Microsoft has been granted a patent for its “avoid ghetto” feature for GPS devices.
A GPS device is used to find shortcuts and avoid traffic, but Microsoft’s patent states that a route can be plotted for pedestrians to avoid an “unsafe neighborhood or being in an open area that is subject to harsh temperatures.”
Created for mobile phones, the technology uses the latest crime statistics and weather data and includes them when calculating a route.
The patent, written in a combination of tech-speak and legalese, was awarded to Microsoft earlier this week. It also described other uses for the new GPS technology.
One section of the patent mentioned that advertisers can use the technology to navigate a user through a newly set up ad campaign.
Microsoft declined to comment to CBS Seattle.