Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for inferring a user's intent to stop at a predefined location or breakpoint along a predetermined route, such as an exit along a highway, and to enable users to report back to systems maintaining exit or breakpoint POI data. An application executing on a user's mobile device may infer or query the user's intent upon detecting a deviation away from the route and to use this as a “check-in” at a predefined location corresponding to the point of deviation. Then further check-ins and ratings at amenities/locations associated with the exit can also be used to enhance the rating and popularity of the predefined location (e.g., highway exit) itself. The ratings and popularity of highway exits can then be exposed in applications to provide relevant content related to the highest rated or most popular breakpoints located along their route of travel.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for partitioning data into n partitions in a database used for information retrieval. According to certain embodiments implemented with at least one processor, a perceived load is determined for each of a plurality of substrings, each of the substrings corresponding to one or more entries in the database. The plurality of substrings are ordered from highest to lowest perceived load. Data associated with each of the first n substrings is assigned to a separate partition, wherein n is greater than one. Moreover, data associated with each of the remaining substrings is assigned to the n partitions based on a score. The score is computed by calculating, for each partition, a load variance and an entropy weight for the candidate substring. The load variance and the entropy weight are combined, and the candidate substring is assigned to the partition that has the lowest combined score.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods are disclosed. The methods may include identifying a plurality of points of interest (POIs) within a pre-determined travel time from an intersection or highway exit and calculating a travel time and distance from the intersection or highway exit to each of the plurality of POIs. The methods may further include, associating each of the plurality of POIs with the intersection or highway exit, and storing the travel time and distance from the intersection or highway exit to each of the plurality of associated POIs in an electronic database as pre-calculated POI data.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling the authentication or authorization of a mobile device user for enabling access to the resources or functionality associated with an application or service executable at the user's mobile device. The user or user's mobile device may be automatically authenticated or authorized to access application or system resources at the device when the current geographic location of the user's mobile device is determined to be within a preauthorized zone, e.g., based on a predetermined geo-fence corresponding to the preauthorized zone. A security level or amount of authorization credentials required to authorize a user for data access may be varied according any of a plurality of security levels, when the current or last known geographic location of the user's mobile device is determined to be outside the preauthorized zone.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods are disclosed for providing geographical information to a user. One method may include receiving, from a user's electronic device and over a network, user input data including at least the destination location and a break point parameter and calculating one or more routes from the start location to the destination location, based on the user input data. The method may also include identifying one or more intermediate break point locations along the one or more routes based on the break point parameter received from the user and identifying a range extending around each intermediate break point location, and potential break points. A step may also be executed in which a density or type of points of interest within each potential break point may be evaluated by the electronic device and a recommended for a break point made.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating an electronic map display. In one implementation, a method is provided for receiving route information associated with a route having an origination point and a destination point, determining a location of a reference point along the route, assigning a spatial identifier to the reference point, searching for points of interest (POIs) in a search area associated with the spatial identifier, ranking, using a processor, the POIs based on distances of POIs from the location of the reference point, and providing POI information for an electronic map display, wherein the POI information is associated with one or more POIs and selected based on the ranking of the POIs.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for communicating virtual messages through a location-based message stream for different mobile device users. A geo-fenced area surrounding a desired geographic location for a virtual message stream is generated based on parameters received from a first user. The parameters include at least one message to be sent to one or more recipients via the message stream. When a mobile device of a second user located within the generated geo-fenced area is detected and the second user is determined to be one of the message recipients, the message from the message stream is transmitted to the detected mobile device of the second user.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating an electronic map display. In one implementation, a method is provided for determining a route distance based on information for a route, comparing the route distance with a distance threshold, generating a list of points of interest (POIs) when the route distance is less than the distance threshold, the list of POIs identifying POIs that are located along the route, grouping the POIs into one or more buckets based on location, calculating POI densities of the buckets based on the POIs included in each corresponding bucket, ranking the buckets based on the POI densities, providing POI information associated with the POIs included in the ranked buckets, wherein the POI information is provided based on the ranking of the buckets, and generating an electronic map display with the POI information.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying points-of-interest using customized query prediction. According to certain embodiments, a partial query is received from a client via a network. The partial query may comprise a plurality of characters associated with a full query and location data associated with the client. The received partial query may be analyzed using at least one dictionary. Based on the analysis of the received partial query, at least one query may be predicted. Moreover, at least one point-of-interest may be identified based on the at least one predicted query. Further, data associated with the at least one identified point-of-interest may be transmitted over the network to the client prior to receiving the full query from the client.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for parsing search queries. In accordance with some embodiments, search records including character strings are retrieved, and search query templates are generated comprising sequences of categories corresponding to character substrings of the character strings. Also, in accordance with some embodiments, search queries are parsed into character substrings and matched with a search query template. The search query template may then be used to associate categories with the character substrings. A search engine may use the categories to focus or otherwise refine a search based on parsed search query.

Abstract: Computerized systems and methods are provided for identifying a character string for a point of interest. In accordance with some embodiments, point of interest information, including a universal resource locator (URL) is received, and a document associated with the URL is retrieved. The document is parsed to identify a set of character strings. A subset of character strings from the set is isolated. A character string is identified from the subset of character strings and associated with the POI information to thereby enable improved processing of queries and POI information retrieval.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating an electronic map display. In one implementation, a method is provided for receiving route information associated with a route having an origination point and a destination point, determining a location of a reference point along the route, assigning a spatial identifier to the reference point, searching for points of interest (POIs) in a search area associated with the spatial identifier, ranking, using a processor, the POIs based on distances of POIs from the location of the reference point, and providing POI information for an electronic map display, wherein the POI information is associated with one or more POIs and selected based on the ranking of the POIs.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing an ordered list of search results in response to a query. Consistent with certain embodiments, computer-implemented systems and methods may identify content items corresponding to a query. First relevance scores may be determined for the identified content items based on their relevance to the query. Second relevance scores may be determined by modifying at least one of the first relevance scores using a boost value. The boost value may be set to a default boost value when the query does not include an override boost value. The boost value may be set to the override boost value, when the query includes an override boost value. An ordered list of the identified content items may be generated based on the second relevance scores. The ordered list may be displayed on a display device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for providing improved generation of textual directions based on positional information. In an implementation, textual directions for traversing a path are generated based on positional information associated with the path. According to a method, positional information that specifies a longitude and latitude at a plurality of times is received and processed to generate a routing graph. The generated routing graph includes nodes and route links that connect the plurality of nodes. Textual directions are generated for traversing a path associated with the positional data, based in part on link information associated with the links of the generated routing graph.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating an electronic map display. In one implementation, a method is provided for determining a route distance based on information for a route, comparing the route distance with a distance threshold, defining a search area when the route distance is less than the distance threshold, the search area including boundaries, calculating, using a processor, a points of interest (POI) density of the search area, comparing the POI density with a first density threshold and a second density threshold, adjusting the boundaries of the search area based on a result of comparing the POI density with the first density threshold and the second density threshold, identifying POIs in the adjusted search area, and providing POI information for an electronic map display, the POI information being associated with one or more POIs identified in the adjusted search area.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods are disclosed for providing to a user, geographical mapping information relating to a trip from a start location to a destination location. The method includes receiving user input data including at least the destination location, determining a distance between the start location and the destination is equal to or above a pre-determined threshold, and generating and displaying a route from the start location to the destination location on an electronic map based on the user input data. The route may include a pin that is movable by the user along the route. The location of the pin may be received and a snap location along the route closest to the drop location may be calculated. The method may include animating movement of the pin from the drop location to snap location, and displaying the geographical mapping information based on the snap location.

Abstract: Computerized systems and methods are provided for analyzing failed and successful search queries. In accordance with some embodiments, search records with character strings that are refinements of character strings of other search records are deemed related as belonging to a same user search. Minimum changed sections between character strings in related search records are determined. Correction pairs are created including the character sequences from the portions of the character strings containing the minimum changed sections. Frequencies of correction pairs in a pool of correction pairs are calculated, and the correction pairs appearing in the pool most frequently are stored in a correction log.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing travel information and/or content to users. According to certain embodiments, an area of interest is calculated based on a determined location of a user traveling along a route and a relative distance of travel. The area of interest is associated with coordinates on a map and includes at least a triangular area or a radial area. At least one database is searched to identify travel information and/or content within the area of interest. The travel information and/or content is stored in the database and associated with coordinates on the map. Instructions are provided at a first point in time to electronically display the identified travel information and/or content on a device of the user. Further identified travel information and/or content is displayed to the user at subsequent points in time as the user travels along the route.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ranking points of interest (POIs). According to one implementation, a computer-implemented method may be provided that includes receiving geographic information from a user device, and selecting a plurality of points of interest within the geographic region. The method may also include generating an initial ranking of the selected points of interest based on voting information received from the user device, viral input from a user's social network, and/or additional input based on searches for maps and travel directions for traversing a route. In addition, the method may include calculating a modified ranking of the selected points of interest.

Abstract: Driving directions are presented where a maneuver in the driving directions includes a road symbol and an action symbol. A road symbol identifies the road involved in the particular maneuver, and an action symbol identifies an action to be performed to execute the particular maneuver. In one example, a road symbol, an action symbol and narrative text may be presented in displayed or printed driving directions. In another example, a road symbol and an action symbol may be used to describe a maneuver presented by an on-board or mobile navigation system when the vehicle in which the navigation system is present approaches the point at which the maneuver is to be taken. The road symbol and the action symbol may be presented with, or without, narrative driving directions.