Driverless cars may not be quite ready for the road, but leading car manufacturer Ford is already preparing to give you things to do when you no longer have your hands at the wheel. According to a patent application filed on 1 March, Ford is developing an “autonomous vehicle entertainment system”.
According to the background information section of the application, “instead of concentrating on numerous driving-related responsibilities, the driver may be free to watch movies”, with a “projection screen ... located ... near the windshield”.
Accompanying drawings suggest how the system might work, with a drop-down screen at the front of the car, blocking out the windscreen, and a projector positioned between the two front seats. The patent description suggests these might “retract into the ceiling” when not in use.
Ford told Forbes magazine: “We submit patents on innovative ideas as a normal course of business. Patent applications are intended to protect new ideas but aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans.”
