Abstract: The present invention pertains to geographical image applications. A user may transition between nadir and street level imagery using unstitched oblique imagery. Oblique images offer a rich set of views of a target location and provide a smooth transition to or from other images such as nadir photographs taken by satellites or street level photographs taken by ground level users. Using unstitched oblique images avoids artifacts that may be introduced when stitching together one or more images. This allows an application to display images to a user and create the illusion of three dimensional motion.

Abstract: A panorama viewer is disclosed which facilitates navigation from within the panorama of a larger, structured system such as a map. The panorama viewer presents a viewport on a portion of a panoramic image, the viewport including a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the panoramic image. As the orientation of the viewport within the panoramic image changes, the three-dimensional overlay's orientation in three-dimensional space also changes as it is rendered with the panoramic image in a manner that matches the change in orientation of the viewport.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for displaying a transition between a map and a street level image. In one aspect, the display on a mobile device transitions from a top-down view of a map to a street-level view of an image, such as a panoramic image, such that the mobile device uses the currently stored map image to perform a tilt and zoom transition.

Abstract: A panorama viewer is disclosed which facilitates navigation from within the panorama of a larger, structured system such as a map. The panorama viewer presents a viewport on a portion of a panoramic image, the viewport including a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the panoramic image. As the orientation of the viewport within the panoramic image changes, the three-dimensional overlay's orientation in three-dimensional space also changes as it is rendered with the panoramic image in a manner that matches the change in orientation of the viewport.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to the retrieval, serving, and rendering of web content provided from a web content server to a requesting client device, e.g., over a network, based on target latency. A computer-implemented method includes determining, by a web content server, a requesting client device in communication with the web content server, or both, latency-related limitations of the client device. The method also includes determining, by the web content server, the client device, or both, web content needs of the client device based on a web content request from the client device. The method further includes adjusting web content to be displayed at the client device based on the determined latency-related limitations and needs of the client device. At least a portion of the adjusting of web content can occur at the web content server, the client device, or both. Related systems are also presented.

Abstract: Configurations for processing status-related and time-related signals for activities are disclosed. A given activity can be stored in a global activity database that includes data defining two or more activities. The data for each activity includes one or more global parameters. The global parameters include a timing-related priority. The time-related signal is related to at least one time-related parameter of the one or more global parameters. An activity assistant server can update the timing-related priority of the given activity based on the time-related signal using the activity assistant server. The activity assistant server can determine a subset of the plurality of activities. The activity assistant server can determine a rank for each activity in the determined subset of the plurality of activities based at least in part on the timing-related priority.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide approximations of latitude and longitude coordinates of objects, for example a business, in street level images. The images may be collected by a camera. An image of a business is collected along with GPS coordinates and direction of the camera. Depth maps of the images may be generated, for example, based on laser depth detection or displacement of the business between two images caused by a change in the position of the camera. After identifying a business in one or more images, the distance from the camera to a point or area relative to the business in the one or more images may be determined based on the depth maps. Using this distance and the direction of the camera which collected the one or more images and GPS coordinates of the camera, the approximate GPS coordinates of the business may be determined.

Abstract: The subject technology suggests one or more activities based on one or more contacts of a user. In some configurations, a user selects one or more contacts. The subject technology then performs a query determining one or more activities based on the selected contacts that at least a subset of the users have indicated a desire to do a respective activity. For instance, each of the determined activities include a parameter indicating such a desire (e.g., a “want to do” parameter). The activities determined from the query are ranked based on one or more different criteria. In one example, the activities are ranked according to a number of selected contacts associated with a corresponding activity. Additionally, a group message can be provided for each selected contact associated with a respective activity in order to facilitate communication between the user and contacts.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention enable displaying a plurality of driving direction steps that form a driving directions path between a start address and a destination address; receiving input selecting a driving direction step of said plurality of driving direction steps; and displaying a panoramic image of a geographic area where a driving action associated with said selected driving direction step would be performed by a driver. In other embodiments, the panoramic image is replaced and/or complemented with one or more of 3D models, full-motion video, full-motion video of 360 degrees images, and live feeds from video cameras to provide enhanced driving directions.

Abstract: A panorama viewer is disclosed which facilitates navigation from within the panorama of a larger, structured system such as a map. The panorama viewer presents a viewport on a portion of a panoramic image, the viewport including a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the panoramic image. As the orientation of the viewport within the panoramic image changes, the three-dimensional overlay's orientation in three-dimensional space also changes as it is rendered with the panoramic image in a manner that matches the change in orientation of the viewport.

Abstract: A method for synthesizing three-dimensional images is provided. A displacement map based on distance data, is generated for a two-dimensional image. The distance data represents a distance between an image object and a position. A shifted version of the two-dimensional image is then produced based on the displacement map. The two-dimensional image and the shifted version of the two-dimensional image are then combined to produce a three-dimensional image. A system is also presented.

Abstract: A panorama viewer is disclosed which facilitates navigation from within the panorama of a larger, structured system such as a map. The panorama viewer presents a viewport on a portion of a panoramic image, the viewport including a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the panoramic image. As the orientation of the viewport within the panoramic image changes, the three-dimensional overlay's orientation in three-dimensional space also changes as it is rendered with the panoramic image in a manner that matches the change in orientation of the viewport.

Abstract: A fast renderer for panoramic images is herein disclosed. In an embodiment, a precomputation is made of (a) a region on a surface defined by a first transformation from a viewport to the surface and (b) a second transformation that maps from the precomputed region to the viewport. In order to render the surface on the viewport, the renderer determines what portion of the image intersects with the precomputed region and proceeds to apply the precomputed second transformation to the portion of the image, thereby resulting in a transformed image which can be rendered in the viewport for display.

Abstract: A system and method is provided whereby, in one aspect, advertisements are displayed based on search terms that were selected based on the angle at which a user is viewing a street level image.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention enable displaying a plurality of driving direction steps that form a driving directions path between a start address and a destination address; receiving input selecting a driving direction step of said plurality of driving direction steps; and displaying a panoramic image of a geographic area where a driving action associated with said selected driving direction step would be performed by a driver. In other embodiments, the panoramic image is replaced and/or complemented with one or more of 3D models, full-motion video, full-motion video of 360 degrees images, and live feeds from video cameras to provide enhanced driving directions.

Abstract: A panorama viewer is disclosed which facilitates navigation from within the panorama of a larger, structured system such as a map. The panorama viewer presents a viewport on a portion of a panoramic image, the viewport including a three-dimensional overlay rendered with the panoramic image. As the orientation of the viewport within the panoramic image changes, the three-dimensional overlay's orientation in three-dimensional space also changes as it is rendered with the panoramic image in a manner that matches the change in orientation of the viewport.

Abstract: A fast renderer for panoramic images is herein disclosed. In an embodiment, a precomputation is made of (a) a region on a surface defined by a first transformation from a viewport to the surface and (b) a second transformation that maps from the precomputed region to the viewport. In order to render the surface on the viewport, the renderer determines what portion of the image intersects with the precomputed region and proceeds to apply the precomputed second transformation to the portion of the image, thereby resulting in a transformed image which can be rendered in the viewport for display.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and computer system for representing a dataset comprising N documents by computing a diffusion geometry of the dataset comprising at least a plurality of diffusion coordinates. The present method and system stores a number of diffusion coordinates, wherein the number is linear in proportion to N.