Future Ford Vehicles Could Get Smarter About Charging Phones

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a user device vehicle charging strategy that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on December 8^th, 2023, published on October 22^nd, 2024, and assigned serial number 12123384.

The Ford Authority Take

Back in April, Ford published a patent for a system capable of recharging and sanitizing cell phones, which consists of a wireless charger in a storage bin with a lid that also has a tray inside. The system would utilize ultraviolet transmitters to then sanitize the phone while it charges, making for a super convenient way to ensure that germs are removed from that device every time it’s placed in the vehicle. Now, this newly published patent presents us with another potential future device charging system that may wind up being used in future Ford vehicles, too.

In this case, Ford is proposing a way that a vehicle may one day be able to estimate the amount of charge a device may need, as well as its impact on the vehicle's battery, too. If the depletion rate of the connected device exceeds a certain predetermined threshold - one that may cause the vehicle's battery to get too low - the system would also be capable of notifying the user and even starting the engine if necessary, or simply delaying the charging of that device until the vehicle is running.

This type of system may very well be necessary one day given how many devices we tend to charge in our vehicles - whether that be smartphones, laptops, tablets, or any number of items. Trouble is, if the vehicle isn't running, its battery can get depleted while doing so, which is what inspired this idea in the first place. After all, no one wants to face a dead battery and no-start situation because they didn't realize their device charging was having such a big impact on the vehicle's battery, and if this patent comes to fruition one day, they may no longer have to.