Future Ford Vehicles Could Get HUDs With External Projection

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for head-up displays with external projection systems that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on March 16^th, 2023, published on September 19^th, 2024, and assigned serial number 0310628.

The Ford Authority Take

The Blue Oval has experimented with the concept of using things like augmented reality to share and project information to others, as well as several ways we could potentially use our sun visors in future Ford vehicles via a pair of recent patent filings. Now, this newly published patent aims to somewhat combine those two concepts into something new, entirely – an idea for head-up displays with external projection systems that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.

Head-up displays are becoming more and more common in modern vehicles, and are intended to project useful information directly onto the windshield in front of the driver’s eyes, which helps them keep tabs on things like the vehicle’s speed without having to look down and away from the road ahead. HUDs accomplish this by projecting that information using a holographic optical element and laminated glass with a holographic film layer incorporated into it. However, this patent proposes placing a vehicle-mounted screen outside of the vehicle, which could be used as a way to project images as well.

The purpose of such a system is different from that of a traditional HUD in that it would project images on a screen when the vehicle is parked, which would make it suitable for watching things like TV shows or movies. The screen that the system would utilize for this could be mounted under the cowl or hood, deploy to make that happen, then retract away when the vehicle is in motion. It’s an interesting idea given how many modern vehicles already allow users to watch video on infotainment screens, but could make for a more movie theater-like experience, regardless.