The Latest Patents -Nikon Cars Embedded System

After the smart bottle, Nikon has another weird patent for a device like camera as cars embedded system. The vehicle embedded patent is for a "crime preventing" device - in case of an emergency.

When facing the emergency,The car will send photos to the police,  and display a warning message, lock the doors and seatbelt and self-drive itself to the nearest police station.

Many people,including me, think maybe Nikon is thinking to get into the self-driving/autopilot car revolution that has been making headlines lately? But some people don’t thiink so. There is a a net friend saying:

Nikon is getting into the self-driving car business? I don't think so. If they can't get AF to work half the time, I don't think I want them designing anything that's going to self-drive the car, even to a police station. Besides, if you lock a car thief in the car, they are going to do anything to get out and they'll destroy your car. But Nikon should have gotten into the car "vision" business. These are the devices that newer cars are using to avoid accidents and also to facilitate future self-driving cars. One of the biggest providers of these is Mobileye, which has already locked up GM, Mitsubishi, Honda, Mini Cooper, Nissan, Jaguar Range Rover, Volvo, Opel, Hyundai, Ford, Chrysler, BMW and others.

And while it doesn't have much to do with DLSR photographers, I think Nikon has also missed the boat on the equivalent of GoPro and of drones. Certainly there has been a lot more innovation in those areas than Nikon has ever accomplished in the Coolpix or Nikon1 lines, with the possible exception of the AW. Having said that, GoPro's stock fell 16% this past Thursday because they don't expect any growth in the Christmas quarter.
 
So,what character will Nikonbe be in the future of self-drive car business? Let us wait and see.