That’s right, folks! It’s time for a new round of patent-fueled speculation. Today, we’re looking at Ford, who filed a patent for a “trailer sideswipe avoidance system.” But what does that mean, exactly?

The automaker filed a new patent earlier this month (found by MotorAuthority). In it, they describe a piece of technology that would use a variety of sensors to determine if an attached trailer is in immediate danger. If so, it would automatically activate the vehicle’s safety response systems.

The sensors would track things like speed, steering angle, wheelbase location, and nearby objects. From there, it would determine if the driver is at risk of sideswiping another vehicle with the trailer. If so, it will take control of the throttle, steering, and brakes to perform an evasive maneuver automatically. It won’t always be simply jerking the car away, either. It could be a more mild influence, such as reducing the steering angle to allow the imminent risk to fall back first.

It sounds like a wonderful idea, frankly. Plenty of accidents happen because people are not as aware of their vehicle’s space when towing. This could potentially help avoid a fair number of accidents.

But, like with all patents, it’s time to helplessly fill in the games of information with our own guesses. Will this technology be built into a specific Ford-brand trailer? We can imagine it being a set of sensors that you can place yourself, but that would leave a lot of room for error. Buying a whole new trailer for the feature would offer a higher profit margin, too, we figure. Maybe it will be part of the vehicle itself. The patent doesn’t seem to specify where the sensors are. It’s possible they would be attached to the truck or SUV itself and would work with any model of trailer. This would be ideal, as a consumer.

Being a patent, there is no solid guarantee that it will reach production. We very well might never actually see this feature for ourselves. Only time will tell.