Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for passing zone information technology that may be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on September 1st, 2023, published on March 6th, 2025, and assigned serial number 0074424.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has been working to update its BlueCruise hands-free highway driving assist feature since it originally launched in select 2021 model year vehicles, most recently adding an automatic lane change feature to the 1.5 update. Now, this newly published patent introduces us to another similar and intriguing idea for passing zone information technology that may be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
The concept behind this particular patent filing is rather interesting in that it seeks ways to enable vehicles to pass other vehicles in a safer manner. If it comes to fruition, the system would be capable of communicating with the vehicle one wants to pass, as well as determine whether or not the vehicle is in a pass zone or no-pass zone. Using that information and road data, the system could then determine if it’s safe to executive a pass, and do precisely that if everything checks out. If it does come to fruition, this patent could wind up making the act of passing safer, if nothing else, given the fact that many head-on collisions occur during this type of activity, currently.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
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