Abstract: Methods and systems are described herein for presenting an animation of a geographic area based on current conditions within the geographic area. A client device presents a map display of the geographic area via a user interface. In response to determining to present an animation of the geographic area, the client device animates the map display of the geographic area using virtual objects overlaid on the map display which represent the current conditions at the geographic area.

Abstract: To provide navigation instructions with indications of visibility of visual aids during navigation, a computing device receives a request from a user for navigation directions from a starting location to a destination location, and obtains a set of navigation directions for traversing from the starting location to the destination location along a route in response to the request. For at least one maneuver, the computing device identifies a visual aid for assisting the user in identifying a location corresponding to the maneuver, determines an amount of visibility for the visual aid, and adjusts a navigation instruction in the set of navigation directions corresponding to the maneuver to include a description of the amount of visibility for the visual aid. The computing device provides the set of navigation directions including the adjusted navigation instruction for presentation to the user.

Abstract: Provided are methods, systems, and devices for updating a sensor based on sensor data and the semantic state associated with an area. Sensor data can be received by a computing system. The sensor data can be based on sensor outputs from sensors. The sensor data can include information associated with states of areas detected by the sensors. An estimated semantic state of one of the areas from a target sensor that can detect the states of the areas can be generated. Based on a comparison of the estimated semantic state to semantic states of the area from the sensors, an uncertainty level associated with an accuracy of the estimated semantic state can be determined. In response to the uncertainty level satisfying one or more update criteria, an updated version of the sensor data from the target sensor can be obtained.

Abstract: An interactive landmark localization system includes a database of visual landmarks corresponding to prominent physical objects within a geographic area. The visual landmark database includes geographic information for each landmark including the location and height of the landmark, the orientation that the landmark faces, the size of the landmark, the appearance of the landmark, the name of the landmark, a viewshed for the landmark indicating a set of locations from which the landmark is visible, etc. When a user requests map data or navigation directions to a destination, the interactive landmark localization system verifies the location and orientation of the user using the visual landmarks and their corresponding geographic information. For example, when the user is at a particular location and orientation, the interactive landmark localization system provides indications of landmarks within the vicinity of the particular location to verify the user's location and orientation.

Abstract: Provided are methods, systems, devices, apparatuses, and tangible non-transitory computer readable media for navigation and geocoding. The disclosed technology can perform operations including accessing semantic tags associated with images. Each of the semantic tags can be associated with features depicted by one of the images. Further, each of the features can be associated with a geographic location. Based on the semantic tags, landmarks that include the features that satisfy entropic criteria can be identified. The entropic criteria can measure a localized prominence of each of the one or more features. A landmark for use in navigation at the location can be selected based on context data associated with a location on a path that includes a plurality of locations. Furthermore, at least one navigational instruction that references the landmark can be generated.

Abstract: Provided are methods, systems, and devices for updating a sensor based on sensor data and the semantic state associated with an area. Sensor data can be received by a computing system. The sensor data can be based on sensor outputs from sensors. The sensor data can include information associated with states of areas detected by the sensors. An estimated semantic state of one of the areas from a target sensor that can detect the states of the areas can be generated. Based on a comparison of the estimated semantic state to semantic states of the area from the sensors, an uncertainty level associated with an accuracy of the estimated semantic state can be determined. In response to the uncertainty level satisfying one or more update criteria, an updated version of the sensor data from the target sensor can be obtained.

Abstract: Implementations relate to providing geographic locations related to user interests. In some implementations, a method includes receiving an indication of a user location and determining one or more subjects of interest to the user based on examining a collection of images associated with the user. The subjects of interest are determined by determining distinctive image characteristics that have a higher frequency in the collection of user images compared to a frequency of similar stored image characteristics of a population of images associated with multiple users. Site characteristics of a geographic area are obtained based on images captured in the geographic area. The site characteristics are compared to the subjects of interest and one or more geographic locations in the geographic area are determined that have site characteristics similar to the subjects of interest. The geographic locations are provided to be output by the user device.

Abstract: Implementations relate to providing geographic locations related to user interests. In some implementations, a method includes receiving an indication of a user location and determining one or more subjects of interest to the user based on examining a collection of images associated with the user. The subjects of interest are determined by determining distinctive image characteristics that have a higher frequency in the collection of user images compared to a frequency of similar stored image characteristics of a population of images associated with multiple users. Site characteristics of a geographic area are obtained based on images captured in the geographic area. The site characteristics are compared to the subjects of interest and one or more geographic locations in the geographic area are determined that have site characteristics similar to the subjects of interest. The geographic locations are provided to be output by the user device.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to selecting textures for a user-supplied photographic image in image-based three-dimensional modeling. In a first embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes a method positioning a geographic structure using user-supplied photographic images of a geographic structure. In the method, a user-supplied photographic images inputted by a user are received. Embedded camera parameters that specify a position of the cameras when each user-supplied photographic image was taken and are embedded in each user-supplied photographic image are read. An estimated location of the geographic structure is automatically determined based on the embedded camera parameters in each user-supplied photographic image. Each user-supplied photographic image to be texture mapped to the three-dimensional model is enabled.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods for generating and executing user-based standing queries are provided. In one aspect, a method includes determining whether to generate a notification based on a user-based query and geographical context. The method also includes filtering the notification through explicit or inferred filter criteria. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to selecting textures for a user-supplied photographic image in image-based three-dimensional modeling. In a first embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes a method positioning a geographic structure using user-supplied photographic images of a geographic structure. In the method, a user-supplied photographic images inputted by a user are received. Embedded camera parameters that specify a position of the cameras when each user-supplied photographic image was taken and are embedded in each user-supplied photographic image are read. An estimated location of the geographic structure is automatically determined based on the embedded camera parameters in each user-supplied photographic image. Each user-supplied photographic image to be texture mapped to the three-dimensional model is enabled.

Abstract: A capability to automatically generate a two-and-a-half-dimensional (2.5D) model from a three-dimensional (3D) model comprising a mesh of polygons representing a plurality of objects in a three-dimensional environment is provided. Such a two-and-a-half-dimensional model includes a set of extruded polygons (e.g., right prisms), each of which can have multiple shells (e.g., outer loops) and holes (e.g., inner loops). Such a group of shells and holes defines a volume in space according to its position relative to a reference plane. Namely, the volume is defined by a base height from which extrusion begins and an extrusion distance. This capability can be applied to any 3D model, including but not limited to, 3D building models.

Abstract: A system, computer-implemented method, and computer-readable medium for browsing geometric models are provided. A two-dimensional (2D) representation of a three dimensional (3D) geometric model and first and second criteria for the 3D geometric model selected by a user are provided to a geometric model warehouse. The geometric model warehouse determines a first set of 3D geometric models related to the 3D geometric model, based on the first criteria. The geometric model warehouse also determines a second set of 3D geometric models related to the 3D geometric model based on the second criteria. The geometric model warehouse sends the determined first and second sets of 3D geometric models for display to a client device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for 3D shape retrieval are described herein. An embodiment includes obtaining a query 3D model, determining a similarity between the query 3D model and one or more 3D models based on a plurality of features of the query 3D model and corresponding features of the one or more 3D models, retrieving one or more similar 3D models based on the determining step and ranking the one or more similar 3D models based on the similarity. The embodiment further includes computing a feature distance between the query 3D model and the one or more 3D models for each feature, from a first set of features, associated with the query 3D model and the one or more 3D models and evaluating a first composite distance function using each feature distance.

Abstract: A geographical alert system creates an alert for a user-defined geographical area, detects a change to a feature stored in a map-related database, identifies whether the changed feature falls within the user-defined geographical area, and sends a notification to a user when the changed feature of the map-related database falls within the user-defined geographical area.

Abstract: A capability for prominence-based feature generation and rendering for digital maps is provided. More specifically, embodiments relate to rendering map features such as buildings or landmarks in different rendering styles based on signals for how important a particular feature is to a search context. A search context may be, for example and without limitation, a general view of the map or a user-initiated search request for a particular point of interest or driving directions between different points of interest on the map. For example, the different rendering styles may include, but are not limited to, two-dimensional (2D) footprints, two-and-a-half-dimensional (2.5D) extruded polygons, as will be described further below, and full three-dimensional (3D) models. Furthermore, the style could include color and/or visual texture.

Abstract: A geographical alert system creates an alert for a user-defined geographical area, detects a change to a feature stored in a map-related database, identifies whether the changed feature falls within the user-defined geographical area, and sends a notification to a user when the changed feature of the map-related database falls within the user-defined geographical area

Abstract: A geographical alert system creates an alert for a user-defined geographical area, detects a change to a feature stored in a map-related database, identifies whether the changed feature falls within the user-defined geographical area, and sends a notification to a user when the changed feature of the map-related database falls within the user-defined geographical area. To set up a geographical alert, an alert editor retrieves map data from a map-related database via an alert engine and displays the map data in a visual display to a user. The user then selects a geographical area that the system will automatically monitor for changes. The user may also specify a feature type, and an alert notification type for the alert. The alert engine then processes the user-specified geographical area into geographical area data and stores an alert and its corresponding geographical area data, feature type, and alert notification type in an alert database.