Abstract: A navigation device is provided that includes one or more input devices configured to receive starting and ending locations for route navigation, and a processor configured to retrieve user route preferences. The user route preferences may indicate one or more preferred route characteristics. The processor further may be configured to receive a request for a route from a starting location to an ending location via the one or more input devices, to read stored map information including a plurality of route segments. Each route segment may include route segment data indicating one or more route characteristics of that route segment. The processor may further be configured to generate a personalized route that includes at least one route segment having route segment data indicating at least one of the one or more preferred route characteristics of the user, and to display the personalized route to the user.

Abstract: A map application generates a map context that includes information such as the current location and route of a user of a device, and a recent search history. The map context is provided to one or more background applications of the device, which use the map context to determine any content items that may be relevant to the user of the device. The determined content items are provided to the map application, and are presented to the user in the map application. In another implementation, applications running on the device save metadata related to the content items that were provided to the user by the applications. Later, when a user opens the map application, the map application selects content items based on the saved metadata and a map context, and presents the selected content items to the user in the map application.

Abstract: Techniques enable selection of traffic cameras for display to a user, where the techniques involve determining a primary route and an alternate route, determining a first intersection between the primary route and the alternate route, and obtaining camera metadata identifying multiple cameras, where the camera metadata defines aspects such as positioning data, direction, status data, and image data for individual traffic cameras. The techniques also involve determining a priority score for individual cameras using the camera metadata, where the priority score is based, at least in part, on proximity to the first intersection between the primary route and the alternate route. The techniques then involve selecting at least one traffic camera based on the priority score of the camera and communicating image data of the camera for display on a display device.

Abstract: A computing device includes a display, a logic machine, and a storage machine holding instructions executable to display a map via the display, and associate a note with location data defining a geographic location. The note is associated with an annotation displayable on the map. The annotation is associated with a location parameter defining a map location at which the annotation is displayed on the map corresponding to the geographic location associated with the note. The annotation is associated with a zoom parameter defining one or more map zoom levels at which the annotation is displayed on the map. The annotation is associated with a context parameter defining one or more computing device contexts with which the annotation is displayed on the map. A notification corresponding to the note is presented based on the computing device being located within a threshold distance of the geographic location.

Abstract: Techniques enable selection of traffic cameras for display to a user, where the techniques involve determining a primary route and an alternate route, determining a first intersection between the primary route and the alternate route, and obtaining camera metadata identifying multiple cameras, where the camera metadata defines aspects such as positioning data, direction, status data, and image data for individual traffic cameras. The techniques also involve determining a priority score for individual cameras using the camera metadata, where the priority score is based, at least in part, on proximity to the first intersection between the primary route and the alternate route. The techniques then involve selecting at least one traffic camera based on the priority score of the camera and communicating image data of the camera for display on a display device.

Abstract: A computing device includes a display, a logic machine, and a storage machine holding instructions executable to display a map via the display, and associate a note with location data defining a geographic location. The note is associated with an annotation displayable on the map. The annotation is associated with a location parameter defining a map location at which the annotation is displayed on the map corresponding to the geographic location associated with the note. The annotation is associated with a zoom parameter defining one or more Map zoom levels at which the annotation is displayed on the map. The annotation is associated with a context parameter defining one or more computing device contexts with which the annotation is displayed on the map. A notification corresponding to the note is presented based on the computing device being located within a threshold distance of the geographic location.

Abstract: Described herein is a system and method for co-locating disparate media types into a virtual reality experience. Input is received from a user including temporal information, geographical information, and/or entity information for building the virtual reality experience. Media items are identified in accordance with the received user input, at least some of the media items being of disparate media types. In some embodiments, the media items are identified using a cloud-based operating system component that stores information regarding utilization of device(s) by the user. The virtual reality experience is built by selecting at least some of the identified media items to be included in the virtual reality experience and organizing the selected media items. In some embodiments, the media items to be included are selected using a selection model trained using a machine learning algorithm. The virtual reality experience is provided in accordance with the arranged, selected media items.

Abstract: The disclosed technology is generally directed to multiscreen environments. In one example of the technology, a registry is maintained. The registry includes a plurality of context schemas. Each context schema in the plurality of context schemas includes a context schema input and a context schema output. Context data is received from a first application. The context data includes at least one of a context schema input that is associated with view augmentation in a multiscreen environment or a context schema output that is associated with view augmentation in a multiscreen environment. It is determined whether the context data is valid based, at least in part, on the registry. In response to determining that the context data is valid, the context data is forwarded to at least a second application. The second application is separate from the first application.

Abstract: A computer file system includes a storage manager configured to allocate data storage space for a plurality of computer files having different filetypes. A location and context application programming interface (API) of the computer file system associates location and context metadata with any of the plurality of computer files regardless of filetype. The location and context metadata includes one or more filetype-agnostic geographic locations associated with the computer file, each of the one or more filetype-agnostic geographic locations having a shared predefined format assigned by the location and context API. The location and context metadata also includes, for each of the one or more filetype-agnostic geographic locations associated with the computer file, a location context describing a relationship between the filetype-agnostic geographic location and the computer file.

Abstract: Methods and devices for verifying whether to send a message may include delaying, at an operating system executing on the computer device, sending of a message to at least one recipient based at least upon an associated delay period for the message. The methods and devices may include verifying a completion of the delay period and determining whether at least one override condition exists. The methods and devices may include altering a sending of the message when the at least one override condition occurred.

Abstract: A computing device and method for use in enabling contextual ink annotation in a mapping interface are disclosed. In one aspect, the computing method may include receiving a map view request to render a map view of map data based upon a current map rendering context, determining that a previously created virtual ink annotation is associated with a location within the map view, the virtual ink annotation having a previous map rendering context captured at a time of creation of the virtual ink annotation, and comparing the current map rendering context to the previous map rendering context associated with the virtual ink annotation. The method may further include, based on a result of the comparison, controlling display of the virtual ink annotation in a rendered map view.

Abstract: A navigation device may include one or more input devices, a processor, and one or more output devices. A navigation device may read stored map information and stored route deviation information including one or more deviation segments having a divergence location, a deviation path, a reconvergence location, and deviation segment data. The processor of the navigation device may then generate a route and route data. Upon determining that each of the one or more deviation segments intersects the route and a predetermined subset of the deviation segment data matches a corresponding subset of the route data, the navigation device may generate a personalized route by replacing a route portion between a first intersection point and a last intersection point with a corresponding deviation portion for each intersecting deviation segment. The one or more output devices may then output the route and the one or more personalized routes.

Abstract: Natural language directions are received and a set of maneuver/context pairs are generated based upon the natural language directions. The set of maneuver/context pairs are provided to a routing engine to obtain route information based upon the set of maneuver/context pairs. The route information is provided to an output system for surfacing to a user.

Abstract: Search histories of users are collected and correlated with the application download or usage history of the users to identify queries that are correlated with the use of particular applications. The search histories can come from a variety of sources such as map applications and web browsing applications. The correlations are used to generate a mapping of queries to applications. The mapping can be later used to recommend applications to a user based on a recent query submitted by the user or based on a subset of the search history of the user. In this way, a user can be recommended applications based on their interests as expressed through their search history.

Abstract: Natural language directions are received and a set of maneuver/context pairs are generated based upon the natural language directions. The set of maneuver/context pairs are provided to a routing engine to obtain route information based upon the set of maneuver/context pairs. The route information is provided to an output system for surfacing to a user.

Abstract: A map application is provided that allows a user to view and query the location data associated with the contacts of the user. The location data of a contact may include locations of where the contact has been, along with a time when the contact was at each location. The user can use the map application to view the location data of selected users or groups of users. The user can further generate a query, and the map application can determine locations from the location data of the contacts that are related to the generated query. In this way, the user can search for locations such as businesses and landmarks that were visited by their contacts, and can view the locations on a map.

Abstract: A map application generates a map context that includes information such as the current location and route of a user of a device, and a recent search history. The map context is provided to one or more background applications of the device, which use the map context to determine any content items that may be relevant to the user of the device. The determined content items are provided to the map application, and are presented to the user in the map application. In another implementation, applications running on the device save metadata related to the content items that were provided to the user by the applications. Later, when a user opens the map application, the map application selects content items based on the saved metadata and a map context, and presents the selected content items to the user in the map application.

Abstract: Techniques enable selection of traffic cameras for display to a user, where the techniques involve determining a primary route and an alternate route, determining a first intersection between the primary route and the alternate route, and obtaining camera metadata identifying multiple cameras, where the camera metadata defines aspects such as positioning data, direction, status data, and image data for individual traffic cameras. The techniques also involve determining a priority score for individual cameras using the camera metadata, where the priority score is based, at least in part, on proximity to the first intersection between the primary route and the alternate route. The techniques then involve selecting at least one traffic camera based on the priority score of the camera and communicating image data of the camera for display on a display device.

Abstract: A map application is provided that allows a user to create layers that can be used to modify a map. A layer may include features such as points of interest, routes, and polygons that are created or selected by the user. When the user enables a created layer, the generated features are displayed on the map until the user chooses to disable the layer. The features that are displayed in a layer are independent of any features currently being displayed on the map. The features associated with a layer may be static or may be dynamic. Layers may be shared with other users, and any changes made to a layer by an owner or creator of the layer may be pushed or provided to some or all of the users of the layer.

Abstract: A user interface is provided that allows a user to customize features, and attributes of features, of a map displayed by a map application. The features may include roads, buildings, parks, bodies of water, specific types of businesses (e.g., restaurants, drug stores, hospitals, banks), etc. The attributes of a feature may include colors, graphics, and fonts that are used to display the associated feature on the map. The user interface allows the user to customize the attributes and features, and to save the customized attributes and features as a theme. The theme can then be enabled or disabled by the user for a map, and can be distributed or shared by the user through a theme marketplace. The theme marketplace may allow users to browse available themes which may be made available for free or for purchase.