METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PRIORITIZING POINTS OF INTEREST FOR DISPLAY IN A MAP

• US 20150117796A1
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Nicholas John, Hile, Harlan Gerhardt
• Application Number:
  US13/412,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content

Abstract

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for prioritizing points of interest for display in a map have been described. In certain aspects a system may include an interface module, a search module, and a priority module. The interface module may be configured to obtain pattern recognition data and location data associated with an image of a geographical area. The search module may be configured to access a set of point of interest listings and determine whether the pattern recognition data and the location data associated with the image correspond with a point of interest listing in the set of point of interest listings. The priority module may be configured to prioritize the point of interest listing for display in a map if a point of interest listing in the set of point of interest listings is determined to correspond.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for prioritizing points of interest for display in a map, the method comprising:

obtaining pattern recognition data extracted from an image of a geographical area, wherein the image is captured by a mobile device, and wherein the pattern recognition data is found in a region in the image;

obtaining location coordinates of the mobile device when the mobile device captured the image of the geographical area;

searching a database comprising a plurality of point of interest listings for a point of interest listing that corresponds with the pattern recognition data and the location coordinates; and

if the point of interest listing that corresponds with the pattern recognition data and the location coordinates is found;

determining a physical presence of the point of interest;

determining a size value associated with the region containing the pattern recognition data, wherein the size value is based on a distance from the location coordinates of the mobile device to the determined physical presence of the point of interest, and

prioritizing the point of interest listing for display in a map, wherein the point of interest listing is prioritized is based on the size value associated with the region containing the pattern recognition data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pattern recognition data comprises optical character recognition (OCR) data that includes a character string.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the point of interest corresponds with the pattern recognition data from the image and the location coordinates of the mobile device if:

the pattern recognition data matches a name in the point of interest listing; and

the location coordinates of the mobile device is within a threshold distance of location coordinates in the point of interest listing.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing of the point of interest listing for display in the map comprises setting a flag associated with the point of interest listing.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the point of interest listing that corresponds with the pattern recognition data and the location coordinates comprises a ranking value, and wherein the prioritizing of the point of interest listing for display in the map comprises increasing the ranking value of the point of interest listing.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the size value is calculated based on a number of pixels in the image that are associated with the region in the image.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying an area to be mapped;

identifying a plurality of point of interest listings located in the area to be mapped, wherein each point of interest listing in the plurality of point of interest listings comprises a ranking value;

selecting, from the plurality of point of interest listings, a set of point of interest listings to display in a map based on the ranking values for the plurality of point of interest listings; and

generating a map to be displayed on a user interface, the map including the set of point of interest listings.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein selecting the set of points of interest listings comprises:

ordering the plurality of point of interest listings based on the ranking values for the plurality of point of interest listings; and

selecting a number of point of interest listings based on the ordering.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein selecting the set of points of interest listings comprises selecting point of interest listings with ranking values above a threshold ranking value.

6. (canceled)

11. A system for prioritizing points of interest for display in a map, the system comprising:

an interface module configured to;

obtain pattern recognition data associated with an image of a geographical area, wherein the image is captured by a mobile device, and wherein the pattern recognition data is extracted from a region in the image, and

obtain location coordinates of the mobile device when the mobile device captured the image of the geographical area;

a search module configured to access a set of point of interest listings, determine whether the pattern recognition data associated with the image-and the location coordinates of the mobile device correspond with a point of interest listing in the set of point of interest listings, and determine a physical presence of the point of interest; and

a pattern recognition module configured to determine a size value associated with the region containing the pattern recognition data, wherein the size value is based on a distance from the location coordinates of the mobile device to the determined physical presence of the point of interest; and

a priority module configured to prioritize, based on the size value associated with the region containing the pattern recognition data, the point of interest listing for display in a map if a point of interest listing in the set of point of interest listings is determined to correspond.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pattern recognition data comprises optical character recognition (OCR) data that includes a character string.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the search module is configured to determine whether the pattern recognition data and the location coordinates of the mobile device correspond to the point of interest listing by:

comparing the pattern recognition data with a name of the point of interest listing; and

comparing the location coordinates of the mobile device with location coordinates of the point of interest listing.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein each point of interest listing further comprises a ranking value, and

wherein the priority module is configured to prioritize the point of interest listing for display in the map by increasing the ranking value of the point of interest listing.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the size value is determined based on a number of pixels in the image that are associated with the region.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the priority module is configured to prioritize the point of interest listing for display in the map by setting a flag associated with the point of interest listing.

15. (canceled)

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

obtaining pattern recognition data extracted from an image of a geographical area, wherein the image is captured by a mobile device, and wherein the pattern recognition data is extracted from a region in the image;

obtaining location coordinates of the mobile device when the mobile device captured the image of the geographical area;

accessing a set of point of interest listings, wherein each point of interest listing in the set of point of interest listings comprises a ranking value;

searching the set of point of interest listings for a point of interest listing that corresponds with the pattern recognition data and the location coordinates;

determining a physical presence of the point of interest;

determining a size value associated with the region containing the pattern recognition data, wherein the size value is based on a distance from the location coordinates of the mobile device to the determined physical presence of the point of interest; and

modifying, if a corresponding point of interest listing is found, the ranking value of the corresponding point of interest listing based on the size value associated with the region containing the pattern recognition data.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the pattern recognition data includes a character string.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the modifying of the ranking value of the corresponding point of interest listing comprises increasing the ranking value of the corresponding point of interest listing.