Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method that receives structured curated data regarding transit infrastructure and receives scheduled transit data regarding transit trips provided by a transit operation. The method also aligns scheduled transit data with structured curated data in order to allow the transit data to be associated with a set of attributes of the structured curated data.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a navigation application that generates navigation instructions for a route, including navigation instruction for navigating within a venue. One example of such a venue is transit station. The navigation application identifies a portion of the route that includes two locations within a station, such as an access point (e.g., an entrance or exit) of the transit station and a platform within the station at which a transit vehicle arrives. The application identifies a path between the two locations (e.g., between an access point and a platform, between two platforms within the station, between a platform and another location within the station, or between any arbitrary two locations within the station). The application provides several turn-by-turn navigation instructions for navigating the path based on actual instructions signs that are displayed within the station to provide guidance for traveling between different locations in the station.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for displaying on a device incident reports regarding transit lines and stations. Through a map application of the device, the method of some embodiments receives an incident report regarding transit lines or stations of interest. The method displays the incident report in an incident reporting display area that is accessible on the device without opening of the map application. The incident report in some embodiments includes a set of incidents associated with the transit line or station. In some embodiments, an incident can be an incident about the overall transit line, a portion of the transit line, or stations along the transit line. A station is a location along a transit line at which a transit vehicle that travels the transit line stops. In some embodiments, the transit vehicle passengers get on or off the transit vehicle at a transit station.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a map application that identifies several different transit routes from a starting location to a destination location. Each identified transit route includes one or more transit legs that are serviced by different transit vehicles of different transit lines. The map application also identifies a set of incidents that are associated with one or more transit legs of one or more of the identified transit routes. The map application of some embodiments then ranks the transit routes based on a set of criteria and the identified set of incidents. The map application displays, in a display area, a representation of a highest ranked transit route over a portion of a map presentation.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a navigation application that generates navigation instructions for a route, including navigation instruction for navigating within a venue. One example of such a venue is transit station. The navigation application identifies a portion of the route that includes two locations within a station, such as an access point (e.g., an entrance or exit) of the transit station and a platform within the station at which a transit vehicle arrives. The application identifies a path between the two locations (e.g., between an access point and a platform, between two platforms within the station, between a platform and another location within the station, or between any arbitrary two locations within the station). The application provides several turn-by-turn navigation instructions for navigating the path based on actual instructions signs that are displayed within the station to provide guidance for traveling between different locations in the station.

Abstract: Improved approaches to allow a portable electronic device to dynamically present location-specific information while the portable electronic device is at a predetermined location are disclosed. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device has a display that can display the location-specific information and has wireless capabilities for use in receiving the location-specific information from the server. The location-specific information can, for example, augment other information that is to be presented on the display. In one embodiment, the location-specific information can be information pertaining to a media item being played in an establishment, such as a store, where the portable electronic device is located.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for displaying on a device incident reports regarding transit lines and stations. Through a map application executing on the device, the method of some embodiments receives an incident report regarding a transit line or station of interest. The method displays the incident report in an incident reporting display area that is accessible on the device without the opening of the map application. The incident report in some embodiments includes a set of zero or more incidents associated with the transit line or station. In some embodiments, a reported incident can be an incident about the overall transit line, a portion of the transit line, or one or more stations along the transit line. A station is a location along a transit line at which a transit vehicle that travels the transit line stops. In some embodiments, the transit vehicle passengers can typically get on or off the transit vehicle at a transit station.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a map application that identifies several different transit routes from a starting location to a destination location. Each identified transit route includes one or more transit legs that are serviced by different transit vehicles of different transit lines. The map application also identifies a set of incidents that are associated with one or more transit legs of one or more of the identified transit routes. The map application of some embodiments then ranks the transit routes based on a set of criteria and the identified set of incidents. The map application displays, in a display area, a representation of a highest ranked transit route over a portion of a map presentation.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a method that receives structured curated data regarding transit infrastructure and receives scheduled transit data regarding transit trips provided by a transit operation. The method also aligns scheduled transit data with structured curated data in order to allow the transit data to be associated with a set of attributes of the structured curated data.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a map application that receives a starting location and a destination location. The application then identifies several different transit routes from the starting location to the destination location based on a set of transit preferences. Each transit route includes a set of transit legs each of which is serviced by a different transit line. In some embodiments, the application ranks the identified transit routes based on a set of criteria, and displays a representation of a highest ranked transit route over a portion of a map presentation along with a set of information about the displayed transit route.

Abstract: Improved techniques to create, browse, rate and/or purchase media asset groups are disclosed. Media assets groups can be created by various users and published to a digital assets manager. Thereafter, the media assets groups can be finalized and made available for on-line purchase. Once the media asset groups are made available for on-line purchase, users can browse, rate and/or purchase the media asset groups at an on-line media store. One example of a media asset group (group of media items) is known as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks.

Abstract: Improved approaches to intelligently refer users of one online media store to another online store are disclosed. The inter-store referral can permit a user of an online media store, such as an online media store that offers digital media assets for purchase, to easily access related information, such as event information, from another online store. According to another aspect, improved approaches to access and present event information are disclosed.

Abstract: Improved approaches to intelligently refer users of one online media store to another online store are disclosed. The inter-store referral can permit a user of an online media store, such as an online media store that offers digital media assets for purchase, to easily access related information, such as event information, from another online store. According to another aspect, improved approaches to access and present event information are disclosed.

Abstract: Improved approaches to allow a portable electronic device to dynamically present location-specific information while the portable electronic device is at a predetermined location are disclosed. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device has a display that can display the location-specific information and has wireless capabilities for use in receiving the location-specific information from the server. The location-specific information can, for example, augment other information that is to be presented on the display. In one embodiment, the location-specific information can be information pertaining to a media item being played in an establishment, such as a store, where the portable electronic device is located.

Abstract: Improved techniques that facilitate the use of podcasts are disclosed. The improved techniques can pertain to publishing, hosting, accessing, subscribing, managing, organizing, searching, browsing, transferring, and/or playing podcasts. According to yet one aspect, tags are embedded into syndication feeds that may be made available for distribution by an online media store to facilitate the organization, browsing and searching of podcasts. In accordance with one embodiment, one or more keyword tags may be embedded at the feed and/or episode levels of a podcast, thereby enabling the keywords to be associated with the feed and/or episode. In accordance with another embodiment, two or more category tags may be embedded at the feed and/or episode levels of a podcast, enabling the feed and/or episode to be categorized according to two or more categories.

Abstract: Techniques for interacting with an online media store to obtain a media asset bundle, such as a digital boxset, are disclosed. These techniques involve, for instance, browsing for a media asset bundle that includes at least one non-playable media asset, purchasing the media asset bundle, obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle, determining if a presentation request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle, and presenting the requested media asset. Further, these techniques involve playing the media assets in a media asset bundle by selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle, determining whether the media asset is playable or non-playable, presenting the media asset using an appropriate media asset viewer if it is playable, not playing (skipping) the media asset if it is non-playable, and selecting/playing other media assets in the media asset bundle until no more media assets are available to be played.

Abstract: Improved techniques to facilitate generation, management and delivery of personalized media items for users are disclosed. Users are able to influence or control content within a personalized media item. According to one aspect, personalized media items can pertain to generation and delivery of map-based media items. These media items are playable by a media playback device. For example, when a map-based media item is played by a media playback device, an audio output and/or a visual output can be provided. The audio output can be provided by digital audio, and the visual output can be provided by at least one digital image that is associated with at least a portion of the digital audio.

Abstract: Improved techniques and systems for storage, delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets (e.g., media assets) that have been acquired from online stores. The techniques and systems are also suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets that have been acquired from other than from online stores. Regardless, the digital assets become accessible from a network-based digital data repository (e.g., cloud data storage) via electronic devices (e.g., user devices) and thus usable by the electronic devices. The digital assets can include media assets and/or non-media assets.

Abstract: Improved techniques and systems for storage, delivery and acquisition of digital assets are disclosed. The techniques and systems are suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets (e.g., media assets) that have been acquired from online stores. The techniques and systems are also suitable and useful for storing, delivering and accessing digital assets that have been acquired from other than from online stores. Regardless, the digital assets become accessible from a network-based digital data repository (e.g., cloud data storage) via electronic devices (e.g., user devices) and thus usable by the electronic devices. The digital assets can include media assets and/or non-media assets.

Abstract: Techniques for interacting with an online media store to obtain a media asset bundle, such as a digital boxset, are disclosed. These techniques involve, for instance, browsing for a media asset bundle that includes at least one non-playable media asset, purchasing the media asset bundle, obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle, determining if a presentation request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle, and presenting the requested media asset. Further, these techniques involve playing the media assets in a media asset bundle by selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle, determining whether the media asset is playable or non-playable, presenting the media asset using an appropriate media asset viewer if it is playable, not playing (skipping) the media asset if it is non-playable, and selecting/playing other media assets in the media asset bundle until no more media assets are available to be played.