Feb 28, 2023 13:00:00

Ford filed a patent for a function that runs away from the owner himself when the loan payment is delayed

With prices continuing to soar, auto loans are becoming a heavier burden on owners than ever before. However, continued nonpayment of loans will cause financial institutions to worry this time, so in order to avoid such a situation, automaker Ford will make it easier to seize cars that are in arrears. applied for a patent for

Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle
(PDF file)

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20230055958

Future Fords Could Repossess Themselves and Drive Away if You Miss Payments
https://www.thedrive.com/news/future-fords-could-repossess-themselves-and-drive-away-if-you-miss-payments

Ford's patent papers were filed with the U.S. Patent Office in August 2021 and were officially published on February 23, 2023. The title is 'Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle', and there is a way to remind people who have been behind on loan payments several times to pay. some are mentioned.

One of the methods described is that ``the system that manages the vehicle can disable the function of one or more components of the vehicle, everything from the engine to the air conditioner.'' Another is, ``For vehicles with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving capabilities, it allows the vehicle to be moved from a first location to a second location that is convenient for tow trucks to tow.'' It is stated that this function allows the vehicle to be moved from the owner's site to the site of a government agency by itself. Alternatively, if the financial institution determines that the costs associated with towing, storing, and reselling procedures are 'high', the vehicle can automatically go directly to the junkyard.

Enforcement does not occur from the beginning, and the system will issue several warnings from the vehicle before initiating a formal seizure. If the owner ignores the warning, the car may begin to lose some functions prior to seizure. The first loss of functionality is minor, such as cruise control, automatic window control, automatic seat control, and some components of

the infotainment system (radio, GPS, music playback, etc.), but the next level is much more severe. Air conditioning systems, remote key fobs, automatic door locking/unlocking systems, etc. are deactivated. At the same time, it is also planned to activate a function that ``continues to make an unpleasant sound while the owner is in the car''.

If the car owner endures it all and still doesn't pay, they could be locked out of the car next time. The document states that ``the system can disable the door locking mechanism, thereby locking out the vehicle and preventing people from entering the vehicle.'' You will not be able to physically control the car.

However, it seems that exceptions such as locking out the owner only on weekends and permitting the use of the vehicle only in emergencies are being considered. The patent, which states that 'you can unlock your car if someone is having something like a heart attack,' uses in-vehicle cameras and neural networks to determine if an emergency is legitimate. It is also stated that it is possible to determine whether there is

The automatic escape function of the vehicle is prepared as a last resort if payment is still not made. This function first detects whether the car is inside the garage with an on-board sensor, and if it is outside, the car will foreclose on itself without the owner being aware of it, or to avoid a conflict with the owner. You can drive to somewhere nearby.

According to the documents, the system could theoretically work if the car was somehow connected to the internet. The system could be installed in future cars with internet connectivity, but Ford's filing for a patent doesn't necessarily represent an intention to actually implement it, so it may never come to fruition. It is quite possible.