Google Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Chandrasekhar Thota

David Singleton

Marcus Alexander Foster

Farhan Shamsi

Yakov Okshtein

Debra Lin Repenning

Lixin Zhang

Nicholas Fey

Alan Newberger

Douglas Alexander Gresham

Ray Xiaohang Wang

Petra Cross

Andres Morales

Salvatore Scellato

Matthew Nicholas Stuttle

Gur Kimchi

John R Douceur

John Charles Krumm

Danyel Aharon Fisher

Jonathan Ryan Howell

Raj Abhyanker

Jeremy Eric Elson

Kenneth William Shirriff

Duncan Murray Lawler

Anurag Sharma

Steve Lombardi

Jussi Petri Myllymaki

Anup Mantri

Damian Gajda

Prasad Haridass

Keith Robert Kinnan

Matthew Joelson Secor

Jaya Bhatia

Matthew Man Chung Cheung

Marcus Alexander Folster

Receiving point of interest zones and alerts on user devices comprises communicating, by a user computing device to a remote computing device, a request for point of interest data corresponding to points of interest within a proximity of the user device; presenting the received point of interest data; identifying a particular point of interest; and outputting an alert regarding the particular point of interest. Receiving point of interest zones on user devices comprises communicating a request for point of interest data; receiving the point of interest data from the remote network device wherein a size of the point of interest zone is determined based on a density of points of interest in the proximity of the user, and wherein the shape of the point of interest zone is expanded in a direction of travel and contracted in the opposite direction; and presenting the received point of interest data.

Configurable point of interest alerts

A location management system identifies points of interest that may be of interest to one or more users. The location management system defines a geofence boundary encompassing a particular point of interest. When the location management system determines that the user device is inside the geofence boundary&#x2014;but not, for example, when the location management system determines that the user determines that the user device is outside the geofence boundary&#x2014;the location management system instructs the user device to determine wireless signals available to the user device. The location management system then receives wireless signal data from the user device for available wireless signals. By matching the received wireless signal data to known wireless signals available at the identified points of interest, the location management system determines that the user device (and hence the user) is at the point of interest.

Energy-efficient location determination

A computing device includes one or more processors, a user interface, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for determining whether a certain geographic location is within a virtual perimeter of a geographic place. The instructions, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the computing device to determine multiple component shapes that approximately make up a geometry of the geographic place, determine whether the certain geographic location is within at least one of the component shapes, generate an indication that the geographic location is within the virtual perimeter if the geographic location is within at least one of the component shapes, and provide the indication via the user interface.

Virtual geographic perimeters made up of multiple component shapes

Systems and methods for adaptively scanning for one or more beacon devices based at least in part on user activity are provided. More particularly, a user device can scan for one or more beacon devices at a first scan rate. The user device can detect a trigger event based at least in part on data indicative of an activity level, such as data indicative of a status of a display, data determined from one or more motion sensors, a number of beacon devices detected by the mobile device during a time period, data indicative of prior interactions with beacon device information, or data indicative of a charging status of a battery associated with the mobile device. The trigger event can signify a change in an activity level associated with the user device. Responsive to the trigger event, the user device can adjust the scan rate from the first scan rate to a second scan rate.

Adaptive scanning based on user activity

A scanner detection model is created by a detection system to determine whether a laser scanner is present so the user is notified of the potential inability to accurately read a machine-readable identifier on a user device. A user operating the user device accesses an electronic record and a machine-readable identifier that comprises information identifying the electronic record is displayed on the user device. A scanner detection module detects display of the machine-readable identifier and turns on a camera resident on the user device. The camera captures and analyzes images. The scanner detection module identifies whether the scanner is a laser scanner based on an analysis of the images and the scanner detection model created by the detection system. If the scanner is a laser scanner, a message is displayed on the user device indicating that the machine-readable identifier is to be entered or inputted, instead of scanned.

Detecting laser scanner usage and adjusting application behavior

Digital maps can be composed of a series of image tiles that are selected based on the context of the map to be presented. Independently hosted tiles can comprise additional details that can be added to the map. A manifest can be created that describes the layers of map details composed of such independently hosted tiles. Externally referable mechanisms can, based on the manifest and map context, select tiles, from among the independently hosted tiles, that correspond to map tiles being displayed to a user. Subsequently, the mechanisms can instruct a browser, as specified in the manifest, to combine the map tiles and the independently hosted tiles to generate a more detailed map. Alternatively, customized mechanisms can generate map detail tiles in real-time, based on an exported map context. Also, controls instantiated by the browser can render three-dimensional images based on the combined map tiles.

Adding custom content to mapping applications

A unique system, method, and user interface are provided that facilitate more efficient indexing and retrieval of images. In particular, the systems and methods involve annotating or geo-coding images with their location metadata. Geo-coded images can be displayed on a map and browsed or queried based on their location metadata. Images can be annotated one by one or in bulk to reduce repetitiveness and inconsistency among related images. More specifically, selected images can be dropped onto a map, thereby triggering a virtual marker to appear. The virtual marker facilitates pinpointing the precise location associated with the images on the map with a higher level of granularity. The system and method can also generate customized directions and include geo-coded images throughout to serve as visual landmarks. Privacy controls can be employed as well to control access and modification of the images.

Geo-coding images

A unique system, method, and user interface are provided that involve an integration of map technology with social networks so that individuals can select members of these communities with which to communicate based at least in part on their location, thus enhancing the communication experience. This can be referred to as geo-based messaging. In particular, a member or user of the system and/or method can include his/her personal location information, for example, when joining an online community or social network. This location information can be employed to generate one or more maps that plot the locations of messages posted by community members. As a result, a user can readily visualize any other users or community members located at any selected distance from him/her or from any selected focal point.

Maps for social networking and geo blogs

A method, apparatus, and system of multi-occupant structure in a geo-spatial environment are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes determining that a marker (e.g., associated with a profile of a user) is colliding with another marker simultaneously displayed in a map based on an overlap area of the marker with the another marker, automatically creating a group pointer that replaces the marker and the another marker on the map and generating a view of the marker and the another marker when a user (e.g., of the geo-spatial environment) selects the group pointer.

Multi-occupant structure in a geo-spatial environment

A mechanism of rating, ranking and/or filtering landmarks located in a predefined geographic area is provided. More particularly, the subject mechanisms can facilitate rating landmarks and related criteria (e.g., points of interest (POI)) associated therewith. Thus, the mechanisms can facilitate intelligent rendering of landmark choices to users. The subject innovation facilitates rating the landmarks by analyzing items and entities in proximity to each landmark. A popularity index rating represents a sum of the number of POIs, number of commonly named entities and number of access routes to the landmark. Accordingly, this popularity index rating can allow users to rank, filter and sort landmarks in the order of popularity or interest thus maximizing available sightseeing time.

Data engine for ranking popularity of landmarks in a geographical area

Location position information of a mobile device utilizing Wi-Fi, FM, AM, television transmissions(s), other radio transmission(s), electromagnetic, acoustic, or other signals received from base stations or access points. The position information can be provided through a Web service and/or locally on a mobile user device. The position information can be provided with a certainty and/or uncertainty probability percentage or other perceivable means for the user to determine the expected accuracy of the location information. Also provided is a means for updating base station information to include newly detected base stations through information from a plurality of user devices, wherein each user device is given a reliance factor. User devices that have a low reliance factor are disregarded and/or scrutinized to determine accuracy prior to such information being utilized to update information. Functioning of the system can be improved through analysis of usage data and/or the additions to the database.

Positioning service utilizing existing radio base stations

A mechanism of ranking weblog or 'blog' items is provided. More particularly, the subject ranking mechanisms can facilitate ranking blog feeds and blog items contained therein thus focusing and intelligently delivering content (e.g., blog items) to users. The subject innovation facilitates ranking the blog feeds and blog items by creating a context rank around each blog feed. The context rank represents a sum of a context weight, a track-back weight and a comment weight. Accordingly, this context rank can allow readers to sort blog items in the order of popularity or importance thus effectively reducing content noise.

Generate blog context ranking using track-back weight, context weight and, cumulative comment weight

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Chandrasekhar Thota