the pay roll money cabinet am the lead they robbed me they’re on a Ford locator theft device for the company for theft report my information
As a father of four the idea has a certain appeal, but the ease with which this control could be handed over to a govt agency…I’ll stick to groundings.