Geo photo searching based on current conditions at a location

• US 9,672,223 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rapoport, Evan, Pack, Jeremy Bryant
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Miranda
• Application Number:
  US13/870,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20140324843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 707723, 707724, 701201
• 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, the conditions being environmental states which are subject to change from one time to another at the location, each image of the set of images being associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image, wherein identifying the set of images includes identifying the condition information based on at least camera settings specific to the environmental state;

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

receiving expected environmental information including information identifying environmental conditions expected at the location for the future point in time, wherein the expected environmental information includes information representing at least one of;

weather conditions at the location for a time corresponding to the future point in time, a time of day at the location corresponding to the future point in time, or a recurring event that occurred at the location, the recurring event corresponding to the future point in time;

ranking, using one or more processors, the set of images based on the expected environmental information and the condition information for each image of the set of images; and

selecting, for display on a client device, using the one or more processors, 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 conditions at the location most closely matching the expected environmental conditions at the future point in time,

wherein the future point in time is based on a user'"'"'s search history, the search history including information indicating researched items for use at the location related to a given time period corresponding to the future point in time.

2. 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.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more indicators associated with the images are used to determine the conditions depicted in the images.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more indicators comprise metadata stored with the image.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more indicators comprise labels identifying the conditions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the conditions depicted in the images using image analysis, including extracting image features from within the images, the extracted image features corresponding to particular conditions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions depicted in the image include at least one of weather conditions, a time of day, and a recurring seasonal event.

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, the conditions being environmental states which are subject to change from one time to another at the location, each image of the set of images being associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image, wherein identifying the set of images includes identifying the condition information based on at least camera settings specific to the environmental state;

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

receiving environmental information including information identifying environmental conditions expected at the location for the future point in time, wherein the expected environmental information includes information representing at least one of;

weather conditions at the location for a time corresponding to the future point in time, a time of day at the location corresponding to the future point in time, or a recurring event that occurred at the location, the recurring event corresponding to 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 conditions at the location most closely matching the environmental conditions expected at the future point in time,

wherein the future point in time is based on a user'"'"'s search history, the search history including information indicating researched items for use at the location related to a given time period corresponding to the future point in time.

9. 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, the conditions being environmental states which are subject to change from one time to another at the location, each image of the set of images being associated with condition information defining the conditions depicted in that image, wherein identifying the set of images includes identifying the condition information based on at least camera settings specific to the environmental state;

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

receive environmental information including information identifying environmental conditions expected at the location for the future point in time, wherein the expected environmental information includes information representing at least one of;

weather conditions at the location for a time corresponding to the future point in time, a time of day at the location corresponding to the future point in time, or a recurring event that occurred at the location, the recurring event corresponding to 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 conditions at the location most closely matching the environmental conditions expected at the future point in time,

wherein the future point in time is based on a user'"'"'s search history, the search history including information indicating researched items for use at the location related to a given time period corresponding to the future point in time.

10. The system of claim 9, 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.