To patent making online ads social — Google wants

Firm files two patent applications for making online ads social.

Google has filed two patent applications related to social interactions with online advertisements.

The applications, 20120116871 and 20120116867 (pdf), were filed in November and just published today. Both are titled “Social Overlays On Ads”.

The patent applications describe systems in which social overlays are placed on ads. For example, an ad my show how many people in your particular Google+ circles like an ad. It could also integrate into Google’s +1 system. If you +1’d an ad, members of your Google+ circles would then see that you like the ad. Viewers could also republish an ad to their social network, similar to how you can share a photo on Facebook now.

In the example below, the ad has a social overlay that states how many people in the user’s location +1’d the ad.

This idea sounds familiar to me. Let’s see, where have I seen something like this by now…