Marketing Materials: Ford patents windshield with advanced imaging technology, looking toward glass advertising
Toronto, Ontario — What’s that you say? You want even more of your personal space invaded by advertising? Well, that’s great news because Ford has received patent approval for a windshield design that would do just that. This proposed glass display system uses light projected through a combination of glass and a “darkened material applied […]
Clean Sweep: Tesla approved for single-blade, track-based windshield wiper patent
Toronto, Ontario — Because they can’t just simply be like the other kids, Tesla has announced the approval of a new windshield wiper design that eschews the sweeping arc motion of your grandpa’s wipers in favour of something slightly higher tech. Tesla’s new “electromagnetic windshield wiper system” instead uses a linear actuator at the bottom […]
THE DRAWING BOARD
Seven strange patents pursued by OEMs By ALLISON ROGERS Innovation is a staple of this industry. Every single day, automakers and other industry stakeholders file patents aimed to revolutionize the modern vehicle. While trends of today tend to centre around driver safety systems and electric or autonomous vehicle endeavours, other systems are, frankly, far less […]
Advanced Vision: GM approved for auto-dimming windshield patent to address headlight glare
Toronto, Ontario — It may not yet replace your trusty pair of sunglasses, but General Motors is hoping that a recently approved patent for an auto-dimming windshield may make some difference for drivers who struggle with headlight glare on the road. The patent design, first reported by GlassBytes and first filed in July 2022, also […]
A Step Up: Dodge patents swing-out tailgate step design for Ram trucks
Toronto, Ontario — The engineering department at Dodge is looking to give Ram drivers a leg-up in a literal sense, as a new patent filed by the company has been unearthed, outlining a switchblade-like step housed within a truck’s tailgate. Based on the diagrams uncovered first by Motor Authority, the step appears to swing out […]
Off-Road Offerings: Ford files patents for sand ladder running boards, ‘tank turn’ feature
Toronto, Ontario — The mad scientists in Ford’s engineering division have been busy churning out all sorts of innovative mobility concepts over the past several months, with the latest being a pair of patents yet again geared toward off-road enthusiasts. One of the patents, titled “Integrated Sand Ladders,” conceives of detachable running boards designed to […]
Two Tonne Shimmy: Ford patents off-road ‘crawling’ technology
Toronto, Ontario — Ford appears to be taking cues from the GMC Hummer EV with reports circulating that the automaker has been granted patent approval for a piece of tech called “Crawl Operations for Four-Wheel Steering Vehicle.” Not wanting to be the only OEM in Detroit without crawling cars, a report from The Drive found […]
Frame-by-Frame: U.S. patent approved for self-calibrating, multi-camera AV driving system
Toronto, Ontario — A recently approved patent developed by a Boston, Mass. startup could have some fairly unique implications on an already turbulent calibration landscape, as NODAR has put together a self-calibrating, multi-camera AV driving system. NODAR said the system, called “Hammerhead 3D Vision,” can compare images from each camera and triangulate the distance to […]
Pillar of Promise: Patent approved for GM’s see-through A-pillar design
Detroit, Michigan — General Motors may have found a clear path forward in addressing pedestrian safety around SUVs, as the automaker has been granted a patent for a see-through A-pillar to potentially be used on GM’s larger vehicles. The idea is a fibre-reinforced composite A-pillar that includes one or more openings filled with a transparent resin […]
