Imagine having your performance monitored through the measurement of your heart rate, body temperature, brain signals, movement, facial expression and blood pressure through the use of a Big Brother style monitoring system, employed by your employer to detect signs of stress, productivity and overall well being. Sounds like something out of Sci-Fi movie doesn’t it?

Microsoft is currently developing an advanced employee monitoring solution, capable of delivering alerts to your manager if signs of stress, frustration or incompetence are detected. The software will function through the use of wireless sensors, designed to measure an employees metabolism, and has understandably forced civil liberty groups and privacy lawyers to unleash the hounds on Microsoft’s latest attempt at getting something right.

“Imposing this level of intrusion on employees could only be justified in exceptional circumstances,” Britain’s Information Commissioners Office said.

The US Patent office have confirmed the patent was filed eighteen months ago, and was finally published last month, with patent lawyers warning it could be granted within the following year.

Microsoft, which has taken an annoying unofficial stance on refusing to comment on projects under development, has issued a surprising statement defending the creation of the technology, and indicating that the heart beat data is only an example of what could potentially be used in the application.

“This particular patent application, in general, describes an innovation aimed at improving activity-monitoring systems and uses the monitoring of user heart rate as an example of the kind of physical state that could be monitored to detect when users need assistance with their activities, and to offer assistance by putting them in touch with other users who may be able to help,” said Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft’s vice president of intellectual property and licensing.

“It is important to keep in mind that with most organizations in the business of innovation, some of our patent applications reflect inventions that are currently present in our products, and other applications represent innovations being developed for potential future use.”