Communications of the ACM
Google Patents Tech to Serve Ads Based on Background Noise
Google headquarters.
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Google has received a patent for technology that would enable it to deliver advertising based on what it calls "environment conditions."
Ads would be served based on a sensor that detects temperature, humidity, sound, light, or air composition near a device. For example, if the technology detects the sound of the sea, ads for beach balls and towels could be sent to the device of the user in the form of a text image or video.
Google plans to connect the environmental conditions with keywords that advertisers can buy. The patented search and advertising technology is meant for personal computers, digital billboards, digital kiosks, vending machines, and mobile phones. The technology could potentially be used to send ads to mobile phone users based on the background noise of their phone conversations, a move that might raise privacy issues, but Google did not speculate on the future purpose of the patent.
"We file patent requests for numerous ideas our employees dream up," notes Google's Mark Jansen. "Product announcements cannot simply be inferred from our patent applications."
The patent also is notable because it shows that Google is now a researching using methods beyond text to get a relevant search result.
From IDG News Service
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