Will Google sell ‘pay-per-gaze’ advertising with Google Glass?

August 21, 2013
gaze-tracking

Gaze tracking (credit: Google)

Google has been granted a patent that appears to reveal some far-reaching plans for the eye-tracking sensor that exists — but currently isn’t formally used — on Google Glass, Marketing Land suggests.

In the patent, Google is calling it “pay-per-gaze” advertising, and it involves charging advertisers if the user looks at an ad — online or offline — while wearing a Glass-like device.

The patent includes a claim that Google could try to charge companies if the wearer happens to see an ad while wearing the device. The patent calls it pay-per-gaze advertising. And it doesn’t matter if the user sees an ad online or offline.

Advertisers could be charged based on whether the user looked directly at the ad and, if so, for how long.

The patent also says Google could collect (and charge advertisers for) analytical data such as how long an ad held the user’s gaze and what emotional response it generated. Emotional response would be determined, in part, on the user’s pupil dilation while looking at the ad.

Automatic augmented-search results

The patent also includes a form of augmented reality, where “search results” would be shown to the user based on what s/he’s looking at — without the user ever having to even speak a query. The patent calls this “latent pre-searching.”

These visual searches would be stored in a “gazing log” and the user would be able to go back and see all the things s/he viewed in this personal viewing history.

Full disclosure: I am a c0nsultant to Google — Editor