Abstract: Disclosed is a feature for a vehicle that enables taking precautionary actions in response to conditions on the road network around or ahead of the vehicle, in particular, an intersection without traffic signals and without a sufficient merge lane. A database that represents the road network is used to determine locations where roads meet without a traffic signal and without a sufficient merge lane. Then, precautionary action data is added to the database to indicate a location at which a precautionary action is to be taken about the location of the insufficient merge lane. A precautionary action system installed in a vehicle uses this database, or a database derived therefrom, in combination with a positioning system to determine when the vehicle is at a location that corresponds to the location of a precautionary action. When the vehicle is at such a location, a precautionary action is taken by a vehicle system as the vehicle is approaching a location of an insufficient merge lane.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed to generate elementary string sets for unit testing regular expressions. In the context of a method, a regular expression is received. The method also creates a deterministic finite automaton based on the regular expression. In addition, the method generates an elementary string set using the deterministic finite automaton. The elementary string is generated to test software that uses the regular expression.

Abstract: In one embodiment, location-based names are selected for a digital object based on a user's familiarity with the geographic location where the digital object was generated. For example, a memory stores multiple names indicative of the same geographic location. The multiple names may include a street address, a city, and a state, where each defines a different level of location specificity. The device that generates the digital object also collects familiarity data for the geographic location and calculates a familiarity score for the digital object based on the familiarity data for the user or the device. If the familiarity score is above a threshold, the user of the device is familiar with the geographic location, and a specific name is associated with the digital object. If the familiarity score is below the threshold, the user of the device is not familiar with the geographic location, and a broader name is associated with the digital object.

Abstract: An approach is provided for determining context information associated with one or more mobile devices and transferring content and services between the devices based on the contextual information. A transfer platform determines context information associated with at least one device, at least one other device, or a combination thereof The transfer platform then causes, at least in part, at least one transfer of one or more functionalities of the at least one device, content associated with the at least one device, or a combination thereof from the at least one device to the at least one other device based, at least in part, on the context information.

Abstract: An approach is provided for providing mechanisms to minimize power consumption in a navigation system while allowing for various levels of functionality and accuracy. A device may process telematics information and/or sensor information associated with at least one vehicle to determine an estimated location of the vehicle. Then the device may cause a comparison of the estimated location against available mapping data. Further, the device may determine whether to determine a sensed location of the vehicle via one or more location sensors based, at least in part, on the comparison.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program products are provided for automatically determining or fine-tuning bus service schedules for bus stops along a route. One example method includes causing reception of GPS data from a plurality of buses or uses from along a transit route, the GPS data comprised of a plurality of location points and associated temporal data, aggregating the location data by route and direction to determine a trip count, causing reception of at least one bus stop location, partitioning the associated temporal data into a number of clusters in accordance with the trip count, calculating a mean arrival time at the at least one bust stop for each cluster, and generating, using a processor, at least one service schedule for the at least one bus stop, wherein the mean arrival time of each cluster represents the service schedule.

Abstract: An approach is provided to process imaging data associated with location trace data of one or more links of a road. A processing platform may process and/or facilitate a processing of imaging data associated with location trace data of at least one link of a road to determine maneuvering information for at least one vehicle collecting the imaging data, the location trace data, or a combination thereof. Further, the processing platform may determine whether to cause, at least in part, an adjusting of at least a portion of the location trace data based, at least in part, on the maneuvering information.

Abstract: An approach is provided for formulating a positioning extent for map matching. The positioning extent platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of a plurality of position data points acquired by at least one positioning system to determine one or more variations in the plurality of position data points with respect to one or more thoroughfare segments. Next, the positioning extent platform determines one or more positioning extents associated with the one or more thoroughfare segments for the at least one positioning system based, at least in part, on the one or more variations.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program products are provided for collecting and analyzing route to determine the routes of a transit system. One example method includes receiving GPS data from a plurality of buses or uses from along a transit roué, the discreet GPS reports organized into a set, generating a plurality of clusters, each cluster is comprised of a first GPS point from a first set and one or more subsequent GPS points, each subsequent GPS point from a different set, and wherein each subsequent GPS point is located within a predetermined distance of the first GPS point. The clusters are then connected to form a route polylines. Outliers, inaccuracies, and/or route endpoints may be pruned to improve accuracy and efficiency of the method. The method may also order the aggregated clusters using spatial and temporal data of the GPS reports to improve accuracy.

Abstract: An approach for determining the geometry of a path of travel of a vehicle based on mapping information is described. A map based projection platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of mapping information associated with at least one path of travel of at least one vehicle to determine a geometry of the at least one path of travel. The map based projection platform further determines one or more display parameters for causing, at least in part, a projection of navigation information, safety information, or a combination thereof for the at least one vehicle based, at least in part, on the geometry.

Abstract: In one embodiment, navigational features of a navigation device are activated or deactivated according to the accuracy of the geographic data. The navigation features may be predictive features related to upcoming portions of a path curve. The path curve is compared to measured data. For example, a first curve is accessed from a map database and a second curve is based on measured position data collected while traversing the path. The first curve and the second curve correspond to the same geographic area. A difference of an attribute between a section of the first curve and a section of the second curve is used to assign a confidence factor to the section of the first polycurve based on the difference. The attribute may be heading, position, curvature, or another aspect of the path curves.

Abstract: When a first map application initiates a search of a first geographic database associated with the first map application, for geographic data or when the first geographic database does not return at least a portion of the geographic data in response to the search, the first map application initiates a search of a second geographic database for at least the portion of the geographic data. The second geographic database is associated with a second map application. If the second geographic database includes the portion of the requested data, the first map application displays the geographic data, which is received from the first database, the second database, or a combination thereof. The first map application also requests that a user input the portion of the geographic data not included in the first geographic database, which may then be added to the first geographic database.

Abstract: Techniques for mixed static and dynamic routing include determining a subset of less than all of a plurality of stopover points of an initial route of ordered stopover points. In the subset, all stopover points are marked as dynamic to indicate that their order is allowed to change. It is also determined whether there are at least two stopover points for which order may be changed. If there are at least two stopover points for which order may be changed, then a computed route is determined in which an order in the computed route of the stopover points of the subset minimizes a metric for the entire route compared to any other allowed order of the stopover points of the subset.

Abstract: Advertising content may be provided based on a map report. A map report may be received from a client device. The map report may be indicative of a perceived inaccuracy in geographic data stored in a geographic database. Advertising content may be provided to the client device based on the map report received from the client device.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to recognition of navigation and/or guidance related information within an expressed conversational narrative between a provider of the narrative and a receiver thereof. The recognized navigation and/or guidance related information is then converted into navigation data which may be used to present a navigation route and/or guidance information related thereto to the receiver.

Abstract: Determination of whether ad-blocking software is executing on a client device may be provided. Advertising content from an advertising server may be received at a client device. The advertising content may be provided in a client application executing on the client device and may have information embedded therein. The client device may attempt to detect the information embedded within the advertising content. Based on the attempted detection, it may be determined whether ad-blocking software is executing on the client device. When it is determined that ad-blocking software is executing on the client device, a remedial action may be performed.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a mobile device is operable to predict a future location of the mobile device by analyzing a memory for indicators of the future location and identifying a predicted location of the mobile device using the indicators. The mobile device is further operable to request or download geographic data corresponding to the predicted location of the mobile device. Some embodiments may provide for the recognition of a preferred network to allow the download of the geographic data from a server.

Abstract: A method and system for using data associated with a first vehicle and a given road segment defined for a road network and using data associated with a second vehicle and the given road segment to determine a multi-vehicle probability value that indicates a probability that the first vehicle and the second vehicle will arrive at a common position of the given road segment simultaneously. The multi-vehicle probability value can be compared to a threshold probability value to determine whether the first vehicle and/or the second vehicle should take a responsive measure to avoid those vehicles arriving at the common position of the given road segment simultaneously. The data associated the first vehicle and the data associated with the second vehicle can each include a respective electronic horizon for that vehicle, and time parameters and probability values associated with those vehicles being on the given road segment.

Abstract: A method and system for using Bezier curves in vehicle positioning and electronic horizon applications for providing data to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications are disclosed. The Bezier curves are obtained from B-splines. The obtained Bezier curves are subdivided in a manner that allows the vehicle positioning application to derive a polyline representation in real time. Using the Bezier and polyline geometry, the vehicle positioning application provides a vehicle position approximation to the ADAS applications. Using the Bezier curves, the electronic horizon application provides curvature, slope, and heading profiles to the ADAS applications.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a mobile device generates sensor data configured to describe a geographic position of a mobile device. A list of events is defined according to position data and time data. The geographic position of the mobile device is compared to positions in the list of events of interest and a current time is compared to time data in the list of events of interest. The comparison determines whether events in the list are in range of the mobile device. One or more nearby events in range of the mobile device at the current time or a future time are selected. A command is generated to capture an image of the nearby events using a camera coupled to the mobile device. The captured images may be used to update navigation or map database, provide community or weather data to other users, social media functions, or other features.