Systems and methods for recommending photogenic locations to visit

• US 9,014,726 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Foster, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US13/886,624
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/456.1, 455/418, 701/516
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Systems and methods for recommending photogenic locations to visit are provided. One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a computer-implemented method for recommending photogenic locations. The method includes receiving a signal indicative of a geographic location at which a client device is located. The method further includes determining whether the geographic location is within a threshold distance from at least one of a plurality of photogenic locations. Each of the plurality of photogenic locations can have been identified by clustering a plurality of photographs based on geographic proximity. The method includes transmitting a prompt to the client device when the geographic location is within the threshold distance from at least one of the plurality of photogenic locations. The prompt can indicate the existence of the at least one photogenic location that is within the threshold distance from the geographic location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for recommending photogenic locations, the method comprising:

identifying, by one or more computing devices, a plurality of photogenic locations by clustering a plurality of photographs based on geographic proximity to form a plurality of geographic photo clusters, each geographic photo cluster being associated with one of the plurality of photogenic locations;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, after identifying the plurality of photogenic locations, a signal indicative of a geographic location at which a client device is located;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether the geographic location is within a threshold distance from at least one of the plurality of photogenic locations; and

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, a prompt to the client device when the geographic location is within the threshold distance from at least one of the plurality of photogenic locations, the prompt indicating the existence of the at least one photogenic location that is within the threshold distance from the geographic location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising subclustering within each geographic photo cluster based on a sunset offset value associated with each photograph to form a plurality of offset subclusters for each geographic photo cluster, the sunset offset value associated with each photograph relating a time of capture of such photograph with a time of sunset at a location of capture on a date of capture of such photograph.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising identifying one or more geographic photo clusters that includes an offset subcluster that includes photographs with a sunset offset value less than a threshold value and includes a larger number of photographs than any of the other offset subclusters included in such geographic photo cluster.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising subclustering within each geographic photo cluster based on a sunrise offset value associated with each photograph to form a plurality of offset subclusters for each geographic photo cluster, the sunrise offset value associated with each photograph relating a time of capture of such photograph with a time of sunrise at a location of capture on a date of capture of such photograph.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the prompt includes data representing a prompt photograph associated with the photogenic location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising, prior to transmitting the prompt, selecting the prompt photograph from the geographic photo cluster associated with the photogenic location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the prompt photograph is selected from the geographic photo cluster associated with the photogenic location based on a plurality of global interestingness scores respectively associated with the plurality of photographs included in the geographic photo cluster associated with the photogenic location.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the global interestingness score associated with each photograph is determined based on one or more signals indicative of online activity associated with such photograph.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the one or more signals indicative of online activity associated with such photograph comprise a signal indicating the number of instances in which one or more social media users has selected an indicator indicating that such social media user enjoys such photograph.