Google Inc.

Michael Chu

Shumeet Baluja

Joshua J Sacks

Zhengrong Ji

Rohan Seth

Michele Mae Covell

David Marwood

Yan Yu

Yuhua Luo

Sam Song Liang

Steven John Lee

Mark Crady

Ravi Kumar Jain

Scott Jenson

Jerry Howard Morrison

Sanjay Gajanan Mavinkurve

Adam Bliss

Mayumi Matsuno

Christopher Lambert

Adel Amin Youssef

Chung-Man Tam

Tu Tu Tsao

Philip Andrew McDonnell

Arunesh Mishra

Chris Lambert

Luke Hiro Swartz

Steve Lee

Jean Zheng

Russell Y Shoji

The present invention pertains to enhancement or refinement of estimated locations based upon user-specific information. Upon user authorization, geographical information is extracted from a number of user-related sources, including the web browser history, search history, maps history, address book, e-mail archives and calendar entries. Such information is used to build a spatial index of specific physical locations for a geocoded result set. From this, heat maps identifying particular locations from the user-related sources are created for different periods of time. The heat maps may be used to refine an initial location estimate of the user. This may be done by determining whether one or more positions in a given heat map provide a more accurate position of the user than the initial estimate. If so, a best position is selected. This can be used to provide enhanced driving directions to the user.

Refining location estimates and reverse geocoding based on a user profile

Location modeling may be generated for candidate locations based on validated location data. The location models for candidate locations may be based on validated location data associated with wireless access points that is validated using transaction data. Such validation may include comparing an identifier associated with candidate location data received from a client device to an identifier for a transaction account associated with a transaction from transaction data at a candidate location. Matching transaction data and candidate location data may generate validated location data to be used in generating location models for candidate locations.

Location modeling using transaction data for validation

A computer-implemented method is disclosed that includes receiving on a mobile device a search query associated with a geographic location, providing one or more search results in response to the search query, the search results each being associated with a geographic location, and presenting on a graphical display of the computing device icons corresponding to each search result and also corresponding to a key on the computing device.

Multiple views of a geographic area on a mobile device

Systems and methods according to aspects of the invention verify requests for information over a network. Computing devices communicating over a network transmit numerous signals with various types of information including spatial information, temporal information, device-specific information, and transmission specific information. This information may be used to generate statistical records of valid request for information. Various combinations of these signals may be used to determine whether a request for information is a valid request based on the statistical records associated with the signals. Where a request for information has been verified, the system and method may provide the information. Where the request for information has not been verified, the system and method may deny the request for information. Thus the system and method may be used to prevent and block scraping and spamming attacks.

System and method of using spatial and temporal signals to identify and prevent attacks

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium for selecting keywords for resources are disclosed. In one aspect, a search query is received associated with a first user. A determination is made that the first user is a follower of an entity feed that is provided by a first entity and that is provided through a social network. A content item is selected having distribution parameters specifying that the content item is to be provided to users that are followers of the entity feed and that submit the search query. The selected content item is provided for the first user.

Providing content in response to user actions

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a query, receiving a set of social search results including one or more social media items that have been distributed through one or more computer-implemented services, each social media item being responsive to the query, providing a sub-set of social search results based on respective promotion scores provided in an auction, the sub-set of social search results including at least one social media item of the set of social search results, and providing the sub-set of social search results for display in a search results page, social media items of the sub-set of social search results being displayed based on respective promotion scores.

Promoting social media content in search

A computer program product has a computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for performing a method for implementing a privacy policy for a user. The method may include the user developing rules that determine whether another user (requester) can access information related to the user. The rules may be stored in a database coupled to a server and evaluated when a request is received from the requester to access the information. If a rule is satisfied by the requester, the server can return the information to the requester. The information can be returned at a level of granularity specified by the user in the satisfied rule. A privacy level can be set by the user to allow access to requesters based on the rules or to deny access to any requesters.

User privacy framework

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for determining content items for delivery to users based on imagery. One example method includes determining a location of a user or a location associated with a query submitted by the user, identifying imagery associated with the determined location, and determining one or more content items for delivery to the user based at least in part on the imagery.

Determining content for delivery based on imagery

Providing content to followers of entity feeds

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, including a method that comprises: determining a target geographic feature that has insufficient targeting information associated therewith, the target geographic feature defining a location; determining one or more similar geographic features to the target geographic feature, each geographic feature including targeting information, the determining based on shared excess queries that are shared between geographic features that are determined to be similar to the target geographic feature, wherein each excess query is a query associated with and exceeds an expected query count for each of the similar geographic features and the target geographic feature; attributing targeting information associated with at least one of the one or more similar geographic features to the target geographic feature; and serving content responsive to queries that relate to the target geographic feature based at least in part on the attributed targeting information.

Determining labels from similar geographic features

Growing community of inventors

Los Altos Hills, CA, United States of America

Michael Chu