New patents issued to Google suggest it could soon be eavesdropping on our movements, moods and even how children are behaving around the home.
The patents, which could lead to the development of new smart-device technology, would further shore up Google’s presence in the home and in turn help it learn more about people’s preferences, activities and make suggestions accordingly.
If the patents are turned into products, then one of the things Google could develop are smart cameras capable of recognize an image of a celebrity on someone’s t-shirt, connect that image to the person’s browsing history, see they are a fan and send the person an ad for a new movie the star is in, reports The Atlantic.
The new patents could lead to the development of new smart-device technology that could help Google learn more about people’s preferences and activities in the home
These cameras could also scan clothing and estimate income and tastes based on any expensive electronic devices it detects. The smart home could then recommend what to watch and where to shop.
Sensors and cameras would also be used for other behavioral marketing tactics and would track residents throughout their homes to see what they are doing.
It seems all residents, not just adults in the home, would come under the watchful ears and eyes of Google.
In another patent, a smart-home system is described that would act like a watchful nanny observing children’s behavior in the household. ‘Occupancy sensors’ would alert a parent where kids were in the house and a smart lighting or audio warning system could be triggered to warn the children if they were in an area that was out of bounds.
One of the patents describes a smart-home system that would observe children’s behavior in the household and report back to parents
Cameras could scan clothing and estimate income and tastes based on electronic devices it detects. The smart home could then recommend where to shop
The Google-owned Nest thermostat. The new patents issued to Google haven’t, as yet, been made into products
The device could be programmed to report if it hears children using bad language.
Speakers could also be used to relay mountains of information back to Google.
‘The auditory inferences are startling: Google’s smart-home system can infer ‘if a household member is working’ from ‘an audio signature of keyboard clicking, a desk chair moving, and/or papers shuffling.’
Google can make inferences on your mood based on whether it hears raised voices or crying, on when you’re in the kitchen based on the sound of the fridge door opening, on your dental hygiene based on ‘the sounds and/or images of teeth brushing,” The Atlantic reported.
If the patents become products, it appears that they will go much further than the current Google Home speaker, that answers questions and gives information, or the Google-owned Nest thermostat that measures temperatures in the home.