GEO PHOTO SEARCHING BASED ON CURRENT CONDITIONS AT A LOCATION

• US 20140324843A1
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rapoport, Evan, Pack, Jeremy Bryant
• Granted Patent: US 9,672,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

In an exemplary method, a request for images of a location is received. In response to the request, a set of images depicting different conditions at the location is identified. Each image of the set of images is associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image. It may be determined when a user will be at the location at a future point in time. Information identifying current environmental conditions at the location for the future point in time may be received. The set of images are ranked based on the received environmental information and the condition information for each image. An image from the set of images is selected for display based on the selected image'"'"'s rank relative to other images of the set of images. The selected image depicts current conditions at the location most closely matching environmental conditions expected at the future point in time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for images of a location;

in response to the request, identifying a set of images depicting different conditions at the location, each image of the set of images being associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image;

determining when a user will be at the location at a future point in time;

receiving environmental information including information identifying environmental conditions expected at the location for the future point in time;

ranking, using a processor, the set of images based on the received environmental information and the condition information for each image of the set of images; and

selecting, for display on a client device, an image from the set of images based on the selected image'"'"'s rank relative to other images of the set of images, the selected image depicting current conditions at the location most closely matching the environmental conditions expected at the future point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the future point in time is based on at least one of:

a search query performed by the user, a current location of the user, and the user'"'"'s search history.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the future point in time is based on the user'"'"'s search history, the search history including information indicating items related to a given time period corresponding to the future point in time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition information includes information representing weather conditions at the location for a time corresponding to the future point in time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition information further includes information representing a time of day at the location for the future point in time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the environmental condition information further includes information related to a seasonal event that occurred at location, the event occurred at a time corresponding to the future point in time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein ranking the set of images comprises identifying visual features disposed in each image of the set of images, the visual features disposed in a highest ranked image corresponding to the received environmental information.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a request for images of a location;

in response to the request, identifying a set of images depicting different conditions at the location, each image of the set of images being associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image;

determining when a user will be at the location at a future point in time;

receiving environmental information including information identifying environmental conditions expected at the location for the future point in time;

ranking, using the processor, the set of images based on the received environmental information and the condition information for each image of the set of images; and

selecting, for display on a client device, an image from the set of images based on the selected image'"'"'s rank relative to other images of the set of images, the selected image depicting current conditions at the location most closely matching the environmental conditions expected at the future point in time.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the future point in time is based on at least one of:

a search query performed by the user, a current location of the user or the user'"'"'s search history.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the future point in time is based on the user'"'"'s search history, the search history including information indicating items related to a given time period corresponding to the future point in time.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the environmental condition information includes information representing weather conditions at the location for a time corresponding to the future point in time.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the environmental condition information includes information representing a time of day at the location for the future point in time.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein ranking the set of images comprises identifying visual features disposed in each image of the set of images, the visual features disposed in a highest ranked image corresponding to the received environmental information.

14. A system, comprising:

a memory for storing images; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to;

receive a request for images of a location;

in response to the request, identify a set of images depicting different conditions at the location, each image of the set of images being associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image;

determine when a user will be at the location at a future point in time;

receive environmental information including information identifying environmental conditions expected at the location for the future point in time;

rank the set of images based on the received environmental information and the condition information for each image of the set of images; and

select, for display on a client device, an image from the set of images based on the selected image'"'"'s rank relative to other images of the set of images, the selected image depicting current conditions at the location most closely matching the environmental conditions expected at the future point in time.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the future point in time is based on at least one of:

a search query performed by the user, a current location of the user or the user'"'"'s search history.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the future point in time is based on the user'"'"'s search history, the search history including information indicating items related to a given time period corresponding to the future point in time.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the environmental condition information includes information representing weather conditions at the location for a time corresponding to the future point in time.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the environmental condition information further includes information representing a time of day at the location for the future point in time.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the environmental condition information further includes information related to a seasonal event that occurred at location, the event occurred at a time corresponding to the future point in time.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein to rank the set of images includes the processor further being configured to identify visual features disposed in each image of the set of images, the visual features disposed in a highest ranked image corresponding to the received environmental information.