In a move that could make advertising more effective but creep out consumers in the process,Verizon has filed a patent for a DVR that would detect activity in your living room and target ads accordingly.
The patent application, filed Nov. 29, would home in on "ambient action" by viewers including "cuddling, fighting, participating in a game or sporting event, and talking." Doing so would address a drawback of traditional advertising, according to the patent:
For example, if a user is watching a television program, a traditional targeted advertising system fails to account for what the user is doing (e.g., eating, interacting with another user, sleeping, etc.) while the user is watching the television program. This limits the effectiveness, personalization, and/or adaptability of the targeted advertising.
The application doesn't specify whether such a device would use a camera or a sensor device.