Microsoft files patent for Phantom Car

Microsoft has filed a rather curious patent that describes a navigation system in which the driver of a vehicle is actually following an image of a car projected right onto the windshield. As opposed to following an on screen map or following auditory instructions from an in-car GPS, this system would have the driver literally following in the wake of a phantom leader car. We have to admit that it's interesting, and that it would probably be pretty fun to turn that next out of town trip into a three hour virtual reality video game, but um, is this really safe?

[Stewart @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

isn't it better than looking down at a GPS system on the dash?

[Tupper @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Just be careful not to follow the BLUE SUV OF DEATH.

[olderty @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I'd try to pass it.

[Changaz @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

This is one of those ideas that make you kick yourself and wonder 'Why didnt i think of that?'

Its a damn good idea!

[MAIcrosoft @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

lol, if you are able to record your own car movements, the next time you can race against your ghost car again and get better lap time XD

[David Oh @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

You CAN record yourself. People are doing it all the time. Recording the exact mph and everything calculated via GPS. I can see SO many useful things to with this technology. Police training. Racecar training. International driver help.

But then again.. it's been done already in video games. Can you patent stuff that's been done in a video game but obviously is easy to do in real life? (of course not like the grav gun in Half life 2 but...)

[Mark @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Just don't follow that virtual car when it drives right through the real car in front of you!

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

It is going to sense traffic too? If not, you might follow it on a left turn into traffic. If it's not 100% reliable, you might follow it into a building or off a cliff!

[Wayne R. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Reminds me of when I first got a moving map working in a vehicle; a buddy was driving so I could tend to all the doodads ('94?). I watched our progress on the then-primitive maps of LA. It was freaky to see us drive right off the side of a freeway (onto one that wasn't on the map). It took me a few moments to get my head re-aligned for reality *and* the GPS map.

What happens when your phantom car drives up the ass of something it shouldn't? And you're on the phone, only half into the situation anyway? Whose foot is going to cover that brake? Microsoft's? Yipes.

[Ronald @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I think that people won't like it... already with a regular dash GPS people start to feel like dumb robots that just follow instructions.

[GenesysX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Along the Toyota theme; "The car in front, isn't even there!"

A crash waiting to happen.

[Herb Bradley @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

What if it's drunk, or speeding?

[WiseOne @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Microsoft proving once again that they actually do have good ideas, great software, and an in-house development army that just never stops putting out new great stuff.

[Cyberwhore @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Every now and then the car in front will stop on the highway for no reason and have to close all windows before it can be restarted and start working again.

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I can just imagine nervous drivers slamming on the brakes or swerving wildly when another car changes lanes right into the side of the virtual car. There are enough cars on the road already without adding virtual ones.

[retro @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

That's suprisingly... smart! Wow, I say it rarely, but good job MIcrosoft!

[vidGuy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Neat idea, but a little dangerous. How 'bout a virtual plane or copter? It could be project high enough that it wouldn't be in your view, so you would still be looking at real traffic, but you could shift your eyes up a little and see where it was headed. If that could be implemented, I think it would be a lot better.

[vidGuy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Ah, I forgot to mention that it should be like a model size plane or copter, not a full thing. Could you imagine what would happen if drives actually thought a plane was going to land on the car in front of them? ;)

[PeeBee @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Maybe this is Microsoft's attempt at creating a dashboard widget.

Sorry couldn't resist.

[christopher @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Are you people against this for real? Do you really suppose someone is going to plausibly explain in court that the ghost image of a HUD caused them to crash into a truck?

That's retarded on a hot-coffee-in-lap scale.

-C

[jg @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Now this is cool, it does seem rather obvious, just like all the video games where you can see how you raced compared against yourself or another driver. I'm just glad we finally hear about a meaniful patent registration rather then something like an Apple tablet.

[Michael S. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Something along the lines of what is in Need for Speed Underground would be nice. There is a giant arrow that appears above your car telling you which way to go.

[MikeV @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Given the accuracy and lack of speed at which road data is updated, this is an accident and a half waiting to happen. Just watch as that virtual car drives right through the concrete median and the driver follows suit... except they obviously don't make it through the barrier...

[duerra @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

by olderty (Score:5, Funny)

[asher @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

the distraction factor is sooo high... and given MS's security holes what happens when a van of wardrivers hacking your virtual car and driving you into a wall.

[Vic @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Na I�ll pass on it (pun intended).

After the lawyers get done with it (speed limit enforced) it will cause traffic jams/accidents.

[otakucode @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I think most of you guys are really overestimating what you think MS is doing with this. It's not going to be a damned holographic projection so that it looks like there actually is a car in front of you! It's going to be a small projection onto the windshield. You're not going to follow it into the ass of the car in front of you, you're not going to freak out when someone drives into it, etc, it will not look like there is a car in front of you. It will look like there is a tiny car picture projected on your windshield.

I don't see why it would be dangerous, but this IS America, so I'm sure some group of mothers with sand in their vaginas will band together and try to ban it "for the children" while they rub themselves at the idea of having stopped yet another good thing from coming into the world.

[John @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Is there anything that Microsoft doesn't have patented?

[sunz @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

i imagine they'd incorporate sensors in the car that would tell the hologram to apply the brakes if a car stops in front of you. Hell they have systems that apply the brakes for you now adays (something i totally disagree with).

[Superdude @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

maybe it would be better to have a naked chick on a bike to follow

[Boston Squares @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Add a new line to the definition of crash...

[koz @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Funny, the old Atari "Hard Drivin'" game from the early 90s had a phantom car that you chased. The phantom car was the current champion's race recorded and saved to memory.

Life imitates virtual-life.

[PosiCat @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Hack it, and chase the black rabbit.

[Mysta @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Wow, lots of folks here are very pessimistic. I think its a great idea. Everything you guys are against are things M$ has probably thought about.

why are you driving 85 mph trying to get somewhere you've never been? Its not like there won't be audio cues. "Right turn in 1 mile" Now if you are still, "Driving into barriers" after hearing that, then you don't need to be driving. this design is way safer than current GPS systems (which make you take your eyes off the road).

Come on people think...

[Viney @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Hope that things got phantom brakelights and phantom turn signals or or else they better be prepared for some phantom road rage.

Wouldn't some type of 3D arrow or possibly some highlighted guideline or path make a little more safety sense and cause a lot less confusion?

It'd be a lot cooler if they could develop the technology to make it accurate enough to highlight the road in front of you on your path, like some type of yellow brick road type deal.

[spyVspy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

the virtual car just needs a big, bouncing arrow pointing down at it so you don't lose him traffic

[falling whale number 42 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

This could be a great idea, a working prototype should be enough to know if it is brilliant or bad. It is that intuitive, it will wither work, or not.

Though I think it can only work well in conjunction with some rather advanced collision detection system.

It does pose some interesting questions.
What if the phantom car is nicer then mine?
Does the phantom car take damage when I run it into the car ahead of me?
Can I pimp out my phantom ride?
Does it have airbags?
What kind of mileage does it get?
Can I race my phantom car against your phantom car, and if you win do get to take my phantom car?
If a driver needs a lot of help, can he have a fleet of phantom cars ahead of him?
Will my phantom car speed?
Will my phantom car love me?

[bob @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

my ideal gps system is where the girl touches my pee pee when i make the correct right hand turn. is that plausible?

[Adam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

After reading part of the patent. i see that this has a huge number of sensors for tracking everything, including speed. cant see that being a huge problem or anything.

[happy gilmore @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

bob: that was totally frickin' funny!! right on!

[Vexir @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

I'm not understanding this, it projects an image of the driver himself onto his windshield!?

[Rusty Shackleford @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Microsoft Virtual Cars Don't Kill People; the Government Does.

[jizzy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Lets just hope this wont run on a Windows version for cars, or we will be having many, many problems.

[Daniel Ross @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Amazing...

Microsoft actually came up with something innovative. I PRAY this is an omen of the future!

[Ste @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Nah, when the virutal follow me car goes off a cliff, a bouncing paper clip will pop up asking if I want to reformat my windshield.

[To Ste @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

Not much brain up in your head. You have no idea how the systems works do you?

[mopheus di blanco @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

"i see dead people..."

[D.M.C. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

What if the phantom car takes to many bathroom breaks, or stops for a burger and you wonted Taco Hell.

[phantom car @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

ATTENTION!
i dont believe im reading these comments. Do any of you have the slightest idea how HUD works??? Try this: get in your car, put a glossy piece of paper w/ printing on it on the dashboard in front of you, and you can see a mirror image of it in the window. With HUD, its just a little LCD screen that reflects off the windshield. You can still see thru the "phantom car", nobody (inside or out of the car) but the driver can see it. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A FRIGGIN REAL CAR! It would probably be green or something, and just a basic outline. It would only take up a miniscule fraction of your windshield, and wouldn't ven look like it was on the road, more like it was hovering. ITS NOT A HOLOGRAPH, ITS A REFLECTION!!! it doesnt present any 'safety hazard', it could only save lives so people can keep their eyes on the road. And the only crashing it would be doing is when it stops working half-way to your destination b/c M$ invented it!

[ng @ Dec 19th 2005 1:24AM]

interesting idea. like the idea of arrows more, but don't they have that? should be fairly safe, unless people have issues avoiding things in the direction they're looking, that they aren't focused on.