Rank-based image piling

A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

• receiving image data that specify feature values for a plurality of images and location data that specify a geographic location for each of the images;
• selecting different groups of images based on a zoom level at which a map portion is presentable in the map space;
• selecting a group of images in which each image has a geographic location that is within a threshold distance of a reference location, wherein the threshold distance of the reference location is proportional to a size of a geographic region that is represented by the map portion;
• selecting pairs of matching images from the group of images, each selection being based on a pair of matching images having an image similarity score that meets a similarity threshold, the similarity score for each pair being based, at least in part, on the feature values of each image in the pair of images;
• selecting, from the pairs of matching images, a reference image for the geographic location, the reference image being selected based, at least in part, on a number of the matching pairs that include the reference image;
• determining an image effect to use when presenting the reference image, the image effect determined based on the number of matching pairs;
• and
• providing data that cause presentation in a map space of the reference image and a photo collection image, the photo collection image being presented with the determined image effect, and the reference image and photo collection image being presented in the map space and at a map position for the geographic location, wherein a number of photos visually represented by the photo collection image is proportional to the number of the matching pairs that include the reference image.

A system comprising:

• a data store storing image data that specify feature values for a plurality of images, the data store further storing, for each image, location data that specify a geographic location for the image;
• and
• one or more computers operable to interact with the data store and to perform operations including:
• receiving image data from the data store;
• selecting different groups of images based on a zoom level at which a map portion is presentable in the map space;
• selecting a group of images in which each image has a geographic location that is within a threshold distance of a reference location, wherein the threshold distance of the reference location is proportional to a size of a geographic region that is represented by the map portion;
• selecting pairs of matching images from the group of images, each selection being based on a pair of matching images having an image similarity score that meets a similarity threshold, the similarity score for each pair being based, at least in part, on the feature values of each image in the pair of images;
• selecting, from the pairs of matching images, a reference image for the geographic location, the reference image being selected based, at least in part, on a number of the matching pairs that include the reference image;
• determining an image effect to use when presenting the reference image, the image effect determined based on the number of matching pairs and being an image effect in which a number of photos visually represented by the photo collection image is proportional to the number of matching pairs that include the reference image;
• and
• providing data that cause presentation in a map space of the reference image and a photo collection image, the photo collection image being presented with the determined image effect, and the reference image and photo collection image being presented in the map space and at a map position for the geographic location, wherein a number of photos visually represented by the photo collection image is proportional to the number of the matching pairs that include the reference image.