Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent

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Tue 28 Feb 2023 13:27
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Gibbo_Wirral

A patent application from automaker Ford was published last week for embedded vehicle systems that facilitate an automobile's repossession, including autonomously moving it to a repossession agency.

The patent [PDF], which was originally filed in August, covers more ways to combat non-payment. The least intrusive is a helpful message delivered to the vehicle or a smartphone notifying the user of the delinquency.

If notices go unacknowledged, the system can disable select functionalities of the vehicle or even lock the vehicle out entirely – save for a medical emergency where it could potentially travel to a hospital or ambulance meeting spot autonomously.

More here:

www.theregister.com/2023/02/28/ford_self_repossess.../

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Tue 28 Feb 2023 13:45
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Warning

Why don't they spend their energy on making better cars?

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Tue 28 Feb 2023 13:56
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - mcb100
Going back a few years, when Renault were leasing to customers the batteries in Twizy, Zoë & Fluence (I’d assume there are still some paying monthly for their batteries) they had the ability to stop the batteries charging in the event of missed payments. Essentially disabling the cars.

Edited by mcb100 on 28/02/2023 at 13:57

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Tue 28 Feb 2023 14:09
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Terry W

Increasingly manufactures seem to be remotely updating vehicle software and monitoring performance - Tesla probably the main example.

The can/could be used for:

  • good - update software to improve economy, performance, reliability, warn of servicing requirements etc
  • malign - tracking movements, selling personal data, marketing products intrusively
  • other - speeding offences, non-payment of fines, leasing charges etc
  • potential - driverless or remote control vehicles

I suspect whether we like it or not it is inevitable, and some functionality will no doubt become mandatory on new vehicles within a few years.

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Tue 28 Feb 2023 15:44
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Engineer Andy

Don't forget that it also can be used to enforce carbon usage limits, which is a bad thing for the vast majority who cannot affor to either 'offset' or buy huge PV arrays to power said vehicle.

Rather like 'smart' meters and ID cards whose usage pararmeters get widened without consent to significantly intrude on the user's lives, choices and opinions.

Rather a slippery slope without cast iron safeguards, which there currently don't appear to be much of or that are good enough.

Edited by Engineer Andy on 28/02/2023 at 15:45

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Tue 28 Feb 2023 19:43
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Brit_in_Germany

So it's commendable that Ford are taking this action to stop the poor being exploited then.

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Wed 1 Mar 2023 04:35
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - edlithgow

I suspect whether we like it or not it is inevitable, and some functionality will no doubt become mandatory on new vehicles within a few years.

Well, if we REALLY didn't like it, to the point where we asked about it in the showroom and walked out when we REALLY didn't like the answers, it should become non-inevitable.

Incidentally, if they havn't registered ROBOREPO, the name is mine.

MINE, I tell you!.

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Wed 1 Mar 2023 18:43
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - sammy1

I was just wondering if the cars will be intelligent enough to take the crook lock off before it sets off back to Ford. It will be in hell of a mess if it does succeed in making it back!

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Wed 1 Mar 2023 19:51
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Bolt

I was just wondering if the cars will be intelligent enough to take the crook lock off before it sets off back to Ford. It will be in hell of a mess if it does succeed in making it back!

Thats if the owners are intelligent enough to put one on, though if a car cannot steer it won`t move, it can`t be that daft to smash itself up, it might send a message to a tow truck to pick it up if they can talk to each other that is? though you never know the way tech is going

Edited by Bolt on 01/03/2023 at 19:53

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Thu 2 Mar 2023 01:03
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - edlithgow

I was just wondering if the cars will be intelligent enough to take the crook lock off before it sets off back to Ford. It will be in hell of a mess if it does succeed in making it back!

There's a scene in Repo Man (1984) where they take back a car from some gang bangers and then when taking off find that ii is in fact up on axle stands.

I'd guess a car trying to recover itself from me would be quite likely to have to work around that problem,

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Thu 2 Mar 2023 08:11
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Bolt

I'd guess a car trying to recover itself from me would be quite likely to have to work around that problem,

I suspect it would give up fairly quickly if it has the same problems as your trying to fix, they like to remove in double quick time....

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Wed 1 Mar 2023 20:52
Ford - Ford seeks self-repossessing patent - Metropolis.
I misread this as Ford seeks self-repossessing PAINT. Now that would be novel…!
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