Tag Archives: patent

A Bridge Too Far?

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On Monday, BizPacReview reported a newly published patent application by Ford Global Technologies that “generally pertains to systems and methods to repossess a vehicle.”

The article reports:

The 14-page document included diagrams and descriptions detailing a progression in communications that would ultimately result in the car driving itself to a lending institution or repossession agency should the owner fail to respond to notifications of delinquent payments.

“When an acknowledgement is not received within a reasonable period of time, the first computer may disable a functionality of a component of the vehicle or may place the vehicle in a lockout condition,” the abstract detailed and noted for safety concerns, “The lockout condition may be lifted momentarily in case of an emergency to allow the vehicle to travel to a medical facility.”

The patent went on to describe the escalation that might occur following missed payments wherein the stereo could first be utilized to “emit an incessant and unpleasant sound every time the owner is present in the vehicle.”

After the patent was published, Ford released a statement that explained, “We don’t have any plans to deploy this,” and detailed that in 2022 they were granted 1,342 patents.

Note that the statement was made after the patent was published.

The article concludes:

Also of note, Cox Automotive reviewed the delinquency rates in the automotive industry and found a 20.4 percent increase in borrowers at least 60 days behind on payments in January over the year prior. Overall, defaults had increased by 33.5 percent from 2022, and these rates, the highest measured since 2006, had led to an increase in repossessions of 11 percent.

All that to say, while it may not be in their immediate plans, Ford is likely to seriously consider the use of this technology should the economy continue struggling.

I understand the problem, but if people held on to their cars longer, would the price of cars go down because of decreased demand?

Things That Are Beginning To Add Up

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Yesterday the U.K. Daily Mail reported that on January 21, 2020, China filed a patent for Remdesivir, one of the drugs being used to treat the coronavirus. January 21st was the day after China confirmed human transmission of the disease.

The article reports:

The revelation that it moved so fast fuels concerns about a cover-up of the pandemic when it erupted in Wuhan last year, and suggests that China’s understanding of the virus was far advanced from the impression given by its public stance.

Last night, Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, joined the growing global clamour for a full, independent inquiry into China’s role.

‘It is quite clear there is an awful lot that we don’t know about the emergence of this disease and the responses to it,’ he said. ‘We all need to learn the lessons of the outbreak so the international community can respond better in the future.’

China’s Communist Party leaders face accusations that they suppressed data, blocked public health teams from investigating, silenced doctors seeking to warn the world about the epidemic and delayed admitting there was human transmission.

We need to remember that in dealing with China, we are dealing with a closed society. The people of China either say and do what the government tells them to say or do or they wind up dead, missing, or in re-education camps. China is in no way a free society, and the information they put out cannot be trusted.

The article concludes:

Professor Martin Landray, a leader of the Oxford study, said doctors would probably end up with a range of drugs to fight the virus, adding: ‘It is unlikely we will get a wonder drug that will knock out the infection.’

Prof Landray said drugs might be used in combinations to help reduce death rates.

He added: ‘Even if you find a drug that reduces the death rate by one fifth, that would have meant we would have been able to save about 4,000 lives already in Britain.’

We need a reliable cure for the coronavirus more than we need a vaccination or a lockdown.