Ford patents adaptive cruise control based on windshield wiper speed

According to foreign media reports, Ford Motor Company has applied for a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for an adaptive cruise control system that can be adjusted according to the wiper speed that Ford vehicles may use in the future. The patent was filed on November 16, 2021 and published on October 29, 2024, with serial number 12128894.

Image source: USPTO

Cruise control is one of those features that has been around in cars for a long time and is very useful, especially when people are driving on the road for hours. In recent years, cruise control systems have become smarter with the introduction of adaptive technology, but Ford is still exploring more ideas through multiple patent applications. These include ideas for enhanced adaptive cruise control, low visibility adaptive cruise control, and adaptive cruise control activation technology. Now, this newly published patent introduces an adaptive cruise control system that can adjust according to the speed of the wipers.

According to the patent, the future car computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions that can be executed by the processor to receive the speed of the vehicle's windshield wipers. The processor then adjusts the vehicle's adaptive cruise control settings based on the windshield wiper speed and instructs the vehicle's propulsion device to operate according to the adjusted adaptive cruise control settings.

Currently, adaptive cruise control systems adjust the vehicle's speed based on the vehicle ahead so that the driver doesn't have to turn off the cruise control or brake in such situations, or accelerate when there's no car ahead. However, as Ford points out in the patent application, adaptive cruise control systems may slow the vehicle down in conditions such as heavy rain or snow.

That's the motivation behind this concept, which ties the operation of the windshield wipers to the adaptive cruise control system, automatically slowing the car down if the wipers are operating at high speeds, which indicates heavier rainfall and more dangerous road conditions. It's an interesting idea, and one that could be a huge boon to those who want a little more control from their vehicle.