Pet Patent Pending

Ford do like to come up with interesting patents.

A couple of weeks ago, Fox reported on a Ford patent which involved using in-car drones to spy on autonomous hire-cars.  The idea is to hide an inspection drone in the boot or glove compartment that would be deployed between rides to get a look at the vehicle.

I'd be tempted to lock the glove box.

Today, Car+Driver are reporting that Ford will have a "Pet Mode" - this would be similar to the Tesla version I reported on back in January 2020.

The full patent application is here.

It seems to be controlled by the car key fob.  Surely a mobile phone app would be a better option - otherwise, given all the options available, it could end up looking like this:

The fob instructs a selected group of the systems under the control of the car computer to operate in a specified manner so as to create a comfortable environment for a pet within the vehicle.

"For example, in pet mode, the vehicle computer may cause one or more windows to lower, the sunroof to open the trunk lift gate to pivot open, and the seat backs of one or more rows of seats to tilt or fold down."

I wonder if it will check as to whether or not the pet is under that row of seats at the time.

Apparently it can also check whether or not the pet is inside or outside of the vehicle which is presumably quite useful just after the trunk lift gate has pivoted open.

You will have observed that the pet in question - item 106 in figure 5 - is a dog.  I can't think of any other pet that might be left in a car but they couldn't call it "Dog Mode" for two reasons:

1. Tesla have already got that one.
2. People in Britain would expect the car to take them to secluded car parks.

Fob Off or Jack Off

Here's a fob with a Union Jack on it.

Yes, I know that is technically a Union Flag but that doesn't work with the Post title.

Actually, we are talking Car Key-fobs and axle-jacks.

Two consecutive Car+Driver stories caught my eye today.

A railway worker has been stealing the second keys from brand new cars being transported through the rail yard where he worked.  He took about 2000 and sold them on e-Bay for over $60,000.

The story is here.  The investigation started when Ford, FCA, and GM began to make claims to a rail vehicle transporter that vehicles were missing key fobs when they arrived at dealers.  This was back in Feb 2018 - they had noticed them going missing since the end of the previous year.  He was traced through his friend's e-Bay account after his own was suspended for selling fake headphones.

Meanwhile, the jack story has the potential to be serious.

Basically, a US company  is  recalling the three-ton jack stands that were replacements for their three-ton jack stands recalled in May.

They are offering replacements, refunds or a credit note.

If you don't trust the replacement make sure you aren't fobbed off with a credit note.