Ford patents in-car advertising system that monitors passenger conversations for keywords
Ford has received a U.S. patent to show targeted ads inside its cars using information from users, including their conversations.
The patent, approved last month, describes a "in-vehicle advertisement presentation system" that displays commercial ads on the car's infotainment screen. The patent also suggests that the system could listen to what passengers are saying to offer more personalized ads, as reported by MotorTrend, who first noticed the patent.
“For example, this can include listening to conversations between occupants in the vehicle,” the patent says. “The conversations can be parsed for keywords or phrases that may indicate where the occupants are traveling to.”
In addition to listening to conversations, the in-car advertising system also plans to use destination data to show relevant ads. For example, if the system thinks you're heading to a supermarket, it might show you ads for products available there on the infotainment screen.
"These systems and methods may intelligently schedule variable durations of ads, with playing time seeking to maximize company revenue while minimizing the impact on user experience,” the patent adds.
Obviously, watching a video ad while driving is not a good idea (and in some places, it's illegal), which Ford’s patent acknowledges. Instead, the patent suggests that the system would be better suited for “autonomous vehicle.” So, Ford might use this technology if robot taxis become popular. The patent also says that ads could be targeted to passengers based on their past data from third-party applications.
Despite the privacy concerns, Ford is defending the patent. “Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” the company said in a statement.
“The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans,” Ford added. “No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services."
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