Informational and advertiser links for use in web mapping services

A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of operations that comprise:

• determining, by a mobile device, a current location associated with a user of the mobile device;
• obtaining, by the mobile device, a first image that corresponds to the current location associated with the user of the mobile device;
• providing, by the mobile device, the first image for display to the user;
• identifying, by the mobile device, a plurality of regions in the first image, each region in the plurality of regions depicting a respective object that is determined to match at least one of a plurality of pre-defined objects that are each associated with a respective target entity, wherein at least one of the plurality of regions is identified using an automated image analysis by generating a group of the local features in the first image, the group of local features generated by identifying an objet edge or corner and detecting related features around the object edge or corner;
• generating, by the mobile device, a plurality of interactive links, each interactive link located at a different one of the plurality of regions in the first image so as to permit the user to interact with one of the plurality of interactive links in each of the plurality of regions;
• receiving, by the mobile device, an indication of a user interaction with a first interactive link of the plurality of interactive links in a first region of the plurality of regions of the first image;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication of the user interaction with the first interactive link in the first region of the first image, causing an application on the mobile device to access a resource of the respective target entity associated with the object depicted in the first region.

A system comprising:

• one or more processing devices;
• and
• one or more storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:
• determining, by a mobile device, a current location associated with a user of the mobile device;
• obtaining, by the mobile device, a first image that corresponds to the current location associated with the user of the mobile device;
• providing, by the mobile device, the first image for display to the user;
• identifying, by the mobile device, a plurality of regions in the first image, each region in the plurality of regions depicting a respective object that is determined to match at least one of a plurality of pre-defined objects that are each associated with a respective target entity, wherein at least one of the plurality of regions is identified using an automated image analysis by generating a group of local features in the first image, the group of local features generated by iddentifying an object edge or corner and detecting related features around the object edge or corner;
• generating, by the mobile device, a plurality of interactive links, each interactive link located at a different one of the plurality of regions in the first image so as to permit the user to interact with one of the plurality of interactive links in each of the plurality of regions;
• receiving, by the mobile device, an indication of a user interaction with a first interactive link of the plurality of interactive links in a first region of the plurality of regions of the first image;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication of the user interaction with the first interactive link in the first region of the first image, causing an application on the mobile device to access a resource of the respective target entity associated with the object depicted in the first region.