Method and apparatus for generating route exceptions

• US 8,706,407 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tuukkanen, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): MARC-COLEMAN, MARTHE Y
• Application Number:
  US13/075,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 701/423, 701/426, 701117-119, 701/414, 701/533, 340/995.12, 340/995.21, 340/933, 340/995.1, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 701/423
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09

Abstract

An approach for providing mapping information and route information based on exception information received from various users travelling within a common area is described. A navigation system processes travel information associated with one or more devices for comparison against predetermined route information. The navigation system also determines one or more exceptions based, at least in part, on the comparison. The predetermined route information, mapping information, or a combination thereof it then caused to be updated based, at least in part, on the processing of the one or more exceptions.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of or processing (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing, via a processor located at network based navigation service, of travel information associated with one or more devices for comparison against predetermined original route information;

one or more exceptions based, at least in part, on the comparison, wherein the one or more exceptions represents at least one deviation by at least one of the one or more devices from at least one route indicated in the predetermined original route information; and

a processing, via the processor located at network based navigation service, of the one or more exceptions to cause, at least in part, updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information, in response to a routing request from at least one other device, other than the one or more devices used for the one or more exceptions.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a processing of the predetermined original route information to identify one or more road segments, one or more path segments, or a combination thereof; and

area weighting information based, at least in part, on a categorization of the one or more road segments, the one or more path segments, or a combination thereof,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information, is based, as least in part, on the area weighting information.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the categorization of the one or more road segments, the one or more path segments, or a combination thereof is based, at least in part, on traffic volume, traffic capacity, types of nearby points of interest, types of uses, or a combination thereof.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination to categorize the one or more devices based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of the one or more devices, one or more characteristics of one or more users of the one or more devices, or a combination thereof; and

user weighting information based, at least in part, on the categorization of the one or more devices,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, as least in part, on the user weighting information.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

trust information associated with the respective one or more devices,

wherein the user weighting information is further based, at least in part, on the trust information.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

type information, reason information, or a combination thereof of the respective one or more exceptions; and

a processing of the type information, the reason information, or a combination thereof to determine exception weighting information,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, at least in part, on the exception weighting information.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination of whether a number of the one or more exceptions exceed at least one threshold value,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, as least in part, on determination with respect to the at least one threshold value.

8. A method of claim 7, wherein the at least one threshold value is based, at least in part, on traffic volume information associated with one or more road segments, one or more path segments, or a combination thereof indicated in the travel information, the predetermined original route information, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data, (2) information or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

temporal information associated with the one or more exceptions,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, as least in part, on temporal information.

10. A method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined original route information is generated by a navigation application, a navigation service, a mapping application, a mapping service or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the mapping information.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

process and/or facilitate a processing of travel information associated with one or more devices for comparison against predetermined original route information;

determine one or more exceptions based, at least in part, on the comparison, wherein the one or more exceptions represents at least one deviation by at least one of the one or more devices from at least one route indicated in the predetermined original route information; and

process or facilitate a processing of the one or more exceptions to cause, at least in part, updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information in response to a routing request from at least one other device, other than the one or more devices used for the one or more exceptions,

wherein the apparatus is located at a network based navigation service.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the predetermined original route information to identify one or more road segments, one or more path segments, or a combination thereof; and

determine area weighting information based, at least in part, on a categorization of the one or more road segments, the one or more path segments, or a combination thereof,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, as least in part, on the area weighting information.

13. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the categorization of the one or more road segments, the one or more path segments, or a combination thereof is based, at least in part, on traffic volume, traffic capacity, types of nearby points of interest, types of uses, or a combination thereof.

14. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to categorize the one or more devices based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of the one or more devices, one or more characteristics of one or more users of the one or more devices, or a combination thereof; and

determine user weighting information based, at least in part, on the categorization of the one or more devices,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, as least in part, on the user weighting information.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine trust information associated with the respective one or more devices,

wherein the user weighting information is further based, at least in part, on the trust information.

16. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine type information, reason information, or a combination thereof of the respective one or more exceptions; and

process or facilitate a processing of the type information, the reason information, or a combination thereof to determine exception weighting information,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, at least in part, on the exception weighting information.

17. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine whether a number of the one or more exceptions exceed at least one threshold value,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, as least in part, on determination with respect to the at least one threshold value.

18. An apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one threshold value is based, at least in part, on traffic volume information associated with one or more road segments, one or more path segments, or a combination thereof indicated in the travel information, the predetermined original route information, or a combination thereof.

19. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine temporal information associated with the one or more exceptions,

wherein the updating of at least a portion of the predetermined original route information is based, as least in part, on temporal information.

20. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined original route information is generated by a navigation application, a navigation service, a mapping application, a mapping service or a combination thereof based, at least in part, on the mapping information.