That’s according to a mood-sensing patent that Apple is applying for. Titled INFERRING USER MOOD BASED ON USER AND GROUP CHARACTERISTIC DATA, the patent is all about taking different factors in consideration to determine how a user (that’s you and I) feels. Mood sensing technology in other words.

Some of these factors include:

• interest in the content
• other content the user is currently interacting with
• the user’s current location
• the time of day

The patent further states that “The present technology analyzes mood-associated characteristic data collected over a period of time to produce at least one baseline mood profile for a user. The user’s current mood can then be inferred by applying one or more mood rules to compare current mood-associated data to at least one baseline mood profile for the user.”

Assuming that these factors (and others not mentioned in the patent, I suppose) actually make an accurate assessment of the user’s mood, what good will the technology be to Apple?

I guess the answer’s rather obvious: targeted content delivery, and we know that’s also a nice way to insert ads along the way.

Thanks a lot, Apple. If this technology does fly, maybe, just maybe, my iPhone can replace therapy sessions – not that the temptation of a “new and improved” iPhone twice a year is cheaper, you know!