Abstract: The technology relates to factors regarding the external environment around a vehicle that are used to trigger enhanced driving directions for use by the driver. The factors can include issues such as adverse weather conditions, low light conditions and temporary obstacles or other obstructions that may prevent or reduce the ability of the driver to see street signs or other landmarks that are part of an initial set of driving directions. Upon determination of one or more relevant factors, the system is able to modify or otherwise enhances directions in real time. This allows the driver to be able to quickly and easily identify other visible landmarks and use such information to navigate to a desired destination. This approach employs one or more on-board cameras configured to detect objects and conditions in the environment adjacent to or otherwise nearby the vehicle, such as within line of sight of the vehicle's front end.

Abstract: The technology relates to providing visually-verifiable metadata in response to a query. A query may be sent from an application. In response to the query visually-verifiable metadata corresponding to one or more points of interest relevant to the query and an image associated with the visually-verifiable metadata may be received. The image associated with the visually-verifiable metadata may be displayed and the visually-verifiable metadata may be annotated within the displayed image.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method of controlling one or more sensors on a moving vehicle that is executable by one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may detect a first surface at a first location and a second surface at a second location using the one or more sensors. The second surface may be classified as a target of interest. Then the one or more computing devices may determine one or more timing characteristics of the one or more sensors based on a pose or motion of the one or more sensors relative to the first location of the first surface and the second location of the second surface. Then, the one or more computing devices may control the one or more sensors to capture data according to the determined one or more timing characteristics.

Abstract: The technology relates to determining an establishment's presence at a geolocation. A computing device may receive a first image including location data associated with the first image's capture. A set of images, which include location information and one or more identification marks associated with one or more establishments may also be received. The computing device may compare the first image to the set of images to determine whether the first image contains one of the one or more identification marks, and determine that one of the one or more establishments, associated with the one of the one or more identification marks contained in the first image, is currently located within a set proximity of the first image location. The computing device may also update a location database by associating the one of the one or more establishments with a location within a set proximity of the first image location.

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 location data and semantic tags. The location data can include information associated with interactions at locations. Each semantic tag can include information associated with one of the locations. Further, each semantic tag can be descriptive of features associated with the respective location. The location data and the plurality of semantic tags that satisfy suitability criteria can be identified. The suitability criteria can be associated with the suitability of each location for use by a geographic context application. A suitable location can be determined based on the location data and the semantic tags that satisfy the suitability criteria. Furthermore, the indications including a description of the suitable location can be generated based on the features associated with the suitable location.

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 location data and semantic tags. The location data can include information associated with locations including the location of a carrier and the location of a passenger. The semantic tags can include information associated with features of the locations. The location data and the semantic tags that satisfy meeting criteria can be identified. The meeting criteria can be associated with a suitability of a location for the carrier and the passenger. A meeting location for the carrier and the passenger can be determined based on the location data and the semantic tags that satisfy the meeting criteria. Furthermore, indications associated with the meeting location can be generated based on the features of the meeting location.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the disclosed technology implement a brand penetration determination system using image semantic content. A geographic sub-region determination system is configured to partition a geographic area into two or more sub-regions. An image content analysis engine is configured to determine, from images captured at one or more sites within each sub-region, a number of detections of a brand within each respective sub-region. A brand penetration index generation system is configured to generate a brand penetration index for each sub-region based on the number of detections of the brand in the respective sub-region weighted by one or more factors (e.g., population factor, category factor, etc.), which is stored in memory with an indicator of each respective sub-region. In splitting the geographic area into two or more sub-regions, the number and/or boundaries of sub-regions are determined so as to ensure that the population within each sub-region is above a threshold.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tasking an image acquisition system are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining data descriptive of a plurality of images associated with a geographic area. The method includes analyzing at least a subset of the plurality of images to determine an occurrence of one or more changes associated with the geographic area. The method includes determining a level of change associated with the geographic area based, at least in part, on the occurrence of the one or more changes associated with the geographic area. The method includes providing a control command to an image acquisition system to adjust an acquisition of imagery data associated with the geographic area based, at least in part, on the level of change.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method of controlling one or more sensors on a moving vehicle that is executable by one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may detect a first surface at a first location and a second surface at a second location using the one or more sensors. The second surface may be classified as a target of interest. Then the one or more computing devices may determine one or more timing characteristics of the one or more sensors based on a pose or motion of the one or more sensors relative to the first location of the first surface and the second location of the second surface. Then, the one or more computing devices may control the one or more sensors to capture data according to the determined one or more timing characteristics.

Abstract: The technology relates to factors regarding the external environment around a vehicle that are used to trigger enhanced driving directions for use by the driver. The factors can include issues such as adverse weather conditions, low light conditions and temporary obstacles or other obstructions that may prevent or reduce the ability of the driver to see street signs or other landmarks that are part of an initial set of driving directions. Upon determination of one or more relevant factors, the system is able to modify or otherwise enhances directions in real time. This allows the driver to be able to quickly and easily identify other visible landmarks and use such information to navigate to a desired destination. This approach employs one or more on-board cameras configured to detect objects and conditions in the environment adjacent to or otherwise nearby the vehicle, such as within line of sight of the vehicle's front end.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method of controlling one or more sensors on a moving vehicle that is executable by one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may detect a first surface at a first location and a second surface at a second location using the one or more sensors. The second surface may be classified as a target of interest. Then the one or more computing devices may determine one or more timing characteristics of the one or more sensors based on a pose or motion of the one or more sensors relative to the first location of the first surface and the second location of the second surface. Then, the one or more computing devices may control the one or more sensors to capture data according to the determined one or more timing characteristics.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the disclosed technology implement a brand penetration determination system using image semantic content. A geographic sub-region determination system is configured to partition a geographic area into two or more sub-regions. An image content analysis engine is configured to determine, from images captured at one or more sites within each sub-region, a number of detections of a brand within each respective sub-region. A brand penetration index generation system is configured to generate a brand penetration index for each sub-region based on the number of detections of the brand in the respective sub-region weighted by one or more factors (e.g., population factor, category factor, etc.), which is stored in memory with an indicator of each respective sub-region. In splitting the geographic area into two or more sub-regions, the number and/or boundaries of sub-regions are determined so as to ensure that the population within each sub-region is above a threshold.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method of controlling one or more sensors on a moving vehicle that is executable by one or more computing devices. The one or more computing devices may detect a first surface at a first location and a second surface at a second location using the one or more sensors. The second surface may be classified as a target of interest. Then the one or more computing devices may determine one or more timing characteristics of the one or more sensors based on a pose or motion of the one or more sensors relative to the first location of the first surface and the second location of the second surface. Then, the one or more computing devices may control the one or more sensors to capture data according to the determined one or more timing characteristics.

Abstract: Systems and methods for updating a map interface are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining data descriptive of a map tile of a map interface that is displayable on a display device. The map tile presents imagery associated with at least a portion of a geographic area. The method includes obtaining data descriptive of an image depicting at least the portion of the geographic area. The image is acquired by an image acquisition system. The method includes analyzing the data descriptive of the map tile and the data descriptive of the image to determine an occurrence of a change associated with the geographic area. The method includes updating the map interface to reflect the change associated with the geographic area based at least in part on the occurrence of the change associated with the geographic area.

Abstract: The technology relates to determining an establishment's presence at a geolocation. A computing device may receive a first image including location data associated with the first image's capture. A set of images, which include location information and one or more identification marks associated with one or more establishments may also be received. The computing device may compare the first image to the set of images to determine whether the first image contains one of the one or more identification marks, and determine that one of the one or more establishments, associated with the one of the one or more identification marks contained in the first image, is currently located within a set proximity of the first image location. The computing device may also update a location database by associating the one of the one or more establishments with a location within a set proximity of the first image location.

Abstract: The technology relates to determining an establishment's presence at a geolocation. A computing device may receive a first image including location data associated with the first image's capture. A set of images, which include location information and one or more identification marks associated with one or more establishments may also be received. The computing device may compare the first image to the set of images to determine whether the first image contains one of the one or more identification marks, and determine that one of the one or more establishments, associated with the one of the one or more identification marks contained in the first image, is currently located within a set proximity of the first image location. The computing device may also update a location database by associating the one of the one or more establishments with a location within a set proximity of the first image location.

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: Systems and methods for updating a map interface are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining data descriptive of a map tile of a map interface that is displayable on a display device. The map tile presents imagery associated with at least a portion of a geographic area. The method includes obtaining data descriptive of an image depicting at least the portion of the geographic area. The image is acquired by an image acquisition system. The method includes analyzing the data descriptive of the map tile and the data descriptive of the image to determine an occurrence of a change associated with the geographic area. The method includes updating the map interface to reflect the change associated with the geographic area based at least in part on the occurrence of the change associated with the geographic area.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tasking an image acquisition system are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining data descriptive of a plurality of images associated with a geographic area. The method includes analyzing at least a subset of the plurality of images to determine an occurrence of one or more changes associated with the geographic area. The method includes determining a level of change associated with the geographic area based, at least in part, on the occurrence of the one or more changes associated with the geographic area. The method includes providing a control command to an image acquisition system to adjust an acquisition of imagery data associated with the geographic area based, at least in part, on the level of change.

Abstract: Misaligned map data received from different sources is corrected to generate a map that includes aligned features. Each data source is associated with a reliability value that identifies the likelihood that the map data received from the corresponding source is aligned with a particular map location. A corrected version of the map data is generated based on the reliability values of the data sources. Generally, map data from unreliable sources is adjusted toward map data from more reliable sources until the map data from the different sources is aligned.