Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, for providing a method that comprises: determining excess queries over multiple time periods for a given geographic feature, where the geographic feature defines a location; comparing geographic features for similarity based at least in part on the excess queries associated with a respective geographic feature; and for a given target geographic feature, determining one or more similar geographic features based on the comparing.

Abstract: An exemplar dictionary is built from exemplars of digital content for determining predictor blocks for encoding and decoding digital content. The exemplar dictionary organizes the exemplars as clusters of similar exemplars. Each cluster is mapped to a label. Machine learning techniques are used to generate a prediction model for predicting a label for an exemplar. The prediction model can be a hashing function that generates a hash key corresponding to the label for an exemplar. The prediction model learns from a training set based on the mapping from clusters to labels. A new mapping is obtained that improves a measure of association between clusters and labels. The new mapping is used to generate a new prediction model. This process is repeated in order to iteratively refine the machine learning modes generated.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for ranking content using location-based query log analysis. The method comprises: identifying a region defining an area of interest including identifying a plurality of content items that are associated with the region; evaluating query logs associated with users that submitted queries associated with the region to determine a ranking associated with the plurality of content items; receiving a request for content associated with the region; and providing one or more of the content items based at least in part on the ranking.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for determining content items for delivery to users based on imagery. One example method includes determining a location of a user or a location associated with a query submitted by the user, identifying imagery associated with the determined location, and determining one or more content items for delivery to the user based at least in part on the imagery.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to functions used for retrieving image results based on search queries. More specifically, image search queries can be pre-grouped or classified based on visual and semantic similarity. For example, a pairwise image similarity value for a pair of queries can be computed based on one or more of the sum of all of the overlapping the image results, the sum of the image distances between all of the pairs of images in the image results, and the rank of each of the images in the image results. The pairwise image similarity values can then be used to generate image query clusters. Each image query clusters can include a set of queries with high pairwise image similarity values. In some examples, a distance function can be determined for each image query cluster. This data can be used to provide image results.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for ranking images are disclosed. An image search subsystem generates an adjustment factor representative of a quality measure of an image relative to a search query. The quality represents a relevance of the image to the query. The adjustment factor can be computed based on relevance data for the image to the query and image similarity data representing a relative similarity between the image and other images relevant to the query. The relevance data can be based on user actions in response to the image being included in search results for the query. The adjustment factor can be scaled based on whether the relevance data and the image similarity data both indicate that the image is relevant to the search query. A relevance score is computed based on the adjustment factor (e.g., a product of the adjustment factor and relevance score).

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for determining content item quality based on content item presentation data are presented. In one aspect, a method includes storing a first count of occurrences of a pair of content items being presented; storing a second count of second occurrences of a first content item of the pair being interacted with when it was presented in a lesser position in a resource relative to a second content item of the pair when the second content item of the pair was not interacted with; determining that the first count meets a first threshold; determining that a ratio of the second count to the first count meets a second threshold; and storing correlation data for the second content item based on the ratio.

Abstract: Systems, methods, devices, and computer program products provide social and interactive applications for mass media based on real time ambient-audio and/or video identification. In some implementations, a method includes: receiving descriptors identifying ambient audio associated with a media broadcast; comparing the descriptors to one or more reference descriptors; and determining a rating for the media broadcast based at least in part on the results of the comparison.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for propagating labels. The method comprises determining a set of labels to be associated with users of a social network, the labels including one or more designators for specifying areas of interest and areas of disinterest for a user. The method further comprises associating nodes in a graph representing the social network, where the users are represented by user nodes in the graph, and determining that a user is similar or dissimilar to another user in the social network. The method further comprises determining weights for the labels, each weight reflecting a magnitude of a contribution of an associated label to a characterization of the respective node, and propagating labels to other nodes that are related to the respective node by a relationship, including propagating labels in accordance with the determined similarity or dissimilarity.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for predicting user interests. In one aspect, a method includes training a prediction model to generate a category prediction of a next query from a set of queries, the category prediction specifying categories to which a next query belongs, the prediction model comprising a plurality of prediction functions that each generate a category prediction of a next query, wherein the prediction functions include two or more of a time-based prediction functions that generate a category prediction based on the category data and a difference of submission times of the queries, a rank-based prediction functions that generate a category prediction based on the category data and a rank order by which the queries were received, and a category-based prediction function that generates a category prediction based on the category data.

Abstract: A method is described that includes producing an audio spectrogram from a target sample, generating a number of fingerprints based on the audio spectrogram, comparing the series of fingerprints to samples in a data repository using wavelet coefficients, and identifying the target sample based on the matches found in the data repository.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for content item distribution based on user interactions.

Abstract: A combined fingerprint is generated for a video that can match two near-identical videos that differ only in their aspect ratios or formats. A transformation strategy is selected by selecting a first and a second aspect correction method. A first transformed video is generated by applying the first aspect correction method to the video. A second transformed video is generated by applying the second aspect correction method to the video. A first fingerprint is generated using the first transformed video. A second fingerprint is generated using the second transformed video. The combined fingerprint is generated by combining the first half of the first fingerprint with the second half of the second fingerprint.

Abstract: An image similar to a target image is selected from among a set of candidate images. A set of image classifiers is first generated and used to create a fingerprint for each candidate image. A hash table is generated for each fingerprint segment, and an identifier for each candidate image is stored in each hash table based on the candidate image fingerprint value for the fingerprint segment associated with the hash table. A fingerprint is created for the target image using the set of classifiers. Segments of the target image fingerprints are compared to segments of the candidate image fingerprints using the hash table, and a candidate image similar to the target image is selected based on this comparison.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium for transcribing information. A method includes: identifying a telephone number that once dialed has an associated message that is played or includes a response system; transcribing the message or information about the response system; storing the transcribed message or information in association with the telephone number in database; receiving a request from a user that includes the telephone number; and providing information about the transcribed information to the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for mapping keywords to geographic features. In some aspects, a method includes identifying location keywords associated with granular locations and identifying geographic features associated with an area of interest that includes the granular locations. For each geographic feature, the method includes determining geo data for the geographic feature, forming a set of granular locations that is associated with the geographic feature using the determined geo data, and aggregating a set of location keywords from the identified location keywords. The set of location keywords is associated with the set of granular locations to form a keyword mapping for the geographic feature. The method includes receiving an indication of a geographic location associated with a user, determining a first geographic feature that includes the geographic location, and targeting content for delivery to the user using a corresponding keyword mapping for the determined first geographic feature.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products, including computer programs encoded on a computer readable storage medium, for providing content to a user based on the mode of the user. A method includes: providing a data structure that includes query logs; processing query logs to determine candidate queries that satisfy a criteria, the processing including determining a location of interest, if any, for each query log entry and where the criteria requires an entry to have been submitted from a location that is different from a location of interest associated with the entry; evaluating the candidate queries to determine targeting information for the location of interest; receiving a request for content from a user that is proximate to the location of interest or has expressed an interest in the location of interest; and providing content to the user based at least in part on the targeting information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, including a method that comprises: determining excess queries for a target geographic feature, where the geographic feature defines a location; determining one or more candidate geographic features that have similar excess queries, but displaced in time; determining a time offset between the target geographic feature and a candidate geographic feature based on the displacement in time of the similar excess queries; and targeting content to the candidate geographic feature using the time offset and based on content targeted to the target geographic feature.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for delivering route information. One example method includes receiving a request from a user for a route from a starting point to a destination point, determining the route including route information defining the route, and classifying the route. Prior to the user embarking on the route, one or more content items are determined for presentation to the user based at least in part on the route information and the route classification, and the route information and the content items are delivered to the user responsive to the request.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for providing content to a user or computing device is disclosed. A plurality of operating modes for a computing device are identified based on usage information generated for the computing device over one or more periods of time. A request for content to display at the computing device is received, and the computing device is determined to be operating in at least one of the operating modes. User targeting information for the at least one of the operating modes is determined based on at least a portion of the usage information, and content for display at the computing device is provided based on the targeting information for the at least one of the operating modes.