U.S. patent application number 12/168695 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-07 for claiming real estate in panoramic or 3d mapping environments for advertising.
This patent application is currently assigned to GOOGLE INC.. Invention is credited to Ryan Hickman.
Application Number | 20100004995 12/168695 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41465108 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100004995 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hickman; Ryan |
January 7, 2010 |
Claiming Real Estate in Panoramic or 3D Mapping Environments for
Advertising
Abstract
Techniques for identifying groups of features in an online
geographic view of a real property and replacing and/or augmenting
the groups of features with advertisement information are
described. The techniques include providing a geographic view of a
property within an online property management system, identifying a
region of interest in the geographic view, analyzing the geographic
view to locate one or more promotional features within the
geographic view positioned upon a real property region, providing a
user-selectable link associated with the region of interest in the
geographic view, receiving a request for the region of interest in
the geographic view via the user-selectable link, receiving data to
alter at least one of the behavior or the appearance of the region
of interest, storing the data in association with the geographic
view, and updating the region of interest within the geographic
view based upon the received data.
Inventors: |
Hickman; Ryan; (Mountain
View, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FISH & RICHARDSON P.C.
PO BOX 1022
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55440-1022
US
|
Assignee: |
GOOGLE INC.
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
41465108 |
Appl. No.: |
12/168695 |
Filed: |
July 7, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.58 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0261 20130101;
G06F 3/14 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06Q 50/16 20130101; G06Q
50/163 20130101; A61B 8/485 20130101; G06Q 30/0251 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.58 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1. A computer implemented method for managing one or more real
property regions, the method comprising: providing a geographic
view of a property within an online property management system;
identifying a region of interest in the geographic view including
at least a portion of a real property region; analyzing the
geographic view to locate one or more promotional features within
the geographic view positioned upon a real property region;
providing a user-selectable link associated with the region of
interest in the geographic view; receiving a request for the region
of interest in the geographic view via the user-selectable link;
receiving data to alter at least one of the behavior or the
appearance of the region of interest; storing the data in
association with the geographic view; and updating the region of
interest within the geographic view based upon the received
data.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the data includes
receiving one or more images.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein updating the region of interest
based upon the received data includes replacing the region of
interest with the image provided within the received data.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more promotional
features include one or more of signs, posters, banners, or
billboards.
5. A computer-readable medium with computer-executable instructions
stored thereon for performing the method of: providing a geographic
view of a property within an online property management system;
identifying a region of interest in the geographic view including
at least a portion of a real property region; analyzing the
geographic view to locate one or more promotional features within
the geographic view corresponding to a real property region;
providing a user-selectable link associated with the region of
interest in the geographic view; receiving a request for the region
of interest in the geographic view via the user-selectable link;
receiving data to alter at least one of the behavior or the
appearance of the region of interest; storing the data in
association with the geographic view; and updating the region of
interest within the geographic view based upon the received
data.
6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein receiving the
data includes receiving one or more images.
7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein updating the
region of interest based upon the received data includes replacing
the region of interest with the image provided within the received
data.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the one or more
promotional features include one or more of signs, posters,
banners, or billboards.
9. A computer implemented method for managing one or more real
property regions, the method comprising: presenting a geographic
view within an online property management system, the geographic
view having discrete regions of interest; receiving input
identifying one of the discrete regions of interest; analyzing the
identified discrete region of interest within the geographic view;
verifying that the identified discrete region of interest can be
modified by the user by authenticating that the identified discrete
region of interest lies upon a real property region; and storing
the location of the identified discrete region of interest in
association with the geographic view.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving data to
alter at least one of the behavior or the appearance of the
identified discrete region of interest.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein receiving the data includes
receiving one or more images.
12. The method of claim 10 further comprising storing the received
data and updating the identified discrete region of interest based
upon the received data.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein verifying that the identified
discrete region of interest can be modified by the user includes
authenticating that the identified discrete region of interest lies
within a real property region belonging to the user.
14. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving data
describing the identified discrete region of interest.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein receiving data describing the
identified discrete region of interest includes receiving data
regarding the availability of the identified discrete region of
interest to public bidding.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein the received data includes
information regarding a business or residence.
17. A computer-readable medium with computer-executable
instructions stored thereon for performing the method of:
presenting a geographic view within an online property management
system having one or more discrete regions of interest; receiving
input identifying a discrete region of interest; analyzing the
identified discrete region of interest within the geographic view;
verifying that the identified discrete region of interest can be
modified by the user by authenticating that the identified discrete
region of interest lies upon a real property region; and storing
the location of the identified discrete region of interest in
association with the geographic view.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 for performing the
additional step of receiving data to alter the identified discrete
region of interest.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 for performing the
additional step of receiving data describing the identified
discrete region of interest.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein receiving data
describing the identified discrete region of interest includes
receiving data regarding the availability of the identified
discrete region of interest to public bidding.
21. A computer implemented method for managing one or more real
property regions within an online property management system, the
method comprising: receiving data including an image; locating one
or more available discrete regions of interest within one or more
geographic views having a similar size ratio to the received image;
presenting the one or more available discrete regions of interest;
and receiving a bid for the one or more available discrete regions
of interest.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising receiving a
geographic region for use in locating the one or more available
discrete regions of interest.
23. The method of claim 21 further comprising presenting a
suggested bid for the one or more available discrete regions of
interest.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This disclosure is generally related to online
advertising.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Interactive media (e.g., the Internet) may help improve the
targeting of advertisements ("ads") to receptive audiences. Ads can
be presented as banner ads, sets of one or more text boxes, video
ads, audio ads, and the like. For example, some websites provide
information search functionality that is based on key words entered
by the user seeking information. This user query can be an
indicator of the type of information of interest to the user. By
comparing the user query to a list of key words specified by an
advertiser, it is possible to provide targeted ads to the user.
[0003] Another form of online advertising is ad syndication, which
allows advertisers to extend their marketing reach by distributing
contextual ads to additional partners. For example, third party
online publishers can place an advertiser's text or image ads
within or alongside desired publisher content to motivate potential
customers to seek additional information (e.g., navigate to
the;advertiser's website, etc.).
[0004] In contextual advertising systems, ads are selected and
served by automated systems based on the content displayed to the
user in, for example, a browser window. The displayed content is
analyzed to determine the "context" of the information (e.g., the
main topic) so that ads that best match the context can be targeted
to the content display. In contextual advertising systems, once the
context of a content display is matched to a set of potential
advertisements for display, an auction mechanism is used to select
one or more potential advertisements to actually appear on the
page.
[0005] Using interactive web mapping services, users can navigate a
map based upon an input location. For example, a map of a street
address could be modified in granularity (e.g., zoom in and out) or
navigated directionally (e.g., pan to the north, east, south, west,
etc.). Some web mapping services also provide the service of
requesting driving directions between locations.
[0006] An additional capability provided by some web mapping
services can include a panoramic view of the street location. For
example, a user could view and/or navigate street-level images
within an interactive web mapping service. The street-level images,
for example, can be captured by a camera attached to a vehicle. The
street level images can be navigated in a manner similar to the web
mapping services, with granularity and directional navigation
options.
SUMMARY
[0007] According to one general aspect, a computer implemented
method for managing one or more real property regions includes
providing a geographic view of a property within an online property
management system, identifying a region of interest in the
geographic view including at least a portion of a real property
region, analyzing the geographic view to locate one or more
promotional features within the geographic view positioned upon a
real property region, providing a user-selectable link associated
with the region of interest in the geographic view, receiving a
request for the region of interest in the geographic view via the
user-selectable link, receiving data to alter at least one of the
behavior or the appearance of the region of interest, storing the
data in association with the geographic view, and updating the
region of interest within the geographic view based upon the
received data.
[0008] Implementations may include one or more of the following
features. For example, receiving the data includes receiving one or
more images. Updating the region of interest based upon the
received data includes replacing the region of interest with the
image provided within the received data. The one or more
promotional features include one or more of signs, posters,
banners, or billboards.
[0009] In another general aspect, a computer-readable medium with
computer-executable instructions stored thereon performs the method
of providing a geographic view of a property within an online
property management system, identifying a region of interest in the
geographic view including at least a portion of a real property
region, analyzing the geographic view to locate one or more
promotional features within the geographic view corresponding to a
real property region, providing a user-selectable link associated
with the region of interest in the geographic view, receiving a
request for the region of interest in the geographic view via the
user-selectable link, receiving data to alter at least one of the
behavior or the appearance of the region of interest, storing the
data in association with the geographic view, and updating the
region of interest within the geographic view based upon the
received data.
[0010] Implementations may include one or more of the following
features. For example, receiving the data includes receiving one or
more images. Updating the region of interest based upon the
received data includes replacing the region of interest with the
image provided within the received data. The one or more
promotional features include one or more of signs, posters,
banners, or billboards.
[0011] In another general aspect, a computer implemented method for
managing one or more real property regions includes presenting a
geographic view within an online property management system, the
geographic view having discrete regions of interest, receiving
input identifying one of the discrete regions of interest,
analyzing the identified discrete region of interest within the
geographic view, verifying that the identified discrete region of
interest can be modified by the user by authenticating that the
identified discrete region of interest lies upon a real property
region, and storing the location of the identified discrete region
of interest in association with the geographic view.
[0012] Implementations may include one or more of the following
features. For example, receiving data to alter at least one of the
behavior or the appearance of the identified discrete region of
interest. Receiving the data includes receiving one or more images.
Storing the received data and updating the identified discrete
region of interest based upon the received data. Verifying that the
identified discrete region of interest can be modified by the user
includes authenticating that the identified discrete region of
interest lies within a real property region belonging to the user.
Receiving data describing the identified discrete region of
interest. Receiving data describing the identified discrete region
of interest includes receiving data regarding the availability of
the identified discrete region of interest to public bidding. The
received data includes information regarding a business or
residence.
[0013] In another general aspect, a computer-readable medium with
computer-executable instructions stored thereon performs the method
of presenting a geographic view within an online property
management system having one or more discrete regions of interest,
receiving input identifying a discrete region of interest,
analyzing the identified discrete region of interest within the
geographic view, verifying that the identified discrete region of
interest can be modified by the user by authenticating that the
identified discrete region of interest lies upon a real property
region, and storing the location of the identified discrete region
of interest in association with the geographic view.
[0014] Implementations may include one or more of the following
features. For example, performing the additional step of receiving
data to alter the identified discrete region of interest.
Performing the additional step of receiving data describing the
identified discrete region of interest. Receiving data describing
the identified discrete region of interest includes receiving data
regarding the availability of the identified discrete region of
interest to public bidding.
[0015] In another general aspect, a computer implemented method for
managing one or more real property regions within an online
property management system method includes receiving data including
an image, locating one or more available discrete regions of
interest within one or more geographic views having a similar size
ratio to the received image, presenting the one or more available
discrete regions of interest, and receiving a bid for the one or
more available discrete regions of interest.
[0016] Implementations may include one or more of the following
features. For example, receiving a geographic region for use in
locating the one or more available discrete regions of interest.
Presenting a suggested bid for the one or more available discrete
regions of interest.
[0017] The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are
set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below.
Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the description and drawings, and from the
claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an environment 100 for
implementing a virtual property management system.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example image based ad
targeting process.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example process for altering
the image of an online property.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a screen shot of an example user interface for
managing online property information.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a screen shot of an example user interface for
associating one or more advertisements with an online property.
[0023] FIG. 6 is a screen shot of an example geographic image
including a property.
[0024] FIG. 7 is a screen shot of an example user interface for
placing an online property in public auction.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an example process for bidding
on advertisement placement in an online property auction
system.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a screen shot of an example user interface for
uploading advertisements into an online property auction
system.
[0027] FIG. 10 is a screen shot of an example user interface for
bidding on advertisement placement in an online property auction
system.
[0028] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example system
architecture for managing advertisements in online
three-dimensional or panoramic real estate.
[0029] FIG. 12 is an example of a generic computer device and a
generic mobile computer device.
[0030] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an environment 100 for
implementing a virtual property management system. One or more
property owners 102 and/or advertisers 120 can directly or
indirectly enter, maintain, and track advertisement ("ad")
information, including business details, in an online property
management system 104. The ads may be in the form of graphical ads,
such as banner ads, text only ads, image ads, audio ads, video ads,
ads combining one or more of any such components, etc. The ads may
also include embedded information, such as hot-links,
meta-information, and/or machine executable instructions. One or
more users 106 may submit requests for virtual property information
to the online property management system 104. The online property
management system 104 responds by sending one or more images,
including property advertisement information, to the requesting
user 106. Users can include publishers which publish content (e.g.,
Internet website content). A computer network I 10, such as a local
area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet, or a
combination thereof, connects the property owners 102, the
advertisers 120, the online property management system 104, and the
users 106.
[0032] The online property management system 104 includes a street
view display server 112 which can provide the user 106 with an
image of a geographic location embedded and/or hot linked with
advertisement information. The images available through the street
view display server 112 can be used to provide the user 106 with
mapping and/or driving directions information. For example, through
interfacing with a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational
device, the user 106 can receive photographic images from the
street view display server 112, providing the user 106 with a
photographic image of the present location or a desired
destination. The images are stored within an image database
114.
[0033] The online property management system 104 provides the
property owners 102 with access to updating a property owner
directory 118. In one example, the property owners 102 can access
the property owner directory 118 to edit property information. The
property information can include, for example, the name of the
business located at the property, property address, telephone
number, business hours, universal resource locator (URL) of a
website 108 associated with the property, current promotional
information (e.g., coupon, discount, etc.), email address of the
property owner 102, a description of the business, a business
category, or driving directions to the property location. The
property information can be stored within a property database
116.
[0034] The property owners 102 can use the property owner directory
118 to upload images to the image database 114 within the online
property management system 104. The image database 114 contains
images which can be recognized as groups of features within a
photographic image such as an image of a city block. For example, a
car has a set of features including features composing the grill,
tires, headlamps, hood, bumpers, windshield, mirrors, doors,
windows, trunk, etc. Groups of features, also described as a region
of interest (ROI), can be selected from within a geographic photo
display (e.g., by hand, through digital photographic recognition
means, etc.) and added to the image database 114.
[0035] In some implementations, the property owner 102 can select
an ROI within a panoramic image which includes an image of the
property. For example, corporate logos, brick and mortar store
signs, window posters, banner displays, marquis displays, and
sandwich boards associated with the property can be stored within
the image database 114. In some implementations, the location and
dimension of the ROI as found within, for example, a panoramic
image can be stored within the image database 114 or the property
database 116.
[0036] An image uploaded by the property owner 102 can be
designated to replace an ROI within a panoramic image. For example,
the panoramic image of the property may include promotional images
(e.g., window posters, marquis text, banners, etc.) referring to
outdated promotions (e.g., Fall clearance sale). The property owner
102 can upload an image containing recent information (e.g., Spring
shoe sale) to overlay the ROI which displays the outdated
promotion.
[0037] The online property management system 104, in some
implementations, can also provide the property owners 102 with the
capability of offering one or more regions of interest within an
associated property to bidding. For example, the property owner 102
of a billboard can designate (e.g., through the property owner
directory 118) that the ROI describing the billboard within a
panoramic image be provided for public bidding. The properties
available for bidding can be stored within the property database
116. One or more advertisers 120 or other property owners 102, for
example, can bid on overlaying the billboard defined by the ROI
with an ad image. In some implementations, promotional features
located within public areas (e.g., banners or posters identified
within public property such as a town square) can also be made
available for bidding. An online property auction server 126 can
facilitate the bidding on property regions. A bids database 128
stores the bids and other advertisement information associated with
each advertiser 120.
[0038] Within an advertiser directory 124, the advertisers 120 can,
for example, edit advertisement information (e.g., select an
advertisement category, limit the advertisement placement to a
geographic region for targeting, associate a website 122 with one
or more advertisements, etc.), submit advertisements to the online
property management system 104 (e.g., into the image database 114),
and manage online property bids.
[0039] In some implementations, the users 106 can request
geographic views (e.g., city block, historical landmark, image of a
strip mall, current traffic conditions on a segment of highway,
etc.) from the online property management system 104. For example,
the user 106 can request a street view in relation to visual
driving directions. The street view display server 112 combines the
requested content with one or more of the ad images provided by the
property owners 102 and/or the advertisers 120. The street view
display server 112 can additionally embed the requested content
(e.g., using hot-links, etc.) with property information provided by
the property owners 102.
[0040] The street view display server 112 compares photographic
regions of interest with property owner-designated regions of
interest stored within the image database 114 or the property
database 116. If one or more property owners 102 have designated
regions of interest within the requested image, the street view
display server 112 can locate an ad image within the image database
114 and overlay the region of interest with the associated ad
image. Applying an advertisement to a region of interest within a
geographic view can include, in some implementations, creating a
selectable region within the geographic view. The combined image
content and advertisement content (e.g., overlaid ad images,
hot-linked image regions, etc.) can be sent to the user 106 for
presentation in a viewer (e.g., a web browser, a mobile device, a
vehicle navigation device, or other content display system).
[0041] In some implementations, selecting a hot-linked region or
embedded ad can provide the user with navigation to the property
owner's website 108 or the advertiser's website 122. One or more
property owners 102 and/or advertisers 120 can be associated with
one or more websites 108, 122. For example, the property owner 102
can promote an Internet-based business, a brick and mortar
business, or a business which has both an Internet presence and
brick and mortar establishments.
[0042] As can be appreciated from the foregoing, the online
property management system 104 can serve users 106, such as
individual electronic devices, web publishers, content servers and
search services. The online property management system 104 permits
serving of ads targeted to regions of interest located within
geographic displays. For example, a network or inter-network may
include an online property management system serving geographic
photos with in-line targeted ads in response to requests from a map
and/or driving directions service. In some implementations, the
user 106 provides the online property management system 104 with an
addressing means (e.g., street address, GPS coordinates, etc.) for
image selection. In response, the online property management system
104 coordinates a street view display of the address received with
inline advertising and/or embedded advertising links targeted to
one or more regions of interest recognized within the street view
display. The street view display server 112 contains geographic
display images which have already been reviewed, either
electronically or by hand, and matched with groups of local
features, the group being located within a region of interest. The
photographic coordinates of the region of interest, for example,
can match a region of interest designated by the property owner 102
for ad overlay. Advertisements are coordinated with the recognized
feature groups and compiled within the street view display which is
returned to the user 106.
[0043] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example image based ad
targeting process 200. The steps of process 200 do not have to
occur in a specific order and at least some steps can occur in
parallel. The ad targeting process 200 begins with providing an
image (202). The image can be, for example, a geographic display
image provided to the street view display server 122 (as shown in
FIG. 1). The image is retrieved from the image database 114 in
response to a request from the user 106 for a particular geographic
location. For example, a user connected to the online property
management system 104 via the network 110 can request a geographic
display corresponding to a particular region (e.g., GPS
coordinates, street address, etc.). The street view display server
112, for example, can retrieve the geographic display image
associated with the requested region from the image database
114.
[0044] One or more regions of interest are identified within the
image (204). Local features are portions or sections of the image
file that are visually distinguishable. The detection of local
features consists of two steps: interest point detection and
feature generation. Interest point detection addresses the problem
of finding visually salient, yet stable, points on images (e.g.,
the edge and corner of an object, etc.). Common algorithms include
the Difference of Gaussian (DoG) approach, or the Laplacian of
Gaussian (LoG) approach, which are described in C. Schmid, R.
Mohrand and C. Bauckhage, Evaluation of Interest Point Detectors,
Int'l Journal of Computer Vision, 37(2), 151-172, 2000
(http://perception.inrialpes.fr/Publications/2000/SMB00), which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Once an interest
point is detected, the second step, generally, is to generate
features around the interest point. An exemplary approach to
generating features around the interest point includes an
orientation histogram. Upon identification of one or more of the
local features, the group of local features, also referred to as
the region of interest, can be compared with a physical property
location (e.g., using information contained within the property
database 116). For example, the outlines of a building such as a
coffee shop can be identified. The property database 116 may
contain coordinates (e.g., GPS coordinates) or other information
matching the property to a property owner.
[0045] A user-selectable link is provided in relation to the region
of interest (206). The link can be associated with a property
owner, for example the property owner which owns the physical
property portrayed. The link can alternatively be associated with
an advertiser or a property owner which placed the highest bid on
the image recognized within the region of interest (e.g., poster,
billboard, banner, etc.). Any portion of the geographic display
image in which the region of interest is located can be selectable
(e.g., hot-linked). For example, the image of the coffee shop can
be hot-linked to an advertisement for the coffee shop. In other
examples, the coffee shop logo can be hot-linked to menu
information, customer reviews, store hours, and/or other pertinent
information. In some implementations, the property owner identifies
a region of interest (e.g., the coffee shop sign and/or the coffee
shop logo within the sign) for hot-linking ad information. In some
implementations, user-selectable links are visually indicated. For
example, a user-selectable region can be outlined, highlighted, or
rendered in a brighter or shaded manner as compared to the
remainder of the image. A user-selectable text link can be
underlined, in bold, etc.
[0046] A request is received via a user-selectable link for
information regarding a region of interest (step 208). For example,
a user touches, clicks on, or otherwise provides input to the
device on which the hot-link is displayed to receive further
information in regard to the region of interest. For example, the
user could select the coffee shop logo within a geographic view of
a street. Selection of the hot-link navigates the user to content
provided by the online property management system 104. The online
property management system 104 coordinates the presentation of
information associated with user-selectable links. In other
implementations, the link navigates the user to the property owner
102 (e.g., a property owner's website 108) or the advertiser 120
(e.g., an advertiser's website 122).
[0047] Information associated with the selected region of interest
is presented to the user (step 210). The information replaces the
display of a portion of the image. For example, the information can
be presented within an upper region of the image, presented in
place of the entire image, etc. Alternatively, the information can
be presented beneath the image, alongside the image, or in a
separate display region from the image (e.g., pop-up window). The
information can include an advertisement, hours of operation, menu
information, customer reviews or ratings, or other information that
is pertinent to the region of interest and/or the general location
portrayed within the geographic display image. For example, an
advertisement for the coffee shop associated with the coffee shop
logo can be presented to the user upon selection of the coffee shop
logo feature within the image.
[0048] Different types of information can be provided within the
same selectable link. For example, a mouse-over, right click, etc.
of a region can provide a first grouping of information. The first
grouping of information can contain options for obtaining
additional information. For example, a drop-down menu could be
displayed, offering a product listing, customer reviews, and/or a
discount offer for the coffee shop associated with the
user-selectable logo. Selection of one of the options from the
first grouping of information can provide the user with a second
display of information associated with the feature (e.g., menu,
coupon code, hours, etc.). Other levels of presentation are
possible.
[0049] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example process 300 for
altering the image of an online property. The steps of process 300
do not have to occur in a specific order and at least some steps
can occur in parallel. The process 300 begins with receiving a
request from a property owner for an image of a property (302). The
property owner, in some implementations, goes through a
verification procedure to obtain access to the online management of
one or more physical properties. For example, the property owner
may input verification information to the online property
management system 104 (shown in FIG. 1) to gain access to the
property. If the property owner owns multiple properties, the
property owner may select, for example, from a list of addresses to
designate a specific property.
[0050] The property image is presented to the property owner (304).
In some implementations, the property image is contained within a
panoramic view (e.g., a view of a city block). For example, the
street view display server 112 can provide the property owner 102
with an image from the image database 114.
[0051] One or more regions of interest are identified within the
image (306). In some implementations, the section of the image
picturing property owned by the property owner is first identified.
For example, the outline of a gas station property can be
identified. Within the identified property, in some
implementations, promotional features (e.g., posters, signs,
billboards, banners, sandwich boards, etc.) can be identified as
discrete regions of interest. Each ROI associated with a
promotional feature, in some implementations, can be identified by
a visible mark (e.g., outline, highlight, shadow, etc.). For
example, the marquis and each individual window poster displayed on
a theater property can be individually identified as regions of
interest.
[0052] Selection of a region of interest is received (308). In some
implementations, the property owner 102 can touch, click on, or
otherwise provide input to the device on which the ROI is displayed
to receive further information in regard to the ROI. The property
owner 102 can alternatively, in some implementations, select an ROI
within the image which was not previously identified. For example,
the property owner 102 can drag a box across a window of the
property displayed to designate an ROI.
[0053] Data is received to alter the selected region of interest
(310). In some implementations, the property owner 102 uploads an
image to the online property management system 104 to replace the
identified ROI. For example, if the property owner 102 of a movie
theater selected a window poster regarding a holiday movie, the
property owner 102 could replace the region of the poster with an
image advertising a new movie release. The property owner 102
could, in some implementations, associate the ROI with a hot link
to promotional information. For example, the property owner 102
could select the sign on the store front for a hot link to the
property owner's website 108. In another example, the property
owner 102 could create an advertisement such as a coupon and hot
link it into the ROI.
[0054] The altered image data is stored (312). In some
implementations, the uploaded image is stored within the image
database 114. If property information has been modified (e.g.,
adding a promotion such as a coupon, modifying business hours,
etc.), the property database 116 is updated to reflect the new
information. The location(s) of the modified region(s) of interest
within the main image, in some implementations, are also stored
within the image database 114 or the property database 116.
[0055] In some implementations, the presented image is updated to
reflect the modifications within the property owner's view. In some
implementations, the property owner 102 can make more than one
modification within the same presented image. For example, the
property owner 102 could select both a window poster ROI and a
rooftop billboard ROI for modification. In some implementations,
the property owner 102 can upload multiple images to a single ROI.
For example, the ROI could switch between two uploaded images upon
mouse-over, on a set schedule (e.g., every 10 seconds), etc. Other
implementations are possible.
[0056] FIG. 4 is a screen shot of an example user interface 400 for
managing online property information. For example, the user
interface 400 could be provided by the property owner directory 118
of FIG. 1 for managing property information. A locations tab 402 is
active, providing the property owner with an interface for managing
property locations. A promotions tab 404 is also available for
review.
[0057] Two business locations are visible within the location
listing box 406. A business column 408 lists the addresses of the
businesses. In some implementations, in addition to businesses,
locations can include any type of property, such as parks, statues,
public squares, billboards, etc. A property owner can be associated
with any number of properties.
[0058] A status column 410 lists an active status for each
location. In some implementations, an active status means that the
location is hot-linked into a geographic image (e.g., an image
provided by the street view display server 112 of FIG. 1). The
status column 410 also lists a posted date for each business 408.
The posted date, for example, could be the date when the property
owner first linked property information to the geographic image.
Promotions are also listed within the status column 410. For
example, the property owner could have added promotions (e.g.,
hot-linked coupons, etc.) to the business information using the
promotions tab 404.
[0059] A statistics column 412 lists the number of impressions and
views that each business 408 has received. In some implementations,
the numbers of impressions and views relate to statistics since the
posting date listed within the status column 410. Impressions, for
example, can relate to the number of times the image including the
business 408 has been requested by a user. The views statistic, for
example, could be the number of times a user has requested business
information (e.g., using a hot-link) from within the provided
image.
[0060] An actions column 414 provides the property owner with the
capability of editing or deleting each individual business listing
408. A property owner may choose to delete a business listing, in
some examples, if the business has closed down or been sold.
[0061] Within the locations tab 402, the property owner is also
presented with the options of adding a new listing 416 and
uploading a data file 418. Selecting add a new listing 416, for
example, can involve a further user interface where business
information such as address and promotional information can be
inputted. Selecting upload a data file 418, for example, can allow
the property owner to upload pre-formatted information to edit or
add a group of listings. For example, selecting upload a data file
418 can give the owner of a chain of restaurants the opportunity to
upload information in bulk pertaining to the entire restaurant
chain.
[0062] FIG. 5 is a screen shot of an example user interface 500 for
associating advertisements with an online property. In some
implementations, the user interface 500 is reached by selecting the
edit option within the actions column 416 of the screen shot 400 in
FIG. 4. A required info tab 502 is active. A category tab 504, an
hours & payment tab 506, a photos tab 508, a custom tab 510,
and a promotions tab 512 are also available within the user
interface 500.
[0063] The required info tab 502 provides the property owner with
the ability to enter or update basic business information. Within a
data entry pane 514, the property owner is presented with data
fields such as an address entry block 516, a phone number field
518, an email address field 520, and a website field 522. A
description data entry box 524 allows the property owner to enter a
brief description of the business, in this case "same day courier
services".
[0064] A preview pane 526 illustrates to the property owner the
business information entry. Included within the preview pane 526 is
a map 528 of the business location. A map marker 530 illustrates to
the viewer where the business is located within the map 528. By
selecting a map marker hot link 532 within the data entry pane 514,
the property owner can fix an incorrect map marker location.
[0065] A next button 534, when selected, can direct the property
owner to the next information editing screen. For example,
selection of the next button 534 from within the required info tab
502 can open the category tab 504. The category tab 504, in some
implementations, can allow the property owner to select a business
category and/or subcategory for listing. For example, the property
owner could select a category "courier" for the OPQ Co. entry. In
some implementations, more than one category can be selected (e.g.,
both restaurant and bakery).
[0066] The hours & payment tab 506 can provide the property
owner with data entry for the business hours by day of the week and
accepted payment types (e.g., cash, check, credit, etc.). The
photos tab 508, in some implementations, can provide the property
owner with the opportunity to upload images to replace regions of
interest within a geographic photo display of the business. For
example, using the photos tab 508, the property owner could upload
one or more images to the image database 114 (as shown in FIG. 1)
to overlay sections of a geographic image of the property provided
by the street view display server 112.
[0067] The custom tab 510 can provide the property owner with
customization options for modifying the listing (e.g., different
fonts, layout, upload of logo image, etc.). The promotions tab 512
can present the property owner with the option of adding a coupon
or promotional message to the business entry. When information from
all desired tabs has been updated, the property owner can select a
finish button 536 to exit the user interface 500.
[0068] FIG. 6 is a screen shot of an example geographic image 600
including a business property 602. The geographic image 600, for
example, could be provided by the street view display server 112
from the online property management system 104 (as shown in FIG.
1). In some implementations, the property owner can access the
geographic image 600 through the property owner directory 118 (as
shown in FIG. 1) or the photos tab 508 of the user interface 500
(as shown in FIG. 5).
[0069] Within the business property 602, four promotional features
604, including a help wanted sign 604a, a promotional banner 604b,
and window posters 604c, 604d are displayed. In some
implementations, the promotional features 604 are visually
identified (e.g., highlight, shadow, outline, etc) with selectable
hot-links. For example, the online property management system 104
could identify promotional features 604 within the business
property 602 and present the promotional features 604 to the
property owner for selection. The property owner, in some
implementations, could select one or more promotional features 604
to associate with advertisements. For example, the property owner
could upload one or more images to replace one or more regions of
interest in which a promotional feature is located. The property
owner, in some implementations, could instead or additionally
select one or more promotional features to hot-link to
advertisement information (e.g., coupon, business listing
information, etc.).
[0070] In addition to the promotional features 604, in some
implementations the property owner can select a region of interest
which does not include a promotional feature. For example, the
property owner could select the window 606 to associate with one or
more advertisements (e.g., promotional image, hot-linked coupon,
etc.). In some implementations, the online property management
system 104 can accept any region of interest which is verified to
be located within the property owner's property. For example, the
property owner could drag a box across a section of the business
property 602 to define a ROI.
[0071] The geographic image 600 also includes a billboard property
608. The billboard property can belong to the same property owner
as the business property 602 or a second property owner. In some
implementations, the billboard property 608 and/or the promotional
features 604 can be offered to advertisers and/or other property
owners for bidding. For example, the property owner of the
billboard property 608 can submit the billboard property 608 to the
online property auction server 126 (as shown in FIG. 1).
Advertisers 120 can bid on placing advertisements upon the
billboard property 608.
[0072] When a user views the geographic image 600, in some
implementations, the user can select the business property 602, the
billboard property 608, and/or the individual promotional features
604 to receive further advertising information. For example, the
user 106 could request the geographic image 600 from the online
property management system 104. The street view display server 112
could combine the geographic image 600 with promotional features
and advertisement content provided by the property owner(s) of the
business property 602 and/or the billboard property 608 or,
alternatively, the advertiser(s) who bid on the billboard property
promotional space and/or one or more of the promotional features
604. If the user 106 selects one or more hot-linked regions of
interest within the geographic image 600 (e.g., the business
property 602, the billboard property 608, and/or the promotional
features 604), the online property management system 104 can
navigate the user 106 to advertisement information (e.g., the
website 108 of the property owner 102 or the website 122 of the
advertiser 120).
[0073] FIG. 7 is a screen shot of an example user interface 700 for
placing an online property in public auction. The user interface
700, for example, could be reached by selecting the billboard
property 608 from within the:geographic image 600 (as shown in FIG.
6). The property owner can submit a selected property region
through the user interface 700 to a public auctioning system. Using
the public auctioning system, advertisers can bid for the
opportunity to place an advertisement upon the selected property
region. The property owner can optionally choose to include and/or
exclude categories of advertisers from bidding upon the selected
property region. The information submitted through the user
interface 700, for example, can be stored within the property owner
directory 118 of the online property management system 104 (as
shown in FIG. 1).
[0074] An "Auction My Property" radio button 702, when selected,
places the selected property region (e.g., the billboard property
region 608 as shown in FIG. 6) into a public advertising auction
system such as the online property auction server 126 (as shown in
FIG. 1). The auction system, for example, can select one or more
advertisements for placement within the selected property region.
The property owner, in some implementations, can receive a
commission for advertisement placement.
[0075] A first category drop-down menu 704 includes a list of
advertisement categories and/or subcategories (e.g., retail,
retail--restaurants, service, service--real estate, etc.). The
property owner can select one or more categories and/or
subcategories using the drop-down menu 704. Selected categories
and/or subcategories are used by the public advertising auction
system to screen advertisements. For example, only advertisers
and/or advertisements belonging to the selected categories can bid
upon the selected property region. In some implementations,
selection of one or more categories and/or subcategories within the
drop-down menu 704 is optional.
[0076] A second category drop-down menu 706 includes a list of
advertisement categories and/or subcategories. In some
implementations, the drop-down menu 706 contains the same list of
categories and/or subcategories as the drop-down menu 704. The
drop-down menu 706 provides the property owner with the opportunity
to select one or more categories and/or subcategories which will be
barred from advertising within the selected property region. For
example, a restaurant property owner can select the subcategory
retail--restaurants within the drop-down menu 706 so that competing
restaurants will not advertise within the selected property region.
In some implementations, selection of one or more categories and/or
subcategories within the drop-down menu 706 is optional.
[0077] Once the property owner has completed selections using the
radio button 702, the drop down menu 704, and/or the drop-down menu
706, the property owner can activate an accept button 708 to submit
the selections. In some implementations, activation of the accept
button 708 closes the user interface 700. In other implementations,
for example, selection of the accept button 708 can present the
user with a summary screen listing the selections made within the
user interface 700. The property owner can activate a clear button
710 to clear the selections made within the user interface 700.
[0078] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an example process 800 for
bidding on advertisement placement in an online property auction
system. The steps of process 800 do not have to occur in a specific
order and at least some steps can occur in parallel. The process
800, for example, can be implemented by the advertiser directory
124 of the online property management system 104 as shown in FIG.
1. The process 800 begins with receiving one or more advertisements
from an advertiser (802). The advertisements, for example, can
include graphical and/or multimedia information spanning one or
more files and including any number of file types. The
advertisements can be stored within the image database 114.
[0079] Optionally, a geographic region can also be received from
the advertiser (804). In some implementations, the geographic
region can be used to select a target area for presentation of the
advertisement. For example, an advertisement for an upcoming
concert can be presented within a geographic range (e.g., 25 miles)
of the venue presenting the concert. In some examples, the
geographic region can include an address, a zip code, a city, a
state, a county, GPS coordinates, or other information describing a
geographic region.
[0080] One or more databases are searched for auctioned property
spaces of a similar size ratio to the received advertisements
(806). For example, a graphic advertisement is received which has a
certain dimensions (e.g., 200.times.400 pixels). The process 800
can search for property regions, for example within the property
database 116 of FIG. 1, which have similar width to height
dimensions. In some implementations, only properties within the
specified geographic region are searched.
[0081] A list of available property locations is presented (808).
In some implementations, a list of addresses is presented to the
advertiser. The list of available property locations, in some
implementations, can include an image of the property. For example,
a thumbnail image of the location, optionally including an
indication of the region available for advertisement placement
(e.g., outline, highlight, etc.), can be presented to the
advertiser.
[0082] Selection of one or more of the presented locations is
received (810). In some implementations, the list of available
property locations includes checkboxes or other user interface
elements for selecting one or more of the presented locations.
[0083] A suggested bid is presented for each of the one or more
selected locations (812). The suggested bid, in some examples,
corresponds to an existing bid for the selected location or a bid
for a similar location (e.g., similar presentation size, nearby
geographical location, etc.). For example, the suggested bid can be
located within the bids database 128 of FIG. 1. In addition to
presenting a suggested bid, in some implementations, an input
method is presented to the advertiser so that the advertiser can
submit a bid.
[0084] Bids are received for one or more of the selected locations
(814). For example, the advertiser can select the suggested bid or
submit a new bid for each location of interest. In some
implementations, if the advertiser submitted more than one
advertisement, each bid is associated with a particular
advertisement (e.g., advertisement "A" is 100.times.400 pixels
while advertisement "B" is 600.times.400 pixels). The bid, in some
implementations, leases the space to a particular advertiser and/or
advertisement. In other implementations, the bid places the
advertiser and/or advertisement in a list of advertisements
associated with the property location. For example, two or more
advertisers could be presented in the same advertising region in an
alternating fashion. The received bid can be stored, for example,
within the bids database 128. The bid information can be managed
within the advertiser directory 124.
[0085] Although the process 800 is described as a series of steps,
more or fewer steps can be involved in the process 800, and the
steps can be executed in a different order. For example, presenting
the list of available property locations (808) and presenting
suggested bids (812) can be combined without the intermediate step
of receiving the selection of one or more of the presented
locations (810). In some implementations, the advertiser can
navigate an online property system to locate available property
space. For example, when the advertiser navigates to a property
with a region available for bidding (e.g., using the street view
display server 112 of FIG. 1), the advertiser can be alerted (e.g.,
highlighted region, "claim this property" link, etc.). The
advertiser can select an available property region, and be
presented with a suggested bid (812). In some implementations, the
advertiser can provide additional criteria for selection of an
advertisement space (e.g., availability dates, type of property,
etc.).
[0086] FIG. 9 is a screen shot of an example user interface 900 for
uploading advertisements into an online property auction system.
The user interface 900, for example, can be accessed by one or more
advertisers 120 through the advertiser directory 124 to upload
advertisements to the image database 114 of the online property
management system 104 (as shown in FIG. 1). In addition to
uploading advertisements, the advertiser is provided the
opportunity to categorize the advertisement(s) by business type
and/or limit the presentation of the advertisement(s) to a
geographic region.
[0087] A file path text box 902 accepts the directory path to
locate an advertisement file. A browse button 904, for example, can
be used to navigate to the file location. Rather than uploading a
single advertisement file, an upload multiple files link 906, when
selected, provides the advertiser with a mechanism to bulk upload
advertisement files.
[0088] A category drop-down menu 908 provides the advertiser with a
selection of business categories and/or subcategories to associate
with the uploaded advertisement(s). For example, the advertiser
could associate one or more uploaded advertisements with the
category "retail--jewelry". In some implementations, the category
selection can be used to match the advertisement with an
appropriate property placement through an online property auction.
For example, the property owner (e.g., through user interface 700
as shown in FIG. 7) could select business categories to accept or
deny for advertisement placement within a property region. In some
implementations, the advertiser can select more than one category
to associate with an advertisement (e.g., both "retail--jewelry"
and "service--watch repair").
[0089] A distance drop-down menu 910 contains a selection of
geographic ranges for advertisement placement. In coordination with
a set of address input boxes 912 (e.g., a set of street address
input boxes 912a and 912b, a city address box 912c, a state
drop-down menu 912d, and a zip code input box 912e), the distance
drop-down menu 910 can designate a radius in which the
advertisement can be placed geographically. For example, an
advertiser could choose to place an advertisement for a new museum
within thirty miles of the address of the museum. Other possible
geographic ranges, for example, include locations within a city,
county, state, or zip code region. In some implementations,
selection of a geographic region for placement is optional.
[0090] The advertiser can activate an accept button 914 to submit
the selections made within the user interface 900. For example,
selection of the accept button 914 can update the advertiser
directory 124 with the new information and closes the user
interface 900. The advertiser can instead activate a clear button
916 to clear all selections made within the user interface 900.
[0091] FIG. 10 is a screen shot of an example user interface 1000
for bidding on advertisement placement in an online property
auction system. The user interface 1000 includes an ad information
pane 1002 for submitting information regarding one or more
advertisements and an available property pane 1004 listing
properties in which the advertisement(s) can be placed. The
available property pane 1004 provides the advertiser with the
option to place bids upon one or more available properties for ad
placement. The user interface 1000, for example, can be accessed by
advertisers 120 using the online property auction server 126 of
FIG. 1.
[0092] The ad information pane 1002 includes an aspect ratio input
box 1006. The aspect ratio refers to the height to width pixel
ratio of the advertisement that the advertiser would like to place.
In some implementations, the aspect ratio is automatically filled
into the aspect ratio input box 1006, for example using an
advertisement previously selected by the advertiser.
[0093] A category drop-down menu 1008 is available for the
advertiser to categorize the advertisement into one or more types
of business. For example, a choir concert advertisement can be
classified as "entertainment--music".
[0094] A distance drop-down menu 1010 contains a selection of
geographic ranges for advertisement placement. In coordination with
a set of address input boxes 1012 (e.g., a set of street address
input boxes 1012a and 1012b, a city address box 1012c, a state
drop-down menu 1012d, and a zip code input box 1012e), the distance
drop-down menu 1010 can designate a radius in which the
advertisement can be placed geographically.
[0095] The advertiser can activate a cancel button 1016 to cancel
the current bid request. For example, activation of the cancel
button 1016 can clear the current selections within the aspect
ratio input box 1006, the category drop-down menu 1008, the
distance drop-down menu 1010, and/or the address input boxes 1012.
Activation of the cancel button 1016, in some implementations,
closes the user interface 1000.
[0096] Once selections have been made within the aspect ratio input
box 1006, the category drop-down menu 1008, the distance drop-down
menu 1010, and/or the address input boxes 1012, the advertiser can
activate a find button 1014 to locate available property regions to
bid on. In some implementations, activating the find button 1014
populates the available property pane 1004 with a list of
appropriate properties which are available for bidding. For
example, the properties listed within the available property pane
1004 are located within the placement region specified by the
distance drop-down menu 1010 and the address input boxes 1012. The
property region(s) listed within the available property pane 1004
are sized appropriately for an advertisement of the aspect ratio
designated within the aspect ratio input box 1006. The property
owner associated with each available property accepts
advertisements classified within the category selected within the
category drop-down menu 1008.
[0097] A property preview column 1018 includes thumbnail images of
the available properties. In some implementations, the available
region of the property is designated visually within the property
preview image (e.g., highlighted, outlined, etc.). A location
column 1020 provides an address for each available property. The
thumbnail images presented within the property preview column 1018
and the addresses presented within the location column 1020, for
example, could be located within the property database 114 of the
online property management system 104 (as shown in FIG. 1).
[0098] A current maximum received bid is presented within the
maximum bid column 1022. The maximum received bid, in some
implementations, relates to a bid already placed upon the property
pictured within the property preview column 1018. In some
implementations, the maximum received bid can relate to a bid that
an advertiser placed upon a similar property. The maximum received
bid value, for example, can be located within the bids database 128
of the online property management system 104 (as shown in FIG. 1).
A bid column 1024 provides the advertiser with a method to input a
new bid value for a property. When the advertiser activates a bid
button 1026 associated with a listed property, either the bid
entered into the bid column 1024 or, if no new bid has been
entered, the maximum received bid presented within the maximum bid
column 1022, is associated with the advertiser for the property
described by the property preview column 1018 and the location
column 1020. The advertiser's bid, for example, can be entered
within the bids database 128 of the online property management
system 104 upon activation of the bid button 1026.
[0099] In some implementations, the advertiser can continue to
place bids for each desired location presented within the available
property pane 1004. Additional information regarding the property,
for example the available dates for the auctioned property region,
is available in some implementations by selecting (e.g., click on,
mouse-over, etc.) the image presented within the property preview
column 1018. Additional properties listed within the available
property pane 1004 can be accessed by using a scroll bar 1028.
[0100] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example system
architecture 1100 for managing advertisements within online
three-dimensional or panoramic real estate. The system architecture
1100 includes one or more processors 1102, one or more network or
communication interfaces 1106, databases 1104 and 1110, an
administrative computer 1108, memory 1112, and a data bus 1114
interconnecting these components.
[0101] The administrative computer 1108 may include input devices,
such as a keyboard and mouse, and output devices, such as a display
(not shown). From the administrative computer 1108, an
administrative computer may administer the online property
management system.
[0102] Databases 1104 and 1110 may store advertising data and real
estate image data, respectively. The advertising data includes
information associated with properties, such as the type of
property, the location of the property, business information,
current promotions, and so forth. The real estate image data can
include panoramic or 3-D images of real estate (e.g., city blocks,
traffic views, etc.) along with data identifying regions of
interest within the image data and data identifying the location
(e.g., address, GPS location) of each respective real estate
image.
[0103] Memory or computer readable medium 1112 may store an
operating system 1116 for performing system functions, a network
communication module 1118 for communicating with other computers or
devices through one or more networks, a property information
management engine 1120 for collecting and maintaining advertisement
information for various properties, a property owner verification
engine 1122 for validating the owners of each property included
within the real estate image database 1110, an image feature
recognition engine 1124 for identifying the boundaries of
individual properties and promotional features within a property, a
promotional image management engine 1126 for accepting and
coordinating promotional images to overlay upon the real estate
images, a real estate bidding engine 1127 for managing regions of
interest within the real estate images for advertisement placement,
and interfacing with advertisers and property owners to provide
bidding opportunities for those regions of interest, and a file
system 1128 for storing advertising data, property data, and
bidding data pending further processing.
[0104] FIG. 12 shows an example of a generic computer device 1200
and a generic mobile computer device 1250, which may be used with
the techniques described above. Computing device 1200 is intended
to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptops,
desktops, workstations, personal digital assistants, television
set-top boxes, servers, blade servers, mainframes, and other
appropriate computers. Computing device 1250 is intended to
represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital
assistants, cellular telephones, smartphones, and other similar
computing devices. The components shown here, their connections and
relationships, and their functions, are meant to be exemplary only,
and are not meant to limit the implementations described and/or the
claims.
[0105] Computing device 1200 includes a processor 1202, memory
1204, a storage device 1206, a high-speed interface 1208 connecting
to memory 1204 and high-speed expansion ports 1210, and a low speed
interface 1212 connecting to low speed bus 1214 and storage device
1206. Each of the components 1202, 1204, 1206, 1208, 1210, and
1212, are interconnected using various buses, and may be mounted on
a common motherboard or in other manners as appropriate. The
processor 1202 can process instructions for execution within the
computing device 1200, including instructions stored in the memory
1204 or on the storage device 1206 to display graphical information
for a GUI on an external input/output device, such as display 1216
coupled to high speed interface 1208. In other implementations,
multiple processors and/or multiple buses may be used, as
appropriate, along with multiple memories and types of memory.
Also, multiple computing devices 1200 may be connected, with each
device providing portions of the necessary operations (e.g., as a
server bank, a group of blade servers, or a multi-processor
system).
[0106] The memory 1204 stores information within the computing
device 1200. In one implementation, the memory 1204 is a volatile
memory unit or units. In another implementation, the memory 1204 is
a non-volatile memory unit or units. The memory 1204 may also be
another form of computer-readable medium, such as a magnetic or
optical disk.
[0107] The storage device 1206 is capable of providing mass storage
for the computing device 1200. In one implementation, the storage
device 1206 may be or contain a computer-readable medium, such as a
floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or
a tape device, a flash memory or other similar solid state memory
device, or an array of devices, including devices in a storage area
network or other configurations. A computer program product can be
tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The computer program
product may also contain instructions that, when executed, perform
one or more methods, such as those described above. The information
carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such as the
memory 1204, the storage device 1206, memory on processor 1202, or
a propagated signal.
[0108] The high speed controller 1208 manages bandwidth-intensive
operations for the computing device 1200, while the low speed
controller 1212 manages lower bandwidth-intensive operations. Such
allocation of functions is exemplary only. In one implementation,
the high-speed controller 1208 is coupled to memory 1204, display
1216 (e.g., through a graphics processor or accelerator), and to
high-speed expansion ports 1210, which may accept various expansion
cards (not shown). In the implementation, low-speed controller 1212
is coupled to storage device 1206 and low-speed expansion port
1214. The low-speed expansion port, which may include various
communication ports (e.g., USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, wireless
Ethernet) may be coupled to one or more input/output devices, such
as a pointing device 1230, a printer 1232, a keyboard 1234, a
scanner 1236, or a networking device 1237 such as a switch or
router, e.g., through a network adapter.
[0109] The computing device 1200 may be implemented in a number of
different forms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be
implemented as a standard server 1220, or multiple times in a group
of such servers. It may also be implemented as part of a rack
server system 1224. In addition, it may be implemented in a
personal computer such as a laptop computer 1222. Alternatively,
components from computing device 1200 may be combined with other
components in a mobile device (not shown), such as device 1250.
Each of such devices may contain one or more of computing device
1200, 1250, and an entire system may be made up of multiple
computing devices 1200, 1250 communicating with each other.
[0110] Computing device 1250 includes a processor 1252, memory
1264, an input/output device such as a display 1254, a
communication interface 1266, and a transceiver 1268, among other
components. The device 1250 may also be provided with a storage
device, such as a microdrive or other device, to provide additional
storage. Each of the components 1250, 1252, 1264, 1254, 1266, and
1268, are interconnected using various buses, and several of the
components may be mounted on a common motherboard or in other
manners as appropriate.
[0111] The processor 1252 can execute instructions within the
computing device 1250, including instructions stored in the memory
1264. The processor may be implemented as a chipset of chips that
include separate and multiple analog and digital processors. The
processor may provide, for example, for coordination of the other
components of the device 1250, such as control of user interfaces,
applications run by device 1250, and wireless communication by
device 1250.
[0112] Processor 1252 may communicate with a user through control
interface 1258 and display interface 1256 coupled to a display
1254. The display 1254 may be, for example, a TFT
(Thin-Film-Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) display or an OLED
(Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, or other appropriate
display technology. The display interface 1256 may comprise
appropriate circuitry for driving the display 1254 to present
graphical and other information to a user. The control interface
1258 may receive commands from a user and convert them for
submission to the processor 1252. In addition, an external
interface 1262 may be provide in communication with processor 1252,
so as to enable near area communication of device 1250 with other
devices. External interface 1262 may provide, for example, for
wired communication in some implementations, or for wireless
communication in other implementations, and multiple interfaces may
also be used.
[0113] The memory 1264 stores information within the computing
device 1250. The memory 1264 can be implemented as one or more of a
computer-readable medium or media, a volatile memory unit or units,
or a non-volatile memory unit or units. Expansion memory 1274 may
also be provided and connected to device 1250 through expansion
interface 1272, which may include, for example, a SIMM (Single In
Line Memory Module) card interface. Such expansion memory 1274 may
provide extra storage space for device 1250, or may also store
applications or other information for device 1250. Specifically,
expansion memory 1274 may include instructions to carry out or
supplement the processes described above, and may include secure
information also. Thus, for example, expansion memory 1274 may be
provide as a security module for device 1250, and may be programmed
with instructions that permit secure use of device 1250. In
addition, secure applications may be provided via the SIMM cards,
along with additional information, such as placing identifying
information on the SIMM card in a non-hackable manner.
[0114] The memory may include, for example, flash memory and/or
NVRAM memory, as discussed below. In one implementation, a computer
program product is tangibly embodied in an information carrier. The
computer program product contains instructions that, when executed,
perform one or more methods, such as those described above. The
information carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such
as the memory 1264, expansion memory 1274, memory on processor
1252, or a propagated signal that may be received, for example,
over transceiver 1268 or external interface 1262.
[0115] Device 1250 may communicate wirelessly through communication
interface 1266, which may include digital signal processing
circuitry where necessary. Communication interface 1266 may provide
for communications under various modes or protocols, such as GSM
voice calls, SMS, EMS, or MMS messaging, CDMA, TDMA, PDC, WCDMA,
CDMA2000, or GPRS, among others. Such communication may occur, for
example, through radio-frequency transceiver 1268. In addition,
short-range communication may occur, such as using a Bluetooth,
WiFi, or other such transceiver (not shown). In addition, GPS
(Global Positioning System) receiver module 1270 may provide
additional navigation- and location-related wireless data to device
1250, which may be used as appropriate by applications running on
device 1250.
[0116] Device 1250 may also communicate audibly using audio codec
1260, which may receive spoken information from a user and convert
it to usable digital information. Audio codec 1260 may likewise
generate audible sound for a user, such as through a speaker, e.g.,
in a handset of device 1250. Such sound may include sound from
voice telephone calls, may include recorded sound (e.g., voice
messages, music files, etc.) and may also include sound generated
by applications operating on device 1250.
[0117] The computing device 1250 may be implemented in a number of
different forms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be
implemented as a cellular telephone 1280. It may also be
implemented as part of a smartphone 1282, personal digital
assistant, or other similar mobile device.
[0118] The disclosed and other implementations and the functional
operations described in this description can be implemented in
digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or
hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification
and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more
of them. The disclosed and other implementations can be implemented
as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules
of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable
medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data
processing apparatus. The computer-readable medium can be a
machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage
substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a
machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more
them. The term "data processing apparatus" encompasses all
apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by
way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple
processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to
hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the
computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor
firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an
operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. A
propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g., a
machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal,
that is generated to encode information for transmission to
suitable receiver apparatus.
[0119] A computer program (also known as a program, software,
software application, script, or code) can be written in any form
of programming language, including compiled or interpreted
languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a
stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other
unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer
program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system.
A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other
programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup
language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in
question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store
one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer
program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on
multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed
across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication
network.
[0120] The processes and logic flows described in this description
can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing
one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on
input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can
also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as,
special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable
gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated
circuit).
[0121] Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program
include, by way of example, both general and special purpose
microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of
digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions
and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both.
The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing
instructions and one or more memory devices for storing
instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or
be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or
both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,
magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a
computer need not have such devices. Computer-readable media
suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include
all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices,
including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g.,
EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g.,
internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and
CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be
supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic
circuitry.
[0122] To provide for interaction with a user, the disclosed
techniques can be implemented on a computer having a display
device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal
display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a
keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by
which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of
devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well;
for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of
sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or
tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any
form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
[0123] The disclosed techniques can be implemented in a computing
system that includes a back-end component, e.g., as a data server,
or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application
server, or that includes a front-end component, e.g., a client
computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through
which a user can interact with an implementation of what is
disclosed here, or any combination of one or more such back-end,
middleware, or front-end components. The components of the system
can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data
communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of
communication networks include a local area network ("LAN") and a
wide area network ("WAN"), e.g., the Internet.
[0124] The computing system can include clients and servers. A
client and server are generally remote from each other and
typically interact through a communication network. The
relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer
programs running on the respective computers and having a
client-server relationship to each other.
[0125] While this description contains many specifics, these should
not be construed as limitations on the scope of what being claims
or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features
specific to particular implementations. Certain features that are
described in this description in the context of separate
implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single
implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in
the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in
multiple implementations separately or in any suitable
subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above
as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as
such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some
cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination
may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a
subcombination.
[0126] Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in
a particular order, this should not be understand as requiring that
such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in
sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed,
to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances,
multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover,
the separation of various system components in the implementations
described above should not be understood as requiring such
separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that
the described program components and systems can generally be
integrated together in a single software product or packaged into
multiple software products.
[0127] Thus, particular implementations have been described. Other
implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *
References