Imagine your car playing you an ad based on your destination, vehicle information—and listening to your conversations.
Ford has patented a system that, per the filing, would use several different sources of information to customize ad content to play in your car. One such information stream that this hypothetical system would use to determine what sort of ads to serve could be could be the voice commands you’ve given to the car. It could also identify your voice and recognize you and your ad preferences, and those of your passengers. Finally, it could listen to your conversations and determine if it’s better to serve you a visual ad while you’re talking, or an audio ad when there’s a lull in the conversation.
If the system described in the patent knew that you were headed to the mall on the freeway based on destination information from the nav system and vehicle speed, it could consider how many ads to serve in the time you’ll be in the car, and whether to serve them on a screen or based through the audio system. If you respond more positively to audio ads, it might serve you more of those—how does every five minutes sound?
But what if the weather’s bad, traffic is heavy, and you’re chatting away with your passenger? Ford describes the system using the external sensors to perceive traffic levels and weather, and the internal microphone to understand conversational cadence, to “regulate the number (and relevance) of ads shown” to the occupants. Using the GPS, if it knows you’ve parked near a store, it might serve you ads relevant to that retail location. Got passengers? Maybe you get an audio ad, and they get a visual one.
Given how consumers feel about advertising and in-car privacy, it is difficult to imagine an implementation of this system that wouldn’t generate blowback. But again, the patent isn’t describing some imminent implementation; it just protects Ford’s IP that describes a possible system. That said, with the encroachment of subscription-based features, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before you’re accepting a $20/month discount to let your new Ford play you ads on your commute.
Welp, they needed to tell people about themselves, I’m taking note.
Of all the amazing futures that technology could bring us, this is the black hell we get stuck with.
Give me a free car and I’ll test it out with this “service”. I’m not buying a car that advertises to me.
This means my car will be cheaper, right?
…right?
“Ahahahaha! You silly bitch…”
–Giant corporations
Honestly good. Let no one else use that technology. Then all i have to do is not buy a ford.
That said, if you plug your phone into your car, this tech is already in place lol.
This is not how patents work. At all.
For one, patent owners are generally more than happy to license their technology to integrators, and even competitors, if there is money to be made.
More importantly, patents cannot be used to get exclusivity on products. Rather, patents can only protect novel approaches to how a product is made or served.
The patent system is designed to protect R&D costs exclusively, not some get out of jail card for anti trust. Of course, the patent office isn’t perfect, the system does get abused in anti-competitive ways. But in the end, it’s rare that that results in less consumer choice, because of licensing deals.
Yeah, the “let no one else use it” portion of my comment is what i meant when you say “patent owners are generally more than happy to license their tech”
I hope ford doesn’t.
And yes while patents dont grant exclusivity it gives a company the option to try and argue that a competitors version isnt novel enough. In the USA, where ford is from, patent law screwery is abounds if you have enough money. Of which Ford is backed by the US government.
Im not here to point out whether or not the patent is the issue. The problem is the spying and selling of personal data. If ford proceeds in a way that limits that exposure to the rest of car manufacturers then fantastic, even if its only in a nominal way.
I do still appreciate your refresher on how patents work though! Hope the rest of your day goes well.
I also understood what you clearly meant but this is a good exercise in not blowing up at a pedant.
Same sentiment. I hope this patent rots so deep in their patent system that the hard drives turn to dust.
No, it’s not. “Your phone is listening to you” is an idiotic myth.
What was that headline about Facebook employees bragging about customer conversations they were listening in on? hmmmm
Choose between:
Entirely fabricated
or
On their own hardware, that isn’t a smartphone, because they don’t make them.
Both iOS and Android make it abundantly clear when your mic is hot and when apps have access to it. It’s not possible to listen undetected.
Google Assistant is able to activate simply by the user saying “Okay Google,” at any time, without pushing any buttons first. That means the microphone is always listening.
You should do your research on how wake words work. They literally are only capable of identifying the selected words and they do an obscene amount of training to do so efficiently, because actually processing all the audio your phone is exposed to can’t possibly be done in a reasonable way.
Finally I can add to the list:
- Fix Or Repair Daily
- Found On Road Dead
and now,
- Frequently Off Recording Device
Fucked Or Running. Depends.
NEW feature: As you drive down the road, Ford cars will automatically take over and drive you to the nearest sponsor location. Hungry? It will take over and swerve into the nearest KFC drive-thru. Next stop, CVS pharmacy, then Office Depot.
Disclaimer: Disabling AutoAd feature requires monthly subscription.
“But honey, the car took me to the strip club, it isn’t my fault”
Lets hope this is one of those patents that they never do anything with while simultaneously denying everyone else the opportunity to do it.
Like that 2009 Sony patent that makes you get up from your seat and yell out the name of the brand to end an ad.
2009? It will expire in 5 years and we’ll be inundated with devices that require you to get up from your seat and yell out the name of the brand to end an ad ☹️
Ikea are worried as then they will have to come down firm on a pronunciation.
It is either eye key eh, or i key ah, but even they don’t seem to know.
drink a verification can to continue
take your required 2 factor authentication shit
Will they turn it off when you test drive? I bet there will be some nefarious test drive mode that doesn’t show how fucked the car’s systems are.
There was an article saying that ppl don’t buy enough EVs, but with all the shit they put in it, the problem is beyond the type of engine…
Bold of you to assume that if Ford every implements this, it would only be in EV’s
People don’t buy EVs because they are way too expensive. BS spy devices and features hidden behind paywalls can be put in anything.
No
No. 1 upgrade for future Ford cars: A switch to cut off the microphone.
Love my 2nd gen Toyota. Runs well. Needs just basic maintenance. It can hold it’s own in any “Made in Murica” pissing contest. And the only annoying thing is the TPMS sensor light, if you could even call that annoying. It’s manual, 4wd, doesn’t record me, no backtalk. As loyal as a truck can be.
Yet another reason not to buy a Ford.
I’ve got 37 other reasons and they’re all recalls. Seriously, that’s just this year. They’ve had the most recalls of any manufacturer like 4 years running. At this point my whole family likes to joke that my brother’s got job security out the whazoo.
Would I buy that car? Would not drive, even if given to me for free. Hell Naw.
They would have to pay me to ride around in that. Cash ass or grass Ford
