Google Inc.

Alpha Exploration Co.

Rohan Seth

Shumeet Baluja

Michael Chu

Michele Mae Covell

David Marwood

Joshua J Sacks

Richard Carl Gossweiler, Iii

Christopher Lambert

Dandapani Sivakumar

Steven John Lee

Chris Lambert

Yuhua Luo

Deepak Ravichandran

Mike Chu

Molly Castle Nix

Michael J LeBeau

Aaron Sittig

Hy Murveit

Patrick Underwood

Paul Davison

Jean Zheng

A method for generating an online audio discussion forum. The method includes receiving an indication that a first user is interested in speaking with one or more other users, saving the one or more other users to a first selection list, determining that a second user of the one or more other users is interested in speaking with the first user, and upon and in response to the determination, generating an audio discussion forum including the first user and the second user.

Features for online discussion forums

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

A computer-implemented method includes identifying a computer-based portable program module, automatically altering code in the portable program module to permit display of the module on a television-based display so that the displayed module has a substantially similar appearance on the television-based display as on a computer display, and providing the altered code for execution on a processor connected to a television-based display.

Interactive media display across devices

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

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

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes identifying web pages that embed a selected video, aggregating content derived from the identified web pages, and transmitting one or more advertisements (ads) that are targeted to the aggregated content for presentation with the selected video embedded on the identified web pages.

Associating advertisements with videos

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for ranking content using location-based query log analysis. The method comprises: identifying a region defining an area of interest including identifying a plurality of content items that are associated with the region; evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region to determine a ranking associated with the plurality of content items; receiving a request for content associated with the region; and providing one or more of the content items based at least in part on the ranking.

Ranking content using location-based query log analysis

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for detecting local search queries. In one aspect, a method includes accessing a search query log that includes data specifying search queries corresponding to particular geographic regions and for at least one of the search queries corresponding to the particular geographic region generating a geo-query count that represents a total number of times that the search query was received over a specified period. The geo-query count is compared to a corresponding expected query count for the search query, where the expected query count is a baseline number of times that the query is expected to be received. In response to determining that the search query has a geo-query count that exceeds the corresponding expected query count by at least a threshold amount, the particular query is classified as a local query for the particular geographic region.

Geographically local query detection

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, for providing a method that comprises: determining excess queries over multiple time periods for a given geographic feature, where the geographic feature defines a location; comparing geographic features for similarity based at least in part on the excess queries associated with a respective geographic feature; and for a given target geographic feature, determining one or more similar geographic features based on the comparing.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Rohan Seth