Google files for patent for mobile ad sensitive to light, sound, and temperature

Google mobile ads

Google

Google has been making several moves to prepare for the predicted spike in mobile marketing this year and to continue to deliver highly effective mobile advertising options, such as its recent patenting of mobile ads that are temperature, noise, and light sensitive.

This effort has been made to help Google to better deliver its ads based on the specific environment of a smartphone user, when combined with his or her behavioral profile. Its filing was granted through US patent 8,138,930 and allows a mobile device such as a smartphone to detect a great deal more about its user’s environment than the location. It will help to detect the ambient sound, local temperature, and the light levels around the user.

It is likely Google’s intention to incorporate this capability into the Chocolate Factory so that advertising can be more accurately targeted.

The patent describes relatively basic concepts. For example, if a phone happens to detect that a user is in a cold environment, then it could be a good opportunity to send an ad for a warm coat, a holiday in a warm location, or for a sale on skis. Similarly, the background noise might detect that the user is attending a sports event and targeted ads of that nature can be provided.

Though this has a great deal of marketing potential, many people in the blogosphere have already expressed their distaste for the technology, which they feel is a potential invasion of privacy, regardless of the fact that Google has assured mobile users that they will be providing an opt-out ability.

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