Method and apparatus for contextually varying imagery on a map

1. A method of displaying photographic imagery related to digital maps, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, map data for generating a digital map of a geographic area;

generating, by the one or more processors, the digital map using the received map data;

displaying, by the one or more processors, the digital map via a user interface;

generating an interactive runway of photographic images corresponding to objects located within the geographic area, the interactive runway including an arrangement of the photographic images selected based on ratings of the photographic images, wherein each of the ratings is calculated based on one or more viewing signals related to: (i) at least one of the photographic images, or (ii) an object to which at least one of the photographic images corresponds; and

displaying, by the one or more processors, the interactive runway over the digital map.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying additional photographic images in the interactive runway in response to a detection of a user scrolling the interactive runway.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more viewing signals include:

a signal corresponding to a search term input via the user interface.

4. The method of claim 3 , further including responding to the search term being input via the user interface;

wherein responding to the search term being input via the user interface includes:

(i) determining the geographic area based, at least in part, on the search term; and

(ii) displaying the interactive runway over the digital map such that the displaying appears responsive to the search term being input via the user interface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more viewing signals include:

a signal corresponding to one or more of: object location, image type, image quality, image popularity, and spatial perspective.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more viewing signals include a signal corresponding to a distance between a current location of the user viewing the digital map and the geographic area, and

wherein the arrangement of the photographic images includes images associated with tourism and wherein the arrangement is further determined based on ratings calculated based on the signal corresponding to the distance.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a size of the photographic images using the one or more viewing signals.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a size of the interactive runway using the one or more viewing signals.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of a viewing mode of the digital map prior to receiving the map data, wherein the viewing mode is selected from a list including road view and street-level view; and

determining a size of the photographic images based on the selected viewing mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving via the user interface a selection of a one of the one or more new photographic images; and

updating the displayed digital map in accordance with a second new position corresponding to an object to which the selected new photographic image corresponds.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving navigation input via the user interface;

updating the displayed digital map in accordance with a new position determined based on the received navigation input;

populating the interactive runway with one or more new photographic images in accordance with the new map position.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the photographic images of the interactive runway; and

generating a visual indication of an approximate location on the digital map of the object associated with the selected image.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors:

receive map data for generating a digital map of a geographic area;

generate the digital map using the received map data;

display the digital map via a user interface;

generate an interactive runway of photographic images corresponding to objects located within the geographic area, the interactive runway including an arrangement of the photographic images selected based on ratings of the photographic images, wherein each of the ratings is calculated based on one or more viewing signals related to: (i) at least one of the photographic images, or (ii) an object to which at least one of the photographic images corresponds; and

display the interactive runway over the digital map.

14. The computer-readable medium 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

display additional photographic images in the interactive runway in response to a detection of a user scrolling the interactive runway.

15. The computer-readable medium 13 , wherein the one or more viewing signals include a signal corresponding to a distance between a current location of the user viewing the digital map and the geographic area, and

wherein the arrangement of the photographic images includes images associated with tourism and wherein the arrangement is further determined based on ratings calculated based on the signal corresponding to the distance.

16. The computer-readable medium 13 , wherein the one or more viewing signals include:

a signal corresponding to a search term input via the user interface.

17. The computer-readable medium 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to respond to the search term being input via the user interface by doing the following:

(i) determine the geographic area based, at least in part, on the search term; and

(ii) display the interactive runway over the digital map such that the displaying appears responsive to the search term being input via the user interface.

18. The computer-readable medium 13 , wherein the one or more viewing signals include:

a signal corresponding to one or more of: object location, image type, image quality, image popularity, and spatial perspective.

19. The computer-readable medium 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a size of the interactive runway using the one or more viewing signals.

20. The computer-readable medium 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

receive a selection of one of the photographic images of the interactive runway; and

generate a visual indication of an approximate location on the digital map of the object associated with the selected image.