Automakers are now looking into the possibility of entertaining car occupants in autonomous cars. Leading the way is Ford, which, with a patent recently published by the U.S. Patent Office, gives a clue to its thinking when it comes to occupying upcoming car occupants: a huge drop-down projection screen.
Based on the illustration in the automaker’s patent for an “Autonomous Vehicle Entertainment System”, the concept is similar to that of a drive-in movie theater, only zoomed in somewhat for in-car viewers. It is more of a driving theater, with a roll-down screen that deploys from the top of the windshield and displays images from a ceiling-mounted projector. Ford recognizes that the entertainment system could take the form of a gauge-cluster screen, in-dashboard displays, or even a small display embedded in the rearview mirror.
When it comes to the exploration of in-car entertainment, Ford is not the only one. In fact, Volvo focused on video-streaming-capable mobile data connections while Faraday Future unveiled its TV-screen-with-wheels concept at this year’s CES. In Ford’s patented hypothetical, the advanced entertainment system will either shut off or transition media to passenger-specific displays when the car switches out of autonomous mode and the driver regains control—which is actually key because it suggests that Ford is taking into account the in-between stages of autonomous-car development, where automobiles can operate by themselves only part of the time.
This supports the automaker’s public position that self-driving cars likely will still need drivers even after its near-term plan for selling such cars become a reality in four years and its “autonomous cars” attain Level 4 Automation as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. While it is true that Level 4 cars do not need a driver, they can drive themselves only under optimal conditions in “climates supporting optimal sensor performance and in areas that have been mapped in high resolution 3D, according to Ford.
In a statement, the automaker’s spokesman said that they submit patents on innovative ideas as a normal course of business. He noted that patent applications are designed to protect new ideas but do not necessarily indicate new business or product plans.
Hamid Moaref has always been fascinated by cars and the automotive industry. His family has a longstanding association with the industry and has been in the tire business for the past 35 years. Raised in Dubai, Hamid attended Capilano University in Vancouver where he graduated with a BBA in marketing before attending an intensive course in magazine publishing in 2005. He has been the publisher and chief editor of Tires & Parts magazine for the past ten years.
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