On the Dash:
- Ford patented a system (US 12,682,191) that tells tool theft from tag failure using sensor data.
- The system checks toolbox temperature and door/window status before issuing a theft alert.
- Ford says patent filings protect new ideas but don’t signal business or product plans.
Ford Global Technologies has been granted a patent for a tool-tracking system that cross-references sensor data to help determine whether a missing tool signal indicates theft or a device failure, according to the patent filing.
The patent, U.S. 12,682,191, was filed Sept. 27, 2024, and granted July 14, 2026. Inventors John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Jake Schwartz and Aaron Matthew DeLong are listed on the filing. It’s a division of an earlier Ford application filed in December 2022 that was issued as U.S. Patent 12,169,754.
Systems and methods for tracking a tool stored in an enclosure cross-reference to related applications, U.S. Patent No. 12682191
The system relies on a monitoring device inside the vehicle and tracks a wireless tag or chip attached to a tool stored in a toolbox in the cabin.
Before flagging a lost signal as a possible theft, the device checks whether cabin or toolbox temperatures have moved outside the tag’s normal operating range. Extreme heat or cold can cause the wireless component to fail even when the tool has not moved.
If temperatures approach that threshold, the system issues an advisory recommending action such as running the climate control system. If the signal is lost anyway, the device checks whether the vehicle’s doors and windows stayed closed during that period. If they did, the system treats the tool as likely still present rather than issuing a theft alert.
This patent adds to a broader set of Ford filings related to vehicle security and tracking, including a tagged-object tracking system and a vehicle security system that uses wireless tokens to grant limited, location-based access to vehicle functions, according to Ford Authority.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” a Ford spokesperson said in a statement provided to Ford Authority. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
Ford has not indicated whether the technology will move beyond the patent stage.
