Google Inc.

Andrew R Golding

Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen

Shumeet Baluja

Doug Beeferman

Michele Mae Covell

Kevin Patrick Murphy

Tiruvilwamalai Venkatraman Raman

Charles Chapin

Egon Pasztor

Trevor Foucher

Adaptive navigation techniques are disclosed that allow navigation systems to learn from a user's personal driving history. As a user drives, models are developed and maintained to learn or otherwise capture the driver's personal driving habits and preferences. Example models include road speed, hazard, favored route, and disfavored route models. Other attributes can be used as well, whether based on the user's personal driving data or driving data aggregated from a number of users. The models can be learned under explicit conditions (e.g., time of day/week, driver ID) and/or under implicit conditions (e.g., weather, drivers urgency, as inferred from sensor data). Thus, models for a plurality of attributes can be learned, as well as one or more models for each attribute under a plurality of conditions. Attributes can be weighted according to user preference. The attribute weights and/or models can be used in selecting a best route for user.

Adaptive and personalized navigation system

To generate navigation directions for a driver of a vehicle, a route for guiding the driver to a destination is obtained, visual landmarks corresponding to prominent physical objects disposed along the route are retrieved, and real-time imagery is collected at the vehicle approximately from a vantage point of the driver during navigation along the route. Using (i) the retrieved visual landmarks and (ii) the imagery collected at the vehicle, a subset of the visual landmarks that are currently visible to the driver is selected. Navigation directions describing the route are provided the driver, the navigation directions referencing the selected subset of the visual landmarks and excluding the remaining visual landmarks.

Systems and methods for using real-time imagery in navigation

A system determines query similarity. The system determines a volume per unit time of an issued first query over a time period and determines a volume per unit time of issued other queries over the time period. The system compares the volume per unit time of each of the issued other queries to the volume per unit time of the issued first query. The system identifies ones of the issued other queries as similar to the first query based on the comparison.

Systems and methods for determining query similarity by query distribution comparison

Methods and systems for generating directions are disclosed. In an embodiment of the invention, there is a system that includes a human-provided directions module for receiving and processing human-provided directions, a database for storing human-provided directions processed by the human-provided directions module, and a directions generator for receiving a directions query from a client. In response to the query, the directions generator accesses the database, retrieves at least one human-provided direction, generates a set of directions based thereupon, and provides the set of generated directions to the client.

Collaborative driving directions

Generating attribute models for use in adaptive navigation systems

Digital mapping techniques are disclosed that provide visually-oriented information to the user, such as driving directions that include visual data points along the way of the driving route, thereby improving the user experience. The user may preview the route associated with the driving directions, where the preview is based on, for example, at least one of satellite images, storefront images, and heuristics and/or business listings. The visually-oriented information can be presented to the user in a textual, graphical, or verbal format, or some combination thereof.

Generating human-centric directions in mapping systems

Digital mapping techniques are disclosed that provide visually-oriented information to the user, such as driving directions that include visual data points along the way of the driving route, thereby improving the user experience. The user may preview the route associated with the driving directions, where the preview is based on, for example, at least one of satellite images, storefront images, and heuristics and/or business listings.

Visually-oriented driving directions in digital mapping system

In one embodiment, a system and method for charting audible choices comprises determining if an option is offered; selecting the option if the option is offered; and saving a result, wherein the result is associated with the selected option.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Andrew R Golding