07:38 14-12-2025

Ford's dual-view car display patent splits driver and passenger content

Automakers keep turning cabins into walls of screens, but with convenience comes a new headache: information overload and plain screen fatigue. Ford, judging by a fresh Dual View Display patent, is trying an unusual fix—one display that shows different images to the driver and the front passenger at the same time. SPEEDME.RU reviewed the USPTO filing and outlined the concept. The idea reads like a pragmatic truce between entertainment and essential driving data.

The use case is easy to picture. The passenger wants to watch video or scroll through content, while the driver needs navigation, route prompts, and vehicle info. Instead of adding another monitor or harshly blocking passenger content, Ford describes a setup where everything lives on one panel, and the view depends on the angle. That promises a cleaner dashboard and less distraction for the person behind the wheel.

Technically, the solution is more intricate than it looks. Inside the display are separate LED zones, each generating its own image. Above them sit two sets of microlenses: not a single lens over the whole panel, but an array where each tiny lens covers its own LED. With pixel-level control, one picture is directed toward the driver and another to the passenger. When needed, the screen can show a single shared image—say, when the car is parked.

The key element is a parallax barrier, familiar from glasses-free 3D displays, which helps different viewing angles see their own pixels. A practical question remains, though: how to keep the system stable with seat positions and occupant heights constantly changing. Real-world ergonomics will decide whether this trick feels seamless or finicky.