Ford Patents Smart Trailer Monitoring Camera System For Safer Hauling

Ford Patents Smart Trailer Monitoring Camera System For Safer Hauling

A truck that can haul thousands of pounds is awesome, but not all drivers are as well-equipped for the task as their pickups.

Ford has filed a patent for a clever camera monitoring system that will allow occupants to keep an eye on the contents of their trailer without setting foot out of the vehicle.

First reported by Ford Authority, the proposed technology would serve several purposes for those who tow trailers regularly. Drivers who often lug trailers behind their trucks or SUVs tend to carry valuable equipment, from minor things like tools and sporting equipment to larger things like cars, boats, and bikes.

Monitoring the goods in the trailer provides the owner with an extra layer of safety, especially when stopped in a traffic jam or at the lights. However, the patent is concerned with more than just safeguarding your cargo.

Per the filing published with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the trailer content monitoring system will also be helpful when the trailer’s weight unexpectedly shifts.

The towing vehicle would automatically be able to detect a change in the load balance and alert the driver of the change. “In response to an alert, the vehicle may show an image of the trailer on the display, but in this instance, the driver will have already been alerted to the change, and/or the vehicle may visually identify the parts of the image that have changed, which represented the basis for the alert,” reads the patent.

A detection system would be necessary as Ford concedes that a live feed of the trailer would be distracting, leading to the driver focusing on the screen and taking their eyes off the road for too long. This would allow the driver to use the infotainment system or navigation, knowing they will be alerted if something occurs in the trailer.

An audible alert chime will notify the occupants of a trailer change without showing the live feed.

It sounds simple and cost-effective enough to perfect and product and should be able to work with any infotainment screen found in an F-150 or other Blue Oval product. The patent notes that it would use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity to relay the feed to the car when necessary, with power for the camera likely coming from the same connector that links taillights, for example. We see no obvious drawbacks and expect that such an option would be a great value-add for commercial buyers and customers who regularly haul, but it is unlikely to become a standard feature for many years, if ever.

Recently, Ford also patented a unique slide-and-tilt truck bed that would make it easier to unload heavy items, a Cybertruck-style tonneau for greater efficiency, and even an idea for an integrated 3D printer in the truck bed.

Whatever the future holds for trucks, Ford is on the cutting edge.