Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for creating contour images that represent the contour of objects reflected in images, calculating contour histogram descriptors of the contour images, and classifying images based in part on the histogram descriptors of the contour images. For example, a contour image of an image is created. A radial-polar grid having a plurality of radial-polar bins is then positioned on the contour image. A contour histogram descriptor is created to include a number of bins that correspond to the radial-polar bins of the radial-polar grid, where the contents of the bins of the contour histogram descriptor represent the number of pixels of the contour image that are located in the corresponding radial-polar bins of the radial-polar grid. Images are classified at least based in part on comparisons between contour histogram descriptors of the images and contour histogram descriptors of training images.

Abstract: A method and system for associating an advertisement with a web page are disclosed. Web pages associated with potential queries may be identified using a search engine. A mapping operation may be performed to obtain a map of the web pages as a function of the potential queries. A reverse mapping operation may be performed to obtain a grouping of potential queries as a function of one of the web pages. An active query may be selected from the grouping of potential queries to provide to an advertising service to associate an advertisement with the web page.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for determining relevance of documents to queries. An optimized relevance function is configured to determine a relevance value of documents of a first type that are linked to documents of a second type. The relevance function is optimized to satisfy certain criteria. According to one criterion, a relevance value produced by the optimized relevance function, when invoked for documents of the first type, should have a locally maximal degree of fit to the results of the existing relevance function for the sample training documents of the second type. An assessed degree of fit of a document can be increased or decreased to arrive at an optimized relevance function that ranks the documents of the first type in a desired position relative to documents of the second type in search results. The degree of fit can be assessed by a user-provided objective function.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for generating an online listing, such as a yellow pages listing, that includes information about an object, such as a business, and also includes at least one image of the structure containing the object. For example, the image may be a digital image of the store front of a business taken at a street view. Additionally, a user may select an image from a plurality of images that the user perceives as being an appropriate representative image for the business. Based on votes received a default representative image may be identified that is provided in response to a request for information about the business.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for matching images is provided. The images to be matched are represented by feature points and feature vectors and orientations associated with the feature points. First, putative correspondences are determined by using feature vectors. A subset of putative correspondences is selected and the topological equivalence of the subset is determined. The topologically equivalent subset of putative correspondences is used to establish a motion estimation model. An orientation consistency test is performed on the putative correspondences and the corresponding motion estimation transformation that is determined, to avoid an infeasible transformation. A coverage test is performed on the matches that satisfy orientation consistency test. The candidate matches that do not cover a significant portion of one of the images are rejected. The final match images are provided in the order of decreasing matching, in case of multiple images satisfying all the test requirements.

Abstract: A first portion of content relating to a first markup document may be displayed to a user of the client system. Information relating to the first portion of content is stored at a server system. An action to display a current version of the first markup document on the client system is received. A current version of content for the first markup document is retrieved from the host server. The stored information relating to the first portion of content may be used to identify a third portion of content associated with the first markup document which has not previously been displayed to the user. The display of markup document content associated with the first markup document may then be modified in a manner which facilitates the user in identifying the third portion of content.

Abstract: Present invention relates to a method and system for automatic searching for information on a network in response to an image query sent by a user. The image query includes an image that is captured by using a mobile communications device with a camera. The image is processed to detect the text present in it. The detected text is then recognized using an OCR. Subsequently, the text is searched for matches in the corresponding domain database, selected from the various domain databases present in the network. Thereafter, selected matches and additional related information is sent to the user.

Abstract: Rich media search suggestions may be provided to search facility users. Rich media search suggestions may occupy various sizes of search suggestion presentation “real estate,” and may change size, for example, in response to user interaction. A search facility may partially or fully delegate responsibility for providing search suggestions to third party search suggestion providers. Available search suggestion places may be auctioned to interested third party search suggestion providers. Third party search suggestion providers may be responsible for providing search suggestion presentation specifications (e.g., specified with hypertext markup language) for the delegated search suggestion places. Such search suggestion presentation specifications may be provided at bid time and/or in real-time in response to search input by users.

Abstract: Techniques for updating content created for a third party user are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for updating content comprises receiving information for an item associated with a third party user, requesting a search including information for a plurality of items offered for purchase, the search request being based on the received information for the at least one item, and updating content for the third party user with one of the items included in the list of items received in response to the search request. Information for the item associated with the third party user may be received from a list of items associated with the third party user and maintained by the third party user or from a content source associated with an entity other than the third party user.

Abstract: A visual refinement interface enables users to adjust and/or refine search results by selecting results that match a user's interest, and displaying subsequent results that are closer to the selected items. Multiple result sets can be displayed concurrently such that the user can maintain context for the results. Further, the user can quickly go back to modify an earlier selection without having to navigate to a previous page, for example, and a single modification can cause several subsequent result sets to automatically change such that the user can quickly view dozens of new results, for example, simply by selecting at least one different result from a displayed result set. Prior result sets can be modified, such as by reducing the size or adjusting the placement of the sets, such that the user can easily determine the current set and the relatedness to previous results sets.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed that associate search keywords with relevant images from within sources, such as books, magazines, journals, etc., thereby making the images available for search using the associated keyword. Such associations enable a search engine to identify, in response to a search query, a relevant image within the source that would have not been provided otherwise. For example, an image of the Titanic that appears in a historical or cultural book may be associated with the search keyword “ship.” Accordingly, if a user submits the search query “ship and Infamous Ocean Voyages” (i.e., the keyword “ship” and the title of a book), an image of the Titanic from the book entitled “Infamous Ocean Voyages” may be returned among the search results.

Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for generating a street map that includes a position identifier that identifies a location on the street map. The method and system may also generate and display a plurality of images representative of the location of the position identifier. A user may interact with a position identifier or one of several scroll icons to view images of other locations on the street map and/or to obtain driving directions between two locations.

Abstract: Systems and methods track one or more points between images. A point for tracking may be selected, at least in part, on a determination of how discriminable the point is relative to other points in a region containing the point. A point of an image being tracked may be located in another image by matching a patch containing the point with another patch of the other image. A search for a matching patch may be focused in a region that is determined based at least in part on an estimate of movement of the point between images. Points may be tracked across multiple images. If an ability to track one or more points is lost, information about the points being tracked may be used to relocate the points in another image.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques, including systems and methods, for enabling a lending user to lend an application to a borrowing user. The borrowing user may use the application for a trial period, and, once the trial period lapses, the borrowing user may be given an opportunity to purchase the application. If the borrowing user purchases the application, then the lending user may be credited with a commission. According to some embodiments, in addition to or instead of lending the application, the lending user may lend or sell a status/stake in the application to the borrowing user. For example, if the application is a game, the status/stake may unlock certain levels or features of the game.

Abstract: A method includes analyzing a plurality of electronic documents available via a network service, selecting content of the documents encountered during the analysis to generate signatures for the documents based on the content of the documents, generating an index comprising the signatures, and updating the index by performing additional analysis. The index is updated to include documents having the same signatures.

Abstract: Strategies are described for conducting an advertising campaign using a cost-per-transaction (CPT) pricing model. In this model, the advertiser is charged when an end-user takes some express action in response to viewing the advertisement, such as by clicking on the advertisement, purchasing the advertised asset, performing a registration procedure, and so forth. Various solutions allow for the computation of the expected value of a CPT advertisement when there is a scarcity of data pertaining to the actual performance of the CPT advertisement.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for generating an online listing, such as a yellow pages listing, that includes information about an object, such as a business, and also includes at least one image of the structure containing the object. For example, the image may be a digital image of the store front of a business taken at a street view. Additionally, a user may select an image from a plurality of images that the user perceives as being an appropriate representative image for the business. Based on votes received a default representative image may be identified that is provided in response to a request for information about the business.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for matching images is provided. The images to be matched are represented by feature points and feature vectors and orientations associated with the feature points. First, putative correspondences are determined by using feature vectors. A subset of putative correspondences is selected and the topological equivalence of the subset is determined. The topologically equivalent subset of putative correspondences is used to establish a motion estimation model. An orientation consistency test is performed on the putative correspondences and the corresponding motion estimation transformation that is determined, to avoid an infeasible transformation. A coverage test is performed on the matches that satisfy orientation consistency test. The candidate matches that do not cover a significant portion of one of the images are rejected. The final match images are provided in the order of decreasing matching, in case of multiple images satisfying all the test requirements.

Abstract: Information from a position and/or gesture detection system can be embedded in a Web page, or other such presentation of content, and used to select or otherwise interact with content on the page. In some embodiments, video is captured and displayed showing a current view of the user. Position data corresponding to the video is provided and used to determine directions and extents of motion without having to do significant amounts of image processing. The position data is used to determine locations on the page where the user is attempting to provide input, such as to select an item of content. The content can be modified and/or rendered to appear to be associated with the user in the rendered view. Information from multiple gesture systems can be combined on a single page, and information from one or more gesture systems can be shared among multiple pages and devices.

Abstract: Information from a position and/or gesture detection system can be embedded in a Web page, or other such presentation of content, and used to select or otherwise interact with content on the page. In some embodiments, video is captured and displayed showing a current view of the user. Position data corresponding to the video is provided and used to determine directions and extents of motion without having to do significant amounts of image processing. The position data is used to determine locations on the page where the user is attempting to provide input, such as to select an item of content. The content can be modified and/or rendered to appear to be associated with the user in the rendered view. Information from multiple gesture systems can be combined on a single page, and information from one or more gesture systems can be shared among multiple pages and devices.