Abstract: A method of identifying navigable stretches that are partially closed, e.g. due to the presence of roadworks, in a navigable network within a geographic area. A server obtains positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along a navigable stretch with respect to time in a given time period, wherein the time period is a period of non-congested traffic flow. The positional data is used to determine an average speed of travel along the navigable stretch in the given time period. The determined average speed of travel is compared to a free flow speed for the stretch, and the navigable stretch is identified as being partially closed when the determined average speed of travel is lower than the free flow speed by a predetermined value.

Abstract: A navigation apparatus comprises a processing resource operably coupled to a receiver for location-related data and arranged to perform, when in use, location determination. The processing resource supports a parking location determination module he parking location determination module is arranged to determine when the location determined is substantially unchanged and to determine that the location determined constitutes a candidate parking location in response to the location determined remaining substantially unchanged relative to a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A server 402 determines modified flow speed data for each navigable segment of a recommended navigable stretch. The modified flow speed data is determined so as to make the segment more favorable when a route is determined by a navigation device through the navigable network using the flow speed data. The server transmits the modified flow speed data to a set of one or more navigation devices 400 for use by the or each device at least for the purposes of determining a route through the network of navigable segments. Each navigation device then determines a route to a destination using the modified flow speed data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for probe data management that facilitate anonymity between a device providing probe data and the probe data. Some embodiments relate to the removal of an association between a device identifier and an assigned probe identifier if no position information is received from the probe device for a predetermined time period, e.g. between 10 and 20 minutes. Other embodiments relate to periodic extraction of probe objects from a data store, such that a probe object is stored for at most a predetermined time period, e.g. 24 hours, and the use of position information from probe objects having the same probe identifier to create a historic journey trace.

Abstract: A server arranged to process GPS data to generate enhanced map data is disclosed, and comprises a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in an area covered by a map, the server connected with a wireless telecommunications transceiver arranged to receive GPS fixes by wireless telecommunication from a plurality of navigation devices and send the received GPS fixes to the server, the server comprising a processor arranged to generate at least one speed profile for each segment from the GPS fixes from at least two of the plurality of navigation devices, each speed profile comprising an expected speed of travel through the segment, and the server arranged to subsequently cause the transceiver to send the speed profiles to the navigation devices.

Abstract: A method of creating map data is disclosed, the map data including a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in the area covered by the map with each segment being arranged to have speed data associated therewith. In at least one embodiment, the method includes processing speed data relating to a plurality of the segments of the navigable route covered by the map to generate a set of generated speed profiles, with each generated speed profile within the set being an approximation to traffic speed along one or more of the segments of the navigable route and each speed profile varying with respect to time; and associating at least one speed profile from the set with a navigable segment within the map data.

Abstract: Data indicative of the durations of multiple instances of different phases of a traffic control signal in a given time period is determined. The data is used to obtain data indicative of a distribution of the durations of each phase. The distribution data is used to obtain data indicative of a probability of the traffic control signal having a given phase at one or more future time. The probability data may be used to provide an expected waiting time when arriving at the signal at a future time and/or a speed recommendation for a vehicle approaching the signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of resolving a point location from a location reference, the location reference comprising a plurality of location reference points, each location reference point being representative of a node in a first digital map and having attributes associated therewith from the first digital map, including geographic coordinates of the node, so as to define a path between a start location reference point and an end location reference point, the location reference further comprising an offset value representative of a distance along the path.

Abstract: A method of processing positioning data to create map data is disclosed, the map data including a plurality of navigable segments representing segments of a navigable route in the area covered by the map with each segment being arranged to have speed data associated therewith. In at least one embodiment, the method includes processing the speed data to categorise the speed data into a plurality of time periods for the navigable segment with which the speed data is associated; and averaging the speed data within each time period in order to generate a measured speed profile for the navigable segment.

Abstract: A method of obtaining data relating to the timing of a transition between phases of a traffic control signal. The method involves obtaining live probe data relating to the travel of vehicles in the region of the traffic control signal, and using the data to determine times at which a given transition of the signal has occurred. This is carried out by consideration of the distance from the traffic signal at which a vehicle waits when stopped at the signal, and a time of passing the signal, as determined using the probe data. Different transition time pairs are analyzed to obtain time differences between the transition times. A cycle time which best fits the time difference data is determined, and used with the transition time data to predict future transition times of the traffic control signal.

Abstract: A system for providing travel and traffic information to an occupant of a vehicle, the system comprising: an electronic device 12? positionable in the vehicle; a remote server 16? arranged to provide travel information based on a determined position of the electronic device 12?; and an in-vehicle radio receiver unit 15? comprising means for audio and/or visual output of travel information to the vehicle occupant. The electronic device 12?, for example in the form of a vehicle cigarette lighter adapter (CLA), comprises a plug that is insertable into an in-vehicle power supply socket for providing power to the electronic device. The position of the electronic device 12? is determined by a GPS receiver 220. The electronic device 12? also comprises a network transceiver 224 for communicating with the remote server 16? via a wireless telecommunications network and a radio transmitter 226.

Abstract: A method is provided of providing jam warning messages in relation to jams affecting navigable segments of a network of navigable segments. The method comprises, for each of one or more identified jams, obtaining a jam tail flow speed for the jam. The jam tail flow speed is preferably determined from the analysis of positional data relating to the current or relatively recent movement of a plurality of devices associated with vehicles along at least some navigable segments of a navigable network with respect to time. The jam tail flow speed is used to generate, or to determine whether to generate, a jam warning message in respect of the jam.

Abstract: A method of creating map data for enhancing a digital map having a plurality of navigable segments representing a network of navigable segments by applying point locations to the map which correspond to individual events on the network; generating a heat map representing the concentrations of events according to a selected distribution function; applying a threshold calculation to the heat map to identify one or more zones, on the network having a high concentration of events; and associating the or each zone with at least one segment in the digital map.

Abstract: A method of processing data at a server 302 for maintenance of a database 516 of points of interest, such as speed limit enforcement devices. Each of the devices represented in the database has at least one attribute and a confidence value indicative of the accuracy of the at least one attribute associated therewith. The confidence value is time dependent and varies according to a predefined decay function. A report 500 relating to an attribute of a speed limit enforcement device is received at the server 302 from a mobile device 200. The confidence value associated with the speed limit enforcement device is adjusted in accordance with the received report, and information relating to the speed limit enforcement device 520, 522 is selectively transmitted to the or another mobile device 200 based on the confidence value.

Abstract: A method of detecting the closure of a road element is disclosed; the road element being one of a set of alternative incoming or outgoing elements at a node in a network of navigable elements. A server obtains positional data relating to the position of a plurality of devices with respect to time traversing the node. A count is determined of the number of devices in a consecutive sequence of device selecting a given one of the navigable elements from among the set of elements. The count is compared to a predetermined threshold to determine whether another one of the elements is closed. The threshold is based upon the relative probability of the element to which the count relates being taken from the set of road elements.

Abstract: A server system configured to communicate with a device that is installable in a vehicle, such as a portable or in-built navigation device, comprises a communications resource for receiving vehicle data indicative of a parameter of the vehicle; and a processing resource operable to obtain weather data and to process the weather data and the vehicle data to determine at least one weather-related condition in dependence on both the weather data and the vehicle data.

Abstract: A server system 150 for providing data to at least one mobile device 200, the server system comprising a processing resource 174. In a first embodiment, the processing resource 174 is configured to generate contour data representing a boundary of a respective area for which a weather-related parameter has substantially the same value, the contour data being sent to a mobile device 200. In a second embodiment, the processing resource 174 is configured to determine a plurality of parameter values of a model representative of weather-related data, and to filter the parameter values such that only some of the values of sent to a mobile device 200.

Abstract: Live vehicle probe data is obtained relating to the movement of vehicles with respect to time along a navigable element. The probe data is used to determine a current speed of travel along the navigable element, which is compared to the free flow speed of travel for the navigable element. When the current speed of travel along the element is reduced relative to the free flow speed for the navigable element by less than a threshold associated with identifying a congestion event, and obtained weather data indicates the navigable element is affected by one or more adverse weather conditions, then a weather event is generated. If the reduction in speed of travel is of a size sufficient to trigger the generation of a congestion event, and obtained weather data again indicates the navigable element is affected by one or more adverse weather conditions, then one or more attributes of the congestion event can be used to determine if the cause of the congestion can be attributed to the adverse weather.

Abstract: A method of estimating the geographical location of an object from location information reported by one or more mobile devices having location determining means comprises collecting location data from the one or more mobile devices, preparing the data by selecting features of the data, training an estimator by inputting selected features of the data, and applying the estimator to a map grid to estimate the location of the object. During training of the estimator a kernel machine operates on histograms of distances that are computed with respect to a considered location and the user reports nearby. During application of the estimator, if the estimator assigns a score above a certain threshold a location is marked as the true location of the object. In case multiple locations are predicted, a subsequent clustering merges multiple predictions into one by using the weighted mean.

Abstract: A navigation device and a method of determining parking information are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes receiving, at a server, journey information from a plurality of navigation devices, the journey information indicating one or more journeys made by each navigation device and determining, by the server from the journey information, parking information indicating a geographical location of one or more parking areas.