Snapchat wants to make its photo filters much smarter.
The Los Angeles based startup is working on advanced object recognition that can serve filters with ads, promotions, and other information based on physical objects in a photograph or video. The technology was outlined in a patent application published on Thursday.
The patent, which was filed in January 2015 and first published on July 14 2016, outlines different reasons Snapchat would scan the contents of a photo, including "a discount associated with a type of the object at a local merchant establishment."
Letting businesses pay to present ads, promotions, and other information as object-based photo filters could prove to be a lucrative source of revenue for Snapchat, which already sells sponsored location-based geofilters filters and interactive selfie "Lenses."
Several examples in Snapchat's patent hint at the technology being used for more than just ads. For example, a filter could serve up educational information about an object in the photo, like the nutrition information and cost of a meal or "photo filters that overly a menu of the restaurant on the photograph."
Object recognition could also be used to identify an animal and show a filter "associated with a safari," according to the patent filing. Snapchat could show a filter that places a virtual pet on your shoulder. (Hello, Petco sponsorship!)
By scanning the contents of a photo, Snapchat wants to let people use filters that change based on where they are in relation to the object. One fun example from the patent filing details how a filter could show the back or front of King Kong based on what side of the Empire State Building a photo was taken.
The patent outlines a bidding system that merchants could use to serve ads for certain objects — think soda companies competing with ad dollars to scan a drink in a photo. Individuals would also be able to submit their own object-based filters similarly to how Snapchat lets people make their own custom geofilters already.
The ability to recognize objects in the real world could help pave the way for the augmented reality headset Snapchat has reportedly been working on.
The startup has recently made a string of hires in the AR and VR space, including talent from the likes of Facebook's Oculus. Its CEO, Evan Spiegel, was also photographed last fall wearing a mysterious pair of camera-equipped sunglasses.
Snapchat declined to comment when reached by Tech Insider.
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