Displaying location-based images that match the weather conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309299-A1
Application number	US-201615187069-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Aug 12, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image associated with a location and depicting the current weather conditions at the location is served to the user along with the current weather data of the location. If an image for the location that aptly depicts the weather conditions as indicated by the weather data cannot be identified, the geographical area associated with the location is expanded to search for appropriate images from an expanded image pool. The expansion can continue in one or more steps until a threshold is reached beyond which the geographical area my no longer be expanded. If no images are retrieved upon reaching the threshold, an image reflecting the weather condition is selected from a fallback image set for presentation with the weather data.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device over a network, a request for weather information from a user device, the request comprising physical location data associated with a current location of the user device; automatically identifying, via the computing device, weather data associated with the current location of the user device in response to said request, said weather data comprising information indicating weather conditions for the current location based on a time said request was received; automatically searching, via the computing device, an online image collection for an image that depicts content associated with said identified weather data at said current location of the user device, said search comprising searching said collection using said weather data and said physical location data as a query; identifying, via the computing device based on said search, metadata of said image, said metadata comprising information associated with a best available quality version of the image within said collection; creating, via the computing device, a weather information display based on said identified weather data and said metadata of said image, said creation comprising automatically retrieving said best available quality version of the image from said collection and combining said retrieved image with said weather data, said created weather information display comprising said weather data transparently overlaid the retrieved image; and automatically communicating, via the computing device over the network, said created weather information display for display on a display of said user device in response to said request.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said automatic searching further comprises:
searching the online image collection for a set of images that depict content associated with said identified weather data at said current location of the user device, said search comprising searching said collection using said weather data and said physical location data as a query; and identifying, based on said search, a set of metadata associated with said set of images, said metadata set comprising information associated with a best available quality version of each image within said set.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein said weather information display is created based on said set of metadata.

24 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
causing said weather information display to scroll through said set of images included in said weather information display, said scrolling comprising said weather data being transparently displayed over each scrolled image.

25 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said collection is based on a plurality of databases on said network.

26 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said image collection comprises a plurality of user generated images that have been uploaded to the network.

27 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the physical location data comprises global positioning data (GPS) data of the user device.

28 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said current location of said user device is automatically expanded based on a hierarchy of geography associated with said physical location data.

29 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a computing device, perform a method comprising:
receiving, over a network, a request for weather information from a user device, the request comprising physical location data associated with a current location of the user device; automatically identifying weather data associated with the current location of the user device in response to said request, said weather data comprising information indicating weather conditions for the current location based on a time said request was received; automatically searching an online image collection for an image that depicts content associated with said identified weather data at said current location of the user device, said search comprising searching said collection using said weather data and said physical location data as a query; identifying, based on said search, metadata of said image, said metadata comprising information associated with a best available quality version of the image within said collection; creating a weather information display based on said identified weather data and said metadata of said image, said creation comprising automatically retrieving said best available quality version of the image from said collection and combining said retrieved image with said weather data, said created weather information display comprising said weather data transparently overlaid the retrieved image; and automatically communicating, over the network, said created weather information display for display on a display of said user device in response to said request.

30 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein said automatic searching further comprises:
searching the online image collection for a set of images that depict content associated with said identified weather data at said current location of the user device, said search comprising searching said collection using said weather data and said physical location data as a query; and identifying, based on said search, a set of metadata associated with said set of images, said metadata set comprising information associated with a best available quality version of each image within said set.

31 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , wherein said weather information display is created based on said set of metadata.

32 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31 , further comprising:
causing said weather information display to scroll through said set of images included in said weather information display, said scrolling comprising said weather data being transparently displayed over each scrolled image.

33 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein said collection is based on a plurality of databases on said network.

34 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein said image collection comprises a plurality of user generated images that have been uploaded to the network.

35 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the physical location data comprises global positioning data (GPS) data of the user device.

36 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein said current location of said user device is automatically expanded based on a hierarchy of geography associated with said physical location data.

37 . A computing device, comprising:
a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
logic executed by the processor for receiving, over a network, a request for weather information from a user device, the request comprising physical location data associated with a current location of the user device;
logic executed by the processor for automatically identifying weather data associated with the current location of the user device in response to said request, said weather data comprising information indicating weather conditions for the current location based on a time said request was received;
logic executed by the processor for automatically searching an online image collection for an image that depicts content

Assignees

• Yahoo Inc

Inventors

• Chu Sing Yun
• Wirasinghe Marco

Classifications

• G06F17/30277

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• H04W4/025 Primary

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• G06F16/532

  Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying · CPC title

• H04W4/20

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title