Patent also describes using other environmental factors such as air temperature to produce ads
Adverts could soon be tailored according to the background noise around you when using your smartphone, if a patent application by Google becomes reality.
The search engine giant has filed for a patent called ‘Advertising based on environmental conditions’.
As that title implies, it’s not just background sounds that could be used to determine what adverts you seen on your mobile phone. The patent also describes using ‘temperature, humidity, light and air composition’ to produced targeted adverts.
Ear we go: Adverts could soon be produced according to environmental conditions such as background noise, if Google’s patent becomes reality
The application said: ‘A web browser or search engine located at the user’s site may obtain information on the environment (e.g., temperature, humidity, light, sound, air composition) from sensors.
‘Advertisers may specify that the ads are shown to users whose environmental conditions meet certain criteria.
‘For example, advertisements for air conditioners can be sent to users located at regions having temperatures above a first threshold, while advertisements for winter overcoats can be sent to users located at regions having temperatures below a second threshold.’
Google has come under fire recently with users becoming increasingly concerned about its attitude to privacy and perceived obsession with making money.
Google’s controversial new ‘privacy policy’ allows the search giant to ‘pool’ information from 60 separate services including Gmail, Google Search and Android phones, to create ‘personalised’ advertising.
