The whole idea of personalized coupons is to offer you discounts that are likely to appeal to you. And the better the retailer knows you, the more relevant the coupon offers can be.

So, taken to its logical conclusion, the most appealing coupon offers could come if the retailer knows you really, really well – maybe a little too well.

Continuing its recent run of coupon-related patent applications, IBM is proposing a system that will analyze you as you walk into a store, immediately assess what you’re likely to buy, and offer you personalized discounts accordingly.