Ford applies for new patent: Future cars may be equipped with headlights with lidar

According to foreign media reports, Ford Motor has applied for a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a lamp with lidar, which may be used in future Ford vehicles. The patent was filed on April 25, 2023, and published on October 31, 2024, with the assigned serial number 0360972.

Image source: USPTO

Many modern cars have begun incorporating more and more technology into their headlights and taillights, including sensors and various other gadgets. The problem is, this technology has also made these lighting elements much more expensive than before — in fact, replacement costs can run into the thousands of dollars, which is why thieves are increasingly targeting headlights and taillights instead of stealing entire vehicles. The problem is, this trend doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon, and this newly published patent suggests adding even more technology to the headlights of future Ford vehicles.

Image source: USPTO

The patent description includes a lamp assembly for a vehicle including a housing. The lamp assembly also includes an outer lens that is operably coupled to the housing to define a chamber therebetween. A light source is disposed in a first portion of the chamber and is configured to emit visible light through the outer lens to an area in front of the vehicle. The lamp assembly also includes a LiDAR module disposed in a second portion of the chamber and facing the outer lens. The LiDAR module is configured to capture distance information based on infrared light reflected from an external area. The second portion is vertically spaced apart from the first portion.

That technology is LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and it's used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving cars, relying on laser pulses for detection and ranging. Many recent prototypes have had giant LiDAR units mounted on their roofs, but in the future, Ford envisions the technology being more neatly packaged inside the headlights.

Image source: USPTO

If LiDAR does become a common feature of future vehicles, then the idea makes a lot of sense. No one wants to mount a bunch of sensors and cameras on the roof of their car, in which case the LiDAR module would be neatly clipped inside the headlight, facing outward, so that it can capture information about the distance between the vehicle and another car or object. So, it may be possible to have this kind of lamp in mass-produced vehicles one day, although it may make the headlights more expensive.