Abstract: Sets of local, (e.g., online) ads may be generated by obtaining sets of information about (e.g., local) establishments, each set including a business address information and/or a telephone number, (b) determining, for each of the sets, a location using at least one of at least a portion of the business address information and at least a portion of the telephone number, and (c) generating, for each of the sets, an ad that includes targeting information that targets the serving of the ad to queries related to the determined location. A query, including information about a location of a client device, may be accepted and at least one of the generated ads that includes targeting information that targets the location of the client device may be determined.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for ranking search results for queries. The method includes calculating a visual similarity score for one or more pairs of images in a plurality of images based on visual features of images in each of the one or more pairs; building a graph of images by linking each of one or more images in the plurality of images to one or more nearest neighbor images based on the visual similarity scores; associating a respective score with each of one or more images in the graph based on data indicative of user behavior relative to the image as a search result for a query; and determining a new score for each of one or more images in the graph based on the respective score of the image, and the respective scores of one or more nearest neighbors to the image.

Abstract: A system determines ranking scores for objects based on “virtual” links defined for the objects. A link-based ranking score may then be calculated for the objects based on the virtual links. In one implementation, the virtual links are determined based on a metric of content-based similarity between the objects.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing personalized route information involves gathering a plurality of past location indicators over time for a wireless client device, determining a future driving objective using the plurality of previously-gathered location indicators, obtaining real-time traffic data for an area proximate to the determined driving objective, and generating a suggested route for the driving objective using the near real-time traffic data.

Abstract: A system identifies an image and determines whether the image contains inappropriate content based on first data associated with the image, second data associated with a document that contains the image or refers to the image, and/or third data associated with a group of documents with which the image is associated.

Abstract: A method and system generates and compares fingerprints for videos in a video library. The video fingerprints provide a compact representation of the spatial and sequential characteristics of the video that can be used to quickly and efficiently identify video content. Because the fingerprints are based on spatial and sequential characteristics rather than exact bit sequences, visual content of videos can be effectively compared even when there are small differences between the videos in compression factors, source resolutions, start and stop times, frame rates, and so on. Comparison of video fingerprints can be used, for example, to search for and remove copyright protected videos from a video library. Further, duplicate videos can be detected and discarded in order to preserve storage space.

Abstract: A method and system generates and compares fingerprints for videos in a video library. The video fingerprints provide a compact representation of the temporal locations of discontinuities in the video that can be used to quickly and efficiently identify video content. Discontinuities can be, for example, shot boundaries in the video frame sequence or silent points in the audio stream. Because the fingerprints are based on structural discontinuity characteristics rather than exact bit sequences, visual content of videos can be effectively compared even when there are small differences between the videos in compression factors, source resolutions, start and stop times, frame rates, and so on. Comparison of video fingerprints can be used, for example, to search for and remove copyright protected videos from a video library. Furthermore, duplicate videos can be detected and discarded in order to preserve storage space.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing personalized route information involves gathering a plurality of past location indicators over time for a wireless client device, determining a future driving objective using the plurality of previously-gathered location indicators, obtaining real-time traffic data for an area proximate to the determined driving objective, and generating a suggested route for the driving objective using the near real-time traffic data.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing personalized route information involves gathering a plurality of past location indicators over time for a wireless client device, determining a future driving objective using the plurality of previously-gathered location indicators, obtaining real-time traffic data for an area proximate to the determined driving objective, and generating a suggested route for the driving objective using the near real-time traffic data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to object tracking in video. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method tracks an object in a frame of a video. An adaptive term value is determined based on an adaptive model and at least a portion of the frame. A pose constraint value is determined based on a pose model and at least a portion the frame. An alignment confidence score is determined based on an alignment model and at least a portion the frame. Based on the adaptive term value, the pose constraint value, and the alignment confidence score, an energy value is determined. Based on the energy value, a resultant tracking state is determined. The resultant tracking state defines a likely position of the object in the frame given the object's likely position in a set of previous frames in the video.

Abstract: Techniques described herein may recognize handwritten characters that are written at least partially over the top of one another that are input to a computing device. The handwritten characters may be formed of one or more strokes. A user may write characters or parts of words over approximately the same area of graphical user interface (i.e., on top of each other) without having to wait for a timeout between character input and without having to select a button or provide another input indicating the character is complete before entering input for another character. Once a character is at least partially recognized, a graphical indication corresponding to the user input displayed on a screen may be altered. Such alterations may include fading or changing size or location of the graphical indication.

Abstract: A system identifies an image and determines whether the image contains inappropriate content based on first data associated with the image, second data associated with a document that contains the image or refers to the image, and/or third data associated with a group of documents with which the image is associated.

Abstract: Techniques described herein may recognize handwritten characters that are written at least partially over the top of one another that are input to a computing device. The handwritten characters may be formed of one or more strokes. A user may write characters or parts of words over approximately the same area of graphical user interface (i.e., on top of each other) without having to wait for a timeout between character input and without having to select a button or provide another input indicating the character is complete before entering input for another character. Once a character is at least partially recognized, a graphical indication corresponding to the user input displayed on a screen may be altered. Such alterations may include fading or changing size or location of the graphical indication.

Abstract: This specification relates to presenting image search results. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of receiving an image query, the image query being a query for image search results; receiving ranked image search results responsive to the image query, the image search results each including an identification of a corresponding image resource; generating a similarity matrix for images identified by the image search results; generating a hierarchical grouping of the images using the similarity matrix; identifying a canonical image for each group in the hierarchical grouping using a ranking measure; and presenting a visual representation of the image search results based on the hierarchical grouping and the identified canonical images.

Abstract: Techniques described herein may recognize handwritten characters that are written at least partially over the top of one another that are input to a computing device. The handwritten characters may be formed of one or more strokes. A user may write characters or parts of words over approximately the same area of graphical user interface (i.e., on top of each other) without having to wait for a timeout between character input and without having to select a button or provide another input indicating the character is complete before entering input for another character. Once a character is at least partially recognized, a graphical indication corresponding to the user input displayed on a screen may be altered. Such alterations may include fading or changing size or location of the graphical indication.

Abstract: A method and system generates and compares fingerprints for videos in a video library. The video fingerprints provide a compact representation of the spatial and sequential characteristics of the video that can be used to quickly and efficiently identify video content. Because the fingerprints are based on spatial and sequential characteristics rather than exact bit sequences, visual content of videos can be effectively compared even when there are small differences between the videos in compression factors, source resolutions, start and stop times, frame rates, and so on. Comparison of video fingerprints can be used, for example, to search for and remove copyright protected videos from a video library. Further, duplicate videos can be detected and discarded in order to preserve storage space.

Abstract: A system identifies an image and determines whether the image contains inappropriate content based on first data associated with the image, second data associated with a document that contains the image or refers to the image, and/or third data associated with a group of documents with which the image is associated.

Abstract: Techniques described herein may recognize handwritten characters that are written at least partially over the top of one another that are input to a computing device. The handwritten characters may be formed of one or more strokes. A user may write characters or parts of words over approximately the same area of graphical user interface (i.e., on top of each other) without having to wait for a timeout between character input and without having to select a button or provide another input indicating the character is complete before entering input for another character. Once a character is at least partially recognized, a graphical indication corresponding to the user input displayed on a screen may be altered. Such alterations may include fading or changing size or location of the graphical indication.

Abstract: Techniques described herein may recognize handwritten characters that are written at least partially over the top of one another that are input to a computing device. The handwritten characters may be formed of one or more strokes. A user may write characters or parts of words over approximately the same area of graphical user interface (i.e., on top of each other) without having to wait for a timeout between character input and without having to select a button or provide another input indicating the character is complete before entering input for another character. Once a character is at least partially recognized, a graphical indication corresponding to the user input displayed on a screen may be altered. Such alterations may include fading or changing size or location of the graphical indication.

Abstract: A method and system generates and compares fingerprints for videos in a video library. The video fingerprints provide a compact representation of the spatial and sequential characteristics of the video that can be used to quickly and efficiently identify video content. Because the fingerprints are based on spatial and sequential characteristics rather than exact bit sequences, visual content of videos can be effectively compared even when there are small differences between the videos in compression factors, source resolutions, start and stop times, frame rates, and so on. Comparison of video fingerprints can be used, for example, to search for and remove copyright protected videos from a video library. Further, duplicate videos can be detected and discarded in order to preserve storage space.