Google to offer FREE taxis to restaurants, casinos and more (so long as you promise to spend money when you arrive)
Google to offer FREE taxis to restaurants, casinos and
more (so long as you promise to spend money when you arrive)
According to the patent, journeys would be paid for by
advertisers
Google would use location data to show ads on phones, or
bus stops
Business would consider whether potential profits
outweighs the costs
In the future, journeys could be carried out by Google's
self-driving cars
By VICTORIA WOOLLASTON
PUBLISHED: 06:50 EST, 24 January 2014 | UPDATED: 13:41
EST, 24 January 2014
Next time you fancy a romantic meal for two, or a trip to
the cinema, you could be taken there in a free taxi, courtesy of Google.
According to a recently-awarded patent, the journeys
would be paid for by advertisers hoping to encourage more people to use their
businesses.
The system would run on Google’s existing AdWords
software, and in the future, these journeys could even be carried out by
Google's self-driving cars.
The ad-powered taxi service was detailed in a patent
originally filed in 2011 called ‘Transportation-aware physical advertising
conversions’.
It explains that local businesses would compete for the
adverts in the same way firms currently compete for Google adverts on webpages.
Google would then use location data, and other relevant
personalised information including browsing history, to show relevant ads on a
smartphone.
Additionally, these adverts could be shown at bus stops
and train stations on a kiosk.
To get more personalised options, users would sign in
using their Google+ details and tell Google how many people they’re with and
what they’re looking for.
The final choice of adverts would be chosen using an
algorithm that works out how much the journey will cost the business, and how
much money the business is likely to make from any sales that take place.
For example, if a group of friends are on a night out and
want to go somewhere for dinner, they could sign into Google+ and select how
many people are in the group, and even what kind of food they want.
Google would then use location data, and other relevant
personalised information including browsing history, to show relevant ads on a
smartphone+3 Additionally, these
adverts could be shown at bus stops and train stations on a kiosk+3
Google would use location data, and other relevant
personalised information including browsing history, to show relevant ads on a
smartphone left. Additionally, these adverts could be shown at bus stops and
train stations on a kiosk, right. To get more personalised options, users would
sign in using their Google+ details
Google will scan for local businesses, find out which
ones best suit the requirements and provide a free, or discounted, ride coupon.
Any journeys placed, and subsequent transactions made,
would be traced and stored on a person’s phone or Google+ account.
Advertisers could then choose not to offer certain people
free rides if the financial benefit from doing so isn’t significant enough.
And once Google's self-driving cars are approved,
businesses could dispatch the autonomous vehicles to collect their customers.
Explaining the reasoning behind the patent, Google said:
‘Getting a potential customer to a business location in order to conduct a sale
may be one of the most difficult tasks for a business or advertiser.
'An advertiser may have to offer various inducements,
such as coupons, discounts, parking validations, in order to entice customers to
the location.
'In some examples, ‘brick and mortar’ businesses may even
be forced to invest in more costly real estate near high-traffic areas as
opposed to lower-cost real estate in more isolated locations.
'These factors may create a significant financial burden
to a business.'
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