Navigation-based ad units in street view

• US 8,666,815 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chau, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Vig, Naresh
• Application Number:
  US13/229,308
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.63
• US Class Current: 705/14.63
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer storage mediums for directing a user to an image of an advertiser'"'"'s geolocation are provided. An exemplary method includes retrieving a first image associated with a geolocation, where the geolocation is based on a user action. At least one advertising unit is also selected based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image. Each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with an advertiser. At least one advertising unit is then placed on the first image. Finally, a second image is retrieved when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user. The second image is retrieved based on the geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for directing a user to an image of an advertiser'"'"'s geolocation comprising:

retrieving, by at least one computer processor, a first image associated with a geolocation, wherein the geolocation is based on a user action and the first image is a street-level photographic image;

displaying, by the at least one computer processor, the first image in an interface that allows the user to navigate through geolocation images;

retrieving, by the at least one computer processor, at least one advertising unit based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image, wherein each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with an advertiser;

placing, by the at least one computer processor, the at least one advertising unit at a location on the first image based on one or more objects captured in the first image;

retrieving, by the at least one computer processor, a second image when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user, wherein the second image is retrieved based on the geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit; and

placing, by the at least one computer processor, at least one additional advertising unit on the second image.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one bid from a plurality of advertisers, wherein each bid indicates an amount an advertiser will pay for an advertising unit associated with the advertiser to be placed on the first image.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the at least one advertising unit is further based on a profile associated with the user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the at least one advertising unit is further based on one or more searches previously conducted by the user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein placing the at least one advertising unit further comprises:

organizing the at least one advertising unit based on a category.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

navigating the user through a series of images captured along a path from the geolocation associated with the first image to the geolocation associated with the second image.

7. A system for directing a user to an image of an advertiser'"'"'s geolocation comprising:

a map-image module, implemented on at least one computer processor, configured to;

retrieve a first image associated with a geolocation, wherein the geolocation is based on a user action and the first image is a street-level photographic image;

displaying, by the at least one computer processor, the first image in an interface that allows the user to navigate through geolocation images; and

retrieve a second image when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user, wherein the second image is retrieved based on a geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit;

an advertising unit module, implemented on the at least one computer processor, configured to retrieve at least one advertising unit based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image, wherein each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with the advertiser; and

an advertising unit placement module configured to place the at least one advertising unit at a location on the first image based on one or more objects captured in the first image and at least one additional advertising unit on the second image.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the advertising unit module is further configured to receive at least one bid from a plurality of advertisers, wherein each bid indicates an amount an advertiser will pay for an advertising unit associated with the advertiser to be placed on the first image.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the advertising unit module is further configured to retrieve the at least one advertising unit is based on a profile created by the user.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the advertising unit module is further configured to retrieve the at least one advertising unit is based on one or more searches previously conducted by the user.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the image placement module is further configured to organize the at least one advertising unit based on a category.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the map-image module is further configured to navigate the user through a series of images captured along a path from the geolocation associated with the first image to the geolocation associated with the second image.

13. An apparatus comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

retrieving a first image associated with a geolocation, wherein the geolocation is based on a user action and the first image is a street-level photographic image;

displaying, by the at least one computer processor, the first image in an interface that allows the user to navigate through geolocation images;

retrieving at least one advertising unit based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image, wherein each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with an advertiser;

placing the at least one advertising unit on the first image based on one or more objects captured in the first image;

retrieving a second image when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user, wherein the second image is retrieved based on the geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit; and

placing at least one additional advertising unit on the second image.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the apparatus further comprising:

receiving at least one bid from a plurality of advertisers, wherein each bid indicates an amount an advertiser will pay for an advertising unit associated with the advertiser to be placed on the first image.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein retrieving the at least one advertising unit is further based on a profile created by the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein retrieving the at least one advertising unit is further based on one or more searches previously conducted by the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein placing the at least one advertising unit further comprises:

organizing the at least one advertising unit based on a category.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, the apparatus further comprising:

navigating the user through a series of images captured along a path from the geolocation associated with the first image to the geolocation associated with the second image.

19. A computer-implemented method for directing a user to an image of an advertiser'"'"'s geolocation comprising:

providing, by at least one computer processor, a first image associated with a geolocation, wherein the geolocation is based on a user action and the first image is a street-level photographic image;

providing, by the at least one computer processor, an interface that displays the first image and allows the user to navigate through geolocation images;

providing, by the at least one computer processor, at least one advertising unit selected from a collection of advertising units based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image, wherein each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with an advertiser;

placing, by the at least one computer processor, the at least one advertising unit on the first image based on one or more objects captured in the first image;

providing, by the at least one computer processor, a second image when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user, wherein the second image is retrieved based on the geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit; and

placing, by the at least one computer processor, at least one additional advertising unit on the second image.

20. A system for directing a user to an image of an advertiser'"'"'s geolocation comprising:

an advertising unit placement module, implemented on at least one computer processor, configured to;

retrieve a first image associated with a geolocation, wherein the geolocation is based on a user action and the first image is a street-level photographic image;

provide, the first image to an interface that allows the user to navigate through geolocation images;

retrieve at least one advertising unit based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image, wherein each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with the advertiser;

place the at least one advertising unit on the first image based on one or more objects captured in the image;

retrieve a second image when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user, wherein the second image is retrieved based on a geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit; and

place at least one additional advertising unit on the second image.