Abstract: A computing device, method and computer program product are provided to generate or update a radio map based on a plurality of fingerprint data that each respectively includes an obfuscated location reference. The radio map may be provided to another computing device for use in conjunction with positioning services. A computing device is provided that is configured to determine a position based upon a radio map. A computing device, method and computer program product are also provided to determine a position based upon a radio map for which the obfuscated location references are deobfuscated based on the one or more parameters, such as one or more translation and/or rotation parameters.

Abstract: A computing device, method and computer program product are provided to generate fingerprint data having an obfuscated location reference, thereby maintaining the privacy of the location information provided by fingerprint data and represented by a radio map. For a computing device configured to generate fingerprint data having an obfuscated location reference, the computing device is caused to receive fingerprint data comprising a location reference and measurement(s) of one or more communications nodes. The computing device is caused to determine translation and/or rotation parameter(s) based on a respective identifier of at least one of the one or more communications nodes and to apply one or more of the parameters at least to the location reference, thereby generating an obfuscated location reference. The computing device is also caused to provide the fingerprint data including the obfuscated location reference to another computing device for generation or updating of a radio map.

Abstract: Disclosed is an approach for obtaining fingerprints that have been collected by at least one mobile device for supporting a positioning of other mobile devices, each fingerprint comprising at least results of measurements on radio signals of at least one communication node at a particular location, communication node names proximate to the particular location, and an area identifier for the particular location; receiving a positioning request that contains at least a multiset of communication node names; selecting a radio model, wherein the radio model selected is based at least in part on the fingerprint and/or the number of communication node names proximate to a fingerprint which match the node names in the positioning request that contains at least a multiset of communication node names; and generating data for a feedback for a user of the at least one computing device based on the selected radio model.

Abstract: An apparatus obtains a set of radio data comprising signal strength related values for radio signals transmitted by a transmitter with an association of each signal strength related value with a representation of a geographical location. The apparatus applies a frequency transform to the obtained set of radio data to obtain transform coefficients, each transform coefficient comprising a transform index and an associated transform value. The apparatus selects a subset of transform indices having more significant transform values than the remaining transform indices and compresses the transform indices by encoding each transform index exploiting a probability of occurrence of an index value of a respective transform index. The same or another apparatus decodes the compressed transform indices again for use in position operations.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for providing autonomous vehicle navigation at intersections. In one example, the apparatus identifies an intersection associated with at least two road signs having the same sign type and facing the same direction. The apparatus updates map data to include a datapoint that provides a representation of a single road sign at the intersection instead of the at least two road signs, thereby enabling an autonomous vehicle relying on the map data to traverse the intersection to adhere to the single road sign in lieu of the at least two road signs.

Abstract: Disclosed is an approach to improve data collection for a radio-based positioning system. The disclosed approach may involve processor(s) (e.g., of positioning server(s) and/or of a mobile device) obtaining radio data associated with the mobile device, where the radio data is collected while the mobile device is located within a particular vehicle during a time of commute. The processor(s) may determine a particular location of the particular vehicle representing where the particular vehicle is or was located during the time of commute. And the processor(s) may then use the particular location of the particular vehicle to geo-reference the radio data collected while the mobile device is located within the particular vehicle during the time of commute.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed for predicting damage area zones for a vehicle to avoid in case of an accident. The approach involves, for example, retrieving property cost data associated with one or more map features of a geographic area. The approach also involves determining at least one damage area zone in the geographic area based on the property cost data, wherein the at least one damage area zone indicates a zone within the geographic area associated with a property damage value predicted to result from an accident occurring in the zone based on the property cost data. The approach further involves providing the at least one damage area zone as a digital channel output of a geographic database.

Abstract: System and methods are provided for that allow users of micro mobility and shared mobility services to reduce the uncertainty related to the availability of a shared vehicle by quickly identifying such vehicles using a route that maximizes the visibility of the shared vehicle through line-of-sight computations.

Abstract: Disclosed is an approach for detecting LIDAR blind spots in parking garages comprising receiving, by one or more processors, floor layout data for at least a first floor of a parking garage, based on the received floor layout data for at least a first floor of a parking garage, detecting, by the one or more processors, at least one additional floor layout data for a floor of the parking garage, wherein the at least one additional floor has a substantially similar layout to the first floor of the parking garage, in response to detecting the at least one additional floor layout data for a floor of the parking garage, group by the one or more processors, the floors with substantially similar floor layout data into at least one cluster, making a determination, by the one or more processors, that at least one of the floor layout data in the cluster contains at least one LIDAR blind spot, and based at least on the determination, generating, by the one or more processors, LIDAR data for the at least one blind spot.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product provide for error mitigation in an inertial navigation system (INS) based upon centripetal acceleration experienced by a vehicle that carries the INS. In the context of a method, the centripetal acceleration experienced by a vehicle carrying the INS that is making a turn is determined. The method also includes determining a velocity of the vehicle in reliance upon the centripetal acceleration. Based on the velocity determined in reliance upon the centripetal acceleration, the method further includes updating one or more filters of the INS to correct a velocity estimate provided by the INS.

Abstract: An approach is provided for identifying special areas with significant vehicle activities that do not represent established roads (e.g., construction areas). The approach involves, for example, retrieving probe data collected from sensors of probe devices traveling within a geographic area including geographic partitions. The approach also involves dividing each of the geographic partitions into grid cells. The approach further involves, for each grid cell, detecting directional groupings of the probe data that share a respective common direction of travel. The approach further involves detecting a set of grid cells with a count of the directional groupings that is above a count threshold. The approach further involves designating an area associated with the set of grid cells as an unconstrained area or a sub-area of the unconstrained area. The approach further involves providing the unconstrained area and/or the sub-area as a mapping data output.

Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus includes a memory and a processor in communication with the memory and configured to execute instructions stored in the memory operable to determine at least one surrounding vehicle based on location information of the at least one surrounding vehicle, wherein the at least one surrounding vehicle is configured to receive at least one vehicle signal from a host vehicle. The processor is further configured to determine a line of sight (LOS) of the at least one surrounding vehicle based on the at least one vehicle signal, wherein the line of sight is defined by a perceivability of a driver of the at least one surrounding vehicle to view the at least one vehicle signal. The processor is further configured to determine a confidence level of the at least one surrounding vehicle based on the determined LOS.

Abstract: An approach is provided for computing an estimated time of arrival via a route based on a degraded state of a vehicle after an accident and/or malfunction. The approach involves receiving, by one or more processors, data indicating an operational status of a vehicle. The approach also involves processing, by the one or more processors, the data to determine a degraded operational state of the vehicle. The approach further involves computing, by the one or more processors, an estimated time of arrival, a route, or a combination thereof of the vehicle based on the degraded operational state.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for providing a the map including a binary representation of a weather-based hazard. In one example, the apparatus receives data indicating a polygon defining a region being impacted by a weather condition and overlays the polygon on a tile map. The apparatus receives attribute data indicating one or more functional classes of one or more road portions within each tile of the tile map that is partially covered by the polygon and determines a subset of tiles within the tile map that defines the weather condition based on the attribute data.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, user interface, and computer program product are provided to receive an aerial image of a geographic region, identify at least one potential map object within the aerial image, determine at least one shadow area associated with the at least one potential map object within the aerial image, identify at least one camera proximate to the location of the at least one potential map object, capture image data of the area proximate to the least one potential map object via the at least one camera, and generate location data for the at least one map object or a road attribute based at least in part on the aerial image and image data of the area proximate to the least one potential map object or road attribute.

Abstract: An approach is disclosed for visually identifying and/or pairing ride providers and passengers. The approach involves, for example, receiving location data indicating that a driver vehicle is within a proximity threshold of a passenger pickup location. The approach also involves initiating an activation of a camera of a passenger device to present live imagery on the passenger device. The approach further involves processing sensor data collected from one or more sensors of the passenger device to determine a rotation vector indicating a pointing direction of the passenger device. The approach also involves determining a new direction to point the passenger device to capture the driver vehicle in a field of view of the camera based on the rotation vector and the location data. The approach further involves providing output data for presenting a representation of the new direction in a user interface of the passenger device.

Abstract: An approach is provided for data-preserving trajectory anonymization. The approach involves, for example, processing a plurality of location trajectories to determine one or more exchange twists. The plurality of location trajectories are respectively a sequence of locations points determined by a location sensor of a device, and the one or more exchange twists are one or more locations at which at least two trajectories of the plurality of location trajectories match based on a matching criterion. The approach also involves initiating a swapping of one or more trajectory identifiers among the plurality of location trajectories based on the one or more exchange twists to generate anonymized trajectory data. The approach further involves providing the anonymized trajectory data as an output to a location-based service.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product may be provided for requesting traffic data. The apparatus may determine at least one map area comprising road segments, said map area having at least one map area identifier, determine road segment identifiers for the road segments of the at least one map area, send to a data service, a request for traffic data, said request identifying the map area, and receive from the data service, a subtree data structure set, the subtree data structure set comprising a plurality of subtree data structures, said subtree data structures in the set corresponding to traffic ranges. The apparatus may associate a road segment in a corresponding traffic range based on the road segment identifier satisfying one subtree data structure of the traffic range and provide the traffic range as traffic data for the road segment to a navigation application.

Abstract: An approach is provided for automatically detecting a merge lane traffic jam. The approach involves, for example, determining a plurality of road links in proximity to a merge point comprising a highway and a ramp. The method also involves processing probe data collected from the plurality of road links to classify the plurality of road links, one or more sublinks of the plurality of road links, or a combination thereof into at least one of a highway upstream class, a merging area class, a highway downstream class, a ramp downstream class, and a ramp upstream class. The method further involves determining vehicle speed data for the highway upstream class, the merging area class, the highway downstream class, the ramp downstream class, the ramp upstream class, or a combination thereof. The method further involves automatically determining an occurrence of the merge lane traffic jam based on the vehicle speed data.

Abstract: A computing device, method and computer program product are provided to update the model of a building. In the context of a method, an image of a building and information regarding a location from which the image was captured are obtained. The method also includes causing a model of the building and the image of the building to be presented. Based on feedback from presentation of the model of the building and the image of the building, the method includes updating the model of the building by adjusting one or more parameters, including one or more vertical parameters, defining the model of the building. The method further includes causing the updated model of the building and the image of the building to be presented.