Abstract: A grilling tool is described herein that has a replaceable tip, and can be used with a variety of other attachments. The grilling tool can be made of a heat-conformable material such that during use grooves are formed in the replaceable tip that correspond to a grilling surface on which it is used. Once the grooves are too deep or the tip is fully used, the tip can be replaced.

Abstract: A grilling tool is described herein that has a replaceable tip, and can be used with a variety of other attachments. The grilling tool can be made of a heat-conformable material such that during use grooves are formed in the replaceable tip that correspond to a grilling surface on which it is used. Once the grooves are too deep or the tip is fully used, the tip can be replaced.

Abstract: A grilling tool is described herein that has a replaceable tip, and can be used with a variety of other attachments. The grilling tool can be made of a heat-conformable material such that during use grooves are formed in the replaceable tip that correspond to a grilling surface on which it is used. Once the grooves are too deep or the tip is fully used, the tip can be replaced.

Abstract: An approach is provided for generating road curvature data. The approach, for example, involves map matching location trace data to a road network, wherein the location trace data is associated with ground truth curvature values. The approach also involves dividing the road network into a plurality of bounded areas (e.g., boxes or other shapes). The approach further involves extracting one or more training features for each bounded area of the plurality of bounded areas from the location trace data map matched to said each bounded area. The approach further involves training a machine learning model based on the one or more training features and ground truth curvature values. The approach further involves providing the trained machine learning model to predict the road curvature data.

Abstract: An approach is provided for road curvature data. The approach, for example, involves segmenting a road segment or plurality of road segments into a plurality of slices. The approach also involves retrieving location trace data for the plurality of slice. The location trace data, for instance, is collected from one or more location sensors of a plurality of vehicles traversing the plurality of slices. The approach further involves computing respective curvatures for the plurality of slices based on the location trace data. The approach further involves providing the road curvature data for the road segment of plurality of road segments (e.g., comprising an intersection) based on the respective curvatures of the plurality of slices.

Abstract: An approach is provided for identifying a map error. The approach, for example, involves determining a first road curvature for a map location based on a road geometry represented in digital map data. The approach also involves determining a second road curvature for the map location based on location trace data collected from one or more location sensors of a plurality of vehicles. The approach further involves flagging the road geometry represented in the digital map data based on determining that a difference between the first road curvature and the second road curvature exceeds a threshold. The approach then involves providing the flagged road geometry as an output for identifying the map error.

Abstract: An approach is provided for generating road curvature data. The approach, for example, involves map matching location trace data to a road network, wherein the location trace data is associated with ground truth curvature values. The approach also involves dividing the road network into a plurality of bounded areas (e.g., boxes or other shapes). The approach further involves extracting one or more training features for each bounded area of the plurality of bounded areas from the location trace data map matched to said each bounded area. The approach further involves training a machine learning model based on the one or more training features and ground truth curvature values. The approach further involves providing the trained machine learning model to predict the road curvature data.

Abstract: An approach is provided for road curvature data. The approach, for example, involves segmenting a road segment or plurality of road segments into a plurality of slices. The approach also involves retrieving location trace data for the plurality of slice. The location trace data, for instance, is collected from one or more location sensors of a plurality of vehicles traversing the plurality of slices. The approach further involves computing respective curvatures for the plurality of slices based on the location trace data. The approach further involves providing the road curvature data for the road segment of plurality of road segments (e.g., comprising an intersection) based on the respective curvatures of the plurality of slices.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for updating a geographic database based on road object probabilities. For example, an initial value set for an existence probability that a road object exists is determined. Observation data collected from sensors of vehicles are received. A total quantity of the observation data include a first quantity of vehicles that observed a presence of the road object and a second quantity of the vehicles observed an absence of the road object. A presence probability indicative of a likelihood that observation data accurately describe the road object and an absence probability indicative of a likelihood that observation data accurately describe the road object are calculated to determine an updated value for the existence probability. A geographic database is updated in response to the comparison of the updated value for the existence probability to a threshold confidence level.

Abstract: The present application describes a means for utilizing mobile sensors to obtain estimated weather observations for use in enhancing climatological databases. Such mobile sensor data is incorporated into a database also containing data from fixed reference sensors. The mobile sensor weather data is combined statistically to derive pseudo-observations to be added to the database. The data from sensors and from prior pseudo-observations are used to perform quality analysis of the data in the database and invalidate outlier data values. The remaining data is used to generate a climatology database that enables generation of more accurate weather forecasts.

Abstract: A grilling tool is described herein that has a replaceable tip, and can be used with a variety of other attachments. The grilling tool can be made of a heat-conformable material such that during use grooves are formed in the replaceable tip that correspond to a grilling surface on which it is used. Once the grooves are too deep or the tip is fully used, the tip can be replaced.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for updating a geographic database based on road object probabilities. For example, an initial value set for an existence probability that a road object exists is determined. Observation data collected from sensors of vehicles are received. A total quantity of the observation data include a first quantity of vehicles that observed a presence of the road object and a second quantity of the vehicles observed an absence of the road object. A presence probability indicative of a likelihood that observation data accurately describe the road object and an absence probability indicative of a likelihood that observation data accurately describe the road object are calculated to determine an updated value for the existence probability. A geographic database is updated in response to the comparison of the updated value for the existence probability to a threshold confidence level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing navigation services including illumination data. A request for a route is received with one or more preferences related to illumination for the route. One or more road segments that have illumination road attributes that correspond to the one or more preferences are selected. The illumination road attributes are calculated as a function of high beam frequency for the one or more road segments. The route is generated including the one or more road segments. The route is provided with the illumination road attributes.

Abstract: A method is presented, which comprises: obtaining or holding available at least one speed profile for at least one selected link of a travel network, wherein said at least one speed profile represents a plurality of speeds for a plurality of subsequent segments of said selected link; smoothing said at least one speed profile for said at least one selected link in a first smoothing step by: determining whether said at least one speed profile represents one or more speeds that are associated with an acceleration above a predetermined acceleration threshold or a deceleration below a predetermined deceleration threshold; for each speed that is determined to be associated with an acceleration above said acceleration threshold or a deceleration below said deceleration threshold, determining a respective adapted speed for replacing said respective speed at least partially based on speeds for one or more adjacent segments of said respective segment.

Abstract: An approach is provided for measuring parking duration from anonymized data. The approach involves receiving parking data indicating anonymized park in and park out events from connected vehicles. The approach also involves performing a first filtering of the parking data to remove the park out events that occur within a time interval and before a first park in event occurring within the time interval, and to remove the park in events that occur within the time interval and after a last park out event occurring within the time interval. The approach further involves performing a second filtering of the parking data remaining after the first filtering to remove park in events or park out events so that the numbers of park in and park out events are balanced. The approach then involves calculating parking duration data from the park in and park out events remaining after the second filtering.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing navigation services including illumination data. A request for a route is received with one or more preferences related to illumination for the route. One or more road segments that have illumination road attributes that correspond to the one or more preferences are selected. The illumination road attributes are calculated as a function of high beam frequency for the one or more road segments. The route is generated including the one or more road segments. The route is provided with the illumination road attributes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing navigation services including illumination data. A request for a route is received with one or more preferences related to illumination for the route. One or more road segments that have illumination road attributes that correspond to the one or more preferences are selected. The illumination road attributes are calculated as a function of high beam frequency for the one or more road segments. The route is generated including the one or more road segments. The route is provided with the illumination road attributes.

Abstract: A method is presented, which comprises: obtaining or holding available at least one speed profile for at least one selected link of a travel network, wherein said at least one speed profile represents a plurality of speeds for a plurality of subsequent segments of said selected link; smoothing said at least one speed profile for said at least one selected link in a first smoothing step by: determining whether said at least one speed profile represents one or more speeds that are associated with an acceleration above a predetermined acceleration threshold or a deceleration below a predetermined deceleration threshold; for each speed that is determined to be associated with an acceleration above said acceleration threshold or a deceleration below said deceleration threshold, determining a respective adapted speed for replacing said respective speed at least partially based on speeds for one or more adjacent segments of said respective segment.

Abstract: The present application describes a means for utilizing mobile sensors to obtain estimated weather observations for use in enhancing climatological databases. Such mobile sensor data is incorporated into a database also containing data from fixed reference sensors. The mobile sensor weather data is combined statistically to derive pseudo-observations to be added to the database. The data from sensors and from prior pseudo-observations are used to perform quality analysis of the data in the database and invalidate outlier data values. The remaining data is used to generate a climatology database that enables generation of more accurate weather forecasts.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing navigation services including illumination data. A request for a route is received with one or more preferences related to illumination for the route. One or more road segments that have illumination road attributes that correspond to the one or more preferences are selected. The illumination road attributes are calculated as a function of high beam frequency for the one or more road segments. The route is generated including the one or more road segments. The route is provided with the illumination road attributes.