Ford patent could play ads through car speakers

Ford remains mum on whether the system will eventually enter production

Go for a walk in a densely populated area and you will be bombarded with ads. Turn on your phone and you won’t be able to escape ads promoting products that promise to change your life. Sit down and open an old-fashioned newspaper and you’ll often see full-page ads. Ford could soon start rolling out personalized ads in the infotainment systems of future models.

In February 2023, Ford applied for a technology patent for such a system in the United States. Released recently, it can display ads on a vehicle’s infotainment screen. More annoyingly, it can also play ads through the car’s speakers and tailor them based on the vehicle’s direction and route, historical data collected from the driver, and even audio signals inside the car.

READ: Ford wants patent for ad-serving infotainment system that eavesdrops on your messages

This isn’t the first time Ford has tried this technology concept. Previously, the company applied for a patent for a system that could use on-board cameras to identify nearby billboards and then display relevant information on the infotainment screen.

talk with automotive newsAbu Miah, an analyst at ABI Research, said targeted ads could make owners feel like Ford is invading their personal space, leading to a negative perception of the brand. “Generally speaking, people don’t want to be marketed or advertised in their cars,” he said.

Ford has not yet confirmed whether the technology described in the patent will enter production. “Filing patent applications is a normal part of any strong business because the process protects new ideas and helps us build a strong intellectual property portfolio,” Ford spokesman Alan Hall said.

The patent says Ford’s system can automatically shut down in areas that violate local laws or are “undesirable” and insists ads will only be shown in a “safe and reasonable manner.” Presumably, they will only be displayed when the vehicle is stationary, although the patent doesn’t specify this.