Method and apparatus for generating real-time map and location-based data

• US 8,977,295 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Kosuru, Yekesa, Lublinsky, Boris, Synghal, Rajiv, Yakubovich, Alexey
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US13/314,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/456.1, 455/424, 455/418, 455/435.1, 455/452.2
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An approach is provided for generating accurate and substantially real-time map and location-based data in a cost-effective manner. Specifically, one or more communications within one or more social networks are monitored, processed, and mined to determine map-related information (e.g., maps, traffic, points of interest). The map-related information is then subjected to one or more threshold criteria (e.g., a correctness probability, a level of confidence, a degree of trust, an author'"'"'s influence, a rating, or a combination thereof) to better ensure its accuracy before being made available to mapping and/or location-based services that can use the map-related information to develop better quality maps and/or location-based mobile applications (e.g., improved routing guidance, location recommendations, etc.). By providing mapping and location-based services with accurate and real-time map and location-based data, the services can fulfill user'"'"'s increasing expectation and demand for up-to-the-minute information.

Claims

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

a monitoring of one or more communications exchanged within one or more social networks;

a processing of user generated content within the one or more communications to determine map-related information;

an extraction of one or more data items from the one or more communications;

a designation of the one or more data items as at least a portion of the map-related information based, at least in part, on one or more threshold criteria;

a processing of the map-related information to determine pattern information based, at least in part, on one or more detected changes in the map-related information; and

at least one determination to make the map-related information and the pattern information available to one or more mapping services, one or more location-based services , or a combination thereof.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more threshold criteria include, at least in part, a correctness probability, a level of confidence, a degree of trust, an author'"'"'s influence, a rating, or a combination thereof of the one or more data items, the one or more communications, the one or more social networks, or a combination thereof.

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

a correlation of the one or more data items from among different ones of the one or more communications, the one or more social networks, or a combination thereof,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the correlation.

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

a binding of the one or more data items to one or more map elements,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the binding.

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

a filtering of the one or more data items based, at least in part, on one or more noise filters,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the filtering.

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

a classification of the one or more data items based, at least in part, on the granularity of the data,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the classification.

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

an initiation of the determination of the monitoring of the one or more communications, the processing of the one or more communications, the determination of the map-related information, or a combination thereof in substantially real-time, periodically, according to a schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof.

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

a processing of the one or more communications based, at least in part, on a linguistic analysis of the user generated content to determine the map-related information.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the map-related information includes, at least in part, location information of one or more map elements, one or more points of interest, traffic information, geospatial data, or a combination thereof.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing of the user-generated content to determine an altered user behavior based, at least in part, on a response to the map-related 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,

cause, at least in part, a monitoring of one or more communications exchanged within one or more social networks,

process and/or facilitate a processing of user generated content within the one or more communications to determine map-related information,

cause, at least in part, an extraction of one or more data items from the one or more communications,

cause, at least in part, a designation of the one or more data items as at least a portion of the map-related information based, at least in part, on one or more threshold criteria,

process the map-related information to determine pattern information based, at least in part, on one or more detected changes in the map-related information, and

determine to make the map-related information and the pattern information available to one or more mapping services, one or more location-based services, or a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more threshold criteria include, at least in part, a correctness probability, a level of confidence, a degree of trust, an author'"'"'s influence, a rating, or a combination thereof of the one or more data items, the one or more communications, the one or more social networks, or a combination thereof.

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

cause, at least in part, a correlation of the one or more data items from among different ones of the one or more communications, the one or more social networks, or a combination thereof,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the correlation.

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

cause, at least in part, a binding of the one or more data items to one or more map elements,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the binding.

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

cause, at least in part, a filtering of the one or more data items based, at least in part, on one or more noise filters,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the filtering.

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

cause, at least in part, a classification of the one or more data items based, at least in part, on the granularity of the data,

wherein the determination of the map-related information is based, at least in part, on the classification.

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

cause, at least in part, an initiation of the determination of the monitoring of the one or more communications, the processing of the one or more communications, the determination of the map-related information, or a combination thereof in substantially real-time, periodically, according to a schedule, on demand, or a combination thereof.

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

process and/or facilitate of a processing of the one or more communications based, at least in part, on a linguistic analysis of the user generated content to determine the map-related information.

19. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the map-related information includes, at least in part, location information of one or more map elements, one or more points of interest, traffic information, geospatial data, or a combination thereof.

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

process and/or facilitate a processing of the user-generated content to determine an altered user behavior based, at least in part, on a response to the map-related information.