Microsoft looks to target ads based on mood using Kinect sensor

Getting a little down while playing a game on your Xbox?
Don’t be surprised if an ad for an anti-depressant pops
up.

Microsoft is reportedly working on new technology
targeting ads to consumers based on their moods. The
company has been working on the technology for awhile, but is now adding
the popular Kinect sensor to the mix, according to GeekWire.

Geekwire has uncovered several Microsoft patent
applications for a system that would scan your posts on
Facebook and other social media to deduce your mood, interests, and possibly
even your intelligence, to help deliver search results
more suited to you.

The abstract for the patent filed June 7 says that online activities of users will be assigned emotional states.

“An advertisement engine selects advertisements that are emotionally compatible based on the assigned emotional states,” says the patent application.

In addition to scanning social media posts, the patent
says the Kinect sensor would be used to deduce how people
are feeling based on facial expressions and physical
movements.

The patent says advertisers will be able to request the emotional states they’d like targeted.

“No club or party advertisers want to appear when the user is sad or crying. When the user is emotionally sad, advertisements about club parties would not be appropriate and may seem annoying or negative to the user,” says the patent. “Advertisers using the advertisement engine are more likely to surface emotionally compatible advertisements to users.”

While work appears to be underway, don’t expect to see the new technology overnight.

“As with most of these things, there’s no indication that
the company actually plans to roll this out. But it
provides a glimpse into the mindset of Microsoft’s
engineers as they contemplate future products,” writes
Geekwire’s Todd Bishop.

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