“The search technology in Apple’s iOS Maps software could implement data from anonymously recorded user visits to locations, like restaurants or stores, to improve map-related search results,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“pple’s concept for ranking local search results based on user-provided data was revealed this week in a new patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and discovered on Thursday by AppleInsider,” Hughes reports. “Entitled “Relevancy Ranking for Map-Related Search,” it describes how an iPhone would optionally report a user’s present location, via GPS, to help Apple improve its search results.”
Hughes reports, “By collecting this data, Apple could find hotspots and popular destinations for iPhone users, allowing it to improve search results when users are looking for a specific location in the iOS Maps application.”
Read more in the full article here.