Amazon Patents Always-On, Blurred Video Streams That Could Track Your Pulse While You Chat

The technology could expand the Amazon Show into an always-open window into your home; Amazon explains its video screens could ultimately track people's facial expressions, home decorations, and even pulse and blood pressure.

In a patent granted to Amazon today, the tech giant proposes connecting households via video screens that would monitor the users’ rooms continuously, and let their friends or family tune in to access blurred visuals and muffled audio to determine when might be a good time for a video chat.

For example, when you arrive home from work your mother (if you granted her access) could start to hear muffled audio coming from your kitchen and would then know you’re home and could request an immediate video chat. If you verbally accept, the screen will automatically clear to enable the chat.

Amazon says it hopes this technology can help in “replicating the spontaneous face-to-face conversations that arise from living in the same place.” It also, of course, would capture huge amounts of data on consumers’ living spaces, social connections, communication habits, and even facial recognition.

Check out the rest of the post and images on the CB Insights blog here.