Informational and Advertiser Links for Use in Web Mapping Services

Abstract

Techniques for identifying groups of local features in an image and presenting advertisement information associated with stored images that match one or more features within the group of local features are described. The techniques include providing an image, identifying a region of interest in the image, providing a user-selectable link associated with the region of interest in the image, receiving a request for the region of interest in the image via the user-selectable link, and presenting advertisement information associated with a stored image that matches one or more features within the requested region of interest.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving, by one or more computers, a bid including (i) data indicating a particular visual feature, and (ii) a link to an advertisement for placement within a panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature;   obtaining, by the one or more computers, a particular panoramic image in response to a request from a user;   determining, by the one or more computers, a location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid;   in response to determining the location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature, determining, by the one or more computers, that the bid has been selected as a winning bid in a selection process;   in response to determining that the bid has been selected as the winning bid, including the link to the advertisement at the location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid; and   providing, by the one or more computers, the modified obtained particular panoramic image for display.   
     
     
         11 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the link to the advertisement for placement within the panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature references a page that provides one of mapping and driving directions. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein including the link to the advertisement at the location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid includes selecting a visual indication for the link to the advertisement that contrasts with a visual indication of the particular visual feature. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 providing the modified obtained panoramic image for display to the user; and   upon the user selecting the link to the advertisement, providing a first group of information for display to the user.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first group of information includes options for obtaining additional information associated with the particular visual feature indicated by the bid that is included in the modified obtained particular panoramic image. 
     
     
         23 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a bid including (i) data indicating a particular visual feature, and (ii) a link to an advertisement for placement within a panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature; 
 obtaining a particular panoramic image in response to a request from a user; 
 determining a location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid; 
 in response to determining the location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature, determining that the bid has been selected as a winning bid in a selection process; 
 in response to determining that the bid has been selected as the winning bid, including the link to the advertisement at the location of the obtained panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid; and 
 providing the modified obtained panoramic image for display. 
   
     
     
         24 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the link to the advertisement for placement within the panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature references a page that provides one of mapping and driving directions. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein including the link to the advertisement at the location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid includes selecting a visual indication for the link to the advertisement that contrasts with a visual indication of the particular visual feature. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing the modified obtained panoramic image for display to the user; and   upon the user selecting the link to the advertisement, providing a first group of information for display to the user.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the first group of information includes options for obtaining additional information associated with the particular visual feature indicated by the bid that is included in the modified obtained particular panoramic image. 
     
     
         30 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a bid including (i) data indicating a particular visual feature, and (ii) a link to an advertisement for placement within a panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature;   obtaining a particular panoramic image in response to a request from a user;   determining a location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid;   in response to determining the location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature, determining that the bid has been selected as a winning bid in a selection process;   in response to determining that the bid has been selected as the winning bid, including the link to the advertisement at the location of the obtained panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid; and   providing the modified obtained panoramic image for display.   
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The medium of  claim 30 , wherein the link to the advertisement for placement within the panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature references a page that provides one of mapping and driving directions. 
     
     
         34 . The medium of  claim 30 , wherein including the link to the advertisement at the location of the obtained particular panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature indicated by the bid includes selecting a visual indication for the link to the advertisement that contrasts with a visual indication of the particular visual feature. 
     
     
         35 . The medium of  claim 30 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing the modified obtained panoramic image for display to the user; and   upon the user selecting the link to the advertisement, providing a first group of information for display to the user.   
     
     
         36 . The medium of  claim 35 , wherein the first group of information includes options for obtaining additional information associated with the particular visual feature indicated by the bid that is included in the modified obtained particular panoramic image. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein determining that the bid has been selected as the winning bid in the selection process comprises determining that the bid has been selected from among one or more other bids that each include (i) data indicating the particular visual feature, and (ii) a link to an advertisement for placement within a panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein determining that the bid has been selected as the winning bid in the selection process comprises determining that the bid has been selected from among one or more other bids that each include (i) data indicating the particular visual feature, and (ii) a link to an advertisement for placement within a panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature. 
     
     
         39 . The medium of  claim 30 , wherein determining that the bid has been selected as the winning bid in the selection process comprises determining that the bid has been selected from among one or more other bids that each include (i) data indicating the particular visual feature, and (ii) a link to an advertisement for placement within a panoramic image that includes the particular visual feature.