Ford has filed a US patent that refers to a system that can detect pedestrians, determine their intentions and then act accordingly. The ultimate goal is for autonomous cars to be able to communicate with nearby road users, improving safety for both pedestrians and drivers of all cars.

Ford argues that it's not particularly ground-breaking, as the technology needed to make this happen is already in cars. The US automaker says the technology could work not only for pedestrians, but also for cyclists and even other conventional vehicles.

For example, thanks to built-in cameras, a self-driving car could see the direction of a pedestrian's gaze. In this way, the vehicle can predict its next action, such as crossing the road.

For instance, an autonomous vehicle approaches a crosswalk. A nearby pedestrian looks at it, then checks the road for incoming traffic. The vehicle's cameras analyze the pedestrian's movements and process the data to decide whether the pedestrian is going to cross the road.

It then automatically applies the brakes to stop the vehicle before the pedestrian crossing. Also, the vehicle can emit various visual signals to the pedestrian to make its presence and what it is about to do visible to other cars following.