Future Ford Vehicles Could Help When Hikers Go Missing

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a way to use an automobile as a beacon that could be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on July 28^th, 2022, published on February 1^st, 2024, and assigned serial number 0038050.

The Ford Authority Take

Ford has filed quite a few patents aimed at helping people in a number of ways over the past few months, a list that includes ideas for a stranded motorist assistance system, an audio-based baby calming system, an occupant health protection system, an in-vehicle health and wellness system, and an in-vehicle automated triage nurse system. Now, this freshly-filed patent keeps that trend going – albeit in a completely different direction – by presenting us with an idea for a way to use an automobile as a beacon that could be used in future Ford vehicles.

These days, outdoor activities like hiking have become more and more popular, and modern technology makes such endeavors easier as well – such as GPS systems, satellite phones, and digital topographic maps. However, there are also folks that may not want to make such big investments into those types of items and simply want to go for the occasional walk without getting lost or stranded, and that’s precisely where this patent comes into play.

This proposed system would be capable of utilizing a person’s vehicle to assist when they’ve traveled a select distance away from it, which is precisely what would happen when one goes for a hike. If the system determines that the owner may be lost – in the event that it can’t reach the person’s wireless device and other select parameters – it could then activate an alert action response. The responses from this system vary from creating a beacon of light so that users can find their way back to actually contacting authorities and relaying their location – making it a potentially life-saving feature if it does in deed come to fruition.

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 comprehensive Ford news coverage.