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.
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.
drink a verification can to continue
take your required 2 factor authentication shit
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.
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.
Same sentiment. I hope this patent rots so deep in their patent system that the hard drives turn to dust.
I also understood what you clearly meant but this is a good exercise in not blowing up at a pedant.
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.
I hate this timeline
What if this is the best timeline?
I can’t imagine there is any reality out there where capitalism doesn’t exist.
Me: I’ll just need a screwdriver and a hammer to chisel that shit off the motherboard from the radio 📻…
Ford: actually it’s an integral part of the fuel pump, the fuel injection timing system, the breaking system and the battery BMS system…and the head light controller…it’s in all vital systems!
Me: check out my all new Honda!
Maybe there’s a way to dumb down the technology with 1950s bypasses. Just skip the computer entirely.
“How to lobotomize your car” could become a whole new genre on youtube.
Destination: Las Vegas
Ford car: “Visit Hard-on Henry’s for hookers and blow”
Pi-hole coming to cars now
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…
People don’t buy EVs because they are way too expensive. BS spy devices and features hidden behind paywalls can be put in anything.
Bold of you to assume that if Ford every implements this, it would only be in EV’s
Of all the amazing futures that technology could bring us, this is the black hell we get stuck with.
Actually this is a good thing. They’ve gone and got a patent for it, so now I know not to buy ford cars, and no one else can spy on me without breaking copyright, because that’s the part that would be illegal.
Unless they make a deal behind closed doors
So now you have to disconnect and reinstall speakers and radio systems in new cars, got it
I already never wanted a Ford, now I want one even less.
what if i screamed ‘fuck off and die’ at it whenever an ad plays
It would recognize that you don’t respomd well to ads and play more annoying ones as a result.
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”
Do they not realize this will hurt their Brand?
Short term ad profits aren’t worth losing customers.
They very much are for a lot of people. Lines goes up, you can give yourself a nice bonus payout and if things come crashing down you leave. With your golden parachute of course.
In general, digital privacy invasions have been very successful because of attrition.
Most people don’t care, those that do hold out, but then every competitor does the same and you no longer have any real alternatives. Eventually, the hold outs need to replace [car in this case] and the sting of the objectiknable change has faded, and they just move on.
Rinse and repeat.
We lost the fight for meaningful net neutrality, basic digital privacy rights, broadband limits, etc.
They’ll win this one too. Eventually. Your phones and IoT with microphones are already doing it.
I guess they might lose customers, but the ad revenue will offset it. Which could be a win for them. Less cars to produce for the same amount of money. If they survive everybody else will probably just follow suit. Like the car functionality subscriptions.
I’m just sad we reached this point.
Ban targeted advertising. Ban data gathering. You won’t even have to deal with the f***ing cookie banners anymore.
If they survive
And if they show the slightest sign that they might not survive then the US Gov will bail them out.
Ban any advertising unasked for, even better.
No, because the barrier to entry for car manufacturing is significant.
If the other major car manufacturers weren’t already working a similar advertising system/platform, they’ve already scheduled multiple meetings to catch up.
This isn’t a problem that will be solved by the market and competition, only by regulation.
And I don’t consider tech savvy users learning how to hack and disable these features as a resolution, it’s just mitigation.
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.
