Toronto, Ontario – Ford recently filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a lighting system that will circle a vehicle’s roof in an uninterrupted halo-esque display.
Originally revealed by Carbuzz, Ford’s new patent depicts a battery-powered vehicle equipped with an uninterrupted U-shaped lighting array running along the top of the windshield and down to the sides of the car.
The patent claims that the new lighting system could have a variety of uses:
“All-round colour illumination could be used to signify when an electric vehicle’s battery is charged, prompting an owner to take the vehicle off charge and relinquish a charging spot to the next user. For a more entertaining alternative, the lighting system can cycle between an array of colours in myriad patterns, such as pulsing, chasing, intensifying, and fading.”
The patent also claims that the U-shaped lighting system could act as a supplemental turning indicator, or it could illuminate as it detects an owner coming within close proximity to the car, to aid vehicle users with entry to the vehicle.
The patent shows how the lights could be applied to not only electric vehicles, but also to cars with multi-piece, detachable roofs, making the new design potentially versatile to a wide range of brands.
The use of the lighting system as a supplemental turning signal could be effective in autonomous vehicles with the lights indicating a vehicle’s planned turns in a hands-free and visual way.
At this current stage, Ford’s new patent awaits approval and may never make it to the production stage.
Still, future cars could soon be haloed in light–a curious symbol of divine technology.
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