Navteq North America, LLC

Navigation Technologies Corporation

Here Global B.v.

Navtech North American, LLC

Roy Casino

Lawrence M Kaplan

Christopher Dougherty

Robert P Fernekes

Kurt Brooks Uhlir

Michael V Shuman

Mark Barton

Matthew Friederich

Jean K Ohler

Richard J Weiland

John M Jaugilas

Srinivasa Doddapaneni

Stephan V Bechtolsheim

Matthew A Guido

Lisa M Becker

Shiva Kalisetty

Ole Henry Dorum

James Herbst

Michael He

Mohan Kola

Michele Herbst

Matthew Friedrich

Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for total route scores to measure quality of map content. Test data is received for a region of interest. The test data may be matched to routes formed from road links stored in a database. Frequency weights may be assigned to the test data based on the frequency of usage for the road links. The routes in the database may be compared to the traveled routes in the test data. Using this comparison, one or more errors in the database may be identified. A total route score for the region of interest may calculated from the errors and frequency weights.

Total route score to measure quality of map content

A system and method are disclosed for facilitating development of computer games that depict or represent actual, real world geographic areas as part of the play scenarios of the games. A source database contains data that represent geographic features in a region including roads in the region. The data in the source database includes attributes suitable for use for providing navigation-related functions. In addition to providing data from the source database for navigation-related functions, data from the source database are also provided for computer game development. An application programming interface, as well as other tools for handling geographic data, is provided for accessing and processing of the geographic data.

Method and system for using geographic data in computer game development

A computer game depicts or represents actual or imaginary geographic locales as part of the play scenarios of the games. The computer game uses a map database that contains data that represent geographic features, such as roads, in a locale. A game engine program presents a game play scenario to a user via a user interface of the game. An application programming interface program accepts requests for data from the game engine program, accesses data from the map database, and provides the data in a suitable format to the game engine program for use in presenting the game scenario to the user.

Application programming interface for geographic data in computer games

A method of facilitating delivery of advertising to users of mobile computing platforms is disclosed. A geographic database contains data entities that represent geographic features, such as roads, located in a geographic region. Advertising zones are defined within the geographic region. Associated with at least some of the data entities that represent geographic features are data that indicate in which of the advertising zones the represented geographic feature is located. Advertisers are allowed to associate advertising messages with the advertising zones. Users of mobile computing platforms are provided with geographically-related services that use the geographic database. As a user of a mobile computing platform travels in the geographic region, the location of the mobile computing platform is determined. The user of the mobile computing platform is provided with the advertising message associated with the advertising zone in which the mobile computing platform is determined to be located.

Geographic database organization that facilitates location-based advertising

A method for representing shapes of road segments is disclosed. The shape of a portion of road that spans at least one intersection is represented using a single continuous non-uniform B-spline. The single continuous non-uniform B-spline is divided into separate sections by knot insertion at each position corresponding to the location of a spanned intersection. The separate sections of the single continuous non-uniform B-spline are each re-parameterized into multiple separate continuous non-uniform B-splines. Then, data indicating each of the separate non-uniform B-splines is used to represent each of the corresponding road segments in the portion of road.

Method to provide smoothness for road geometry data at intersections

A method is disclosed for obtaining altitude-related data along roads. A vehicle includes equipment capable of determining the current absolute positions of the vehicle as it is being driven. The vehicle also includes equipment capable of determining a distance traveled by the vehicle. Two points along a road are selected. Altitude-related data are determined as a function of the horizontal difference between the absolute positions of the two points and the distance traveled by the vehicle between the two points.

Method for collecting altitude-related data along roads

A method for collecting data for a geographic database is disclosed. A plurality of vehicles moving on roads in a geographic region collects data indicating position of the vehicle. For a location on a selected road, the method obtains a cross sectional distribution of the position data. The method identifies a number of steps in the distribution indicating a number of lanes on the selected road and updates the geographic database with data indicating the number of lanes.

Method and system for obtaining lane data

A method for collecting data for a geographic database is disclosed. Engine load value and position data are collected using a vehicle traveling in a geographic region. A location of a road grade change point is identified corresponding to a change in the engine load value data. The geographic database is updated to indicate the road grade.

Method and system for obtaining road grade data

A feature provided by a navigation system or other device whereby additional information about roadside signs can be provided to a driver of a vehicle while traveling along a road. The additional information may be provided automatically or in response to a request from the driver. The additional information may include a translation of the sign text into a selected language, supplementary information about the subject matter of the sign, commercial information about the subject matter of the sign, or other kinds of information. In one embodiment, the additional information is contained in a database that includes data identifying locations of roadside signs and additional information about the roadside signs. Programming in the navigation system or other device determines the location of the vehicle, uses the database to identify one or more roadside signs close to the location of the vehicle, and provides the driver with the additional information about the one or more roadside signs via a user interface.

Navigation system with sign assistance

A navigation system includes a computing platform that has geographic data and navigation applications installed locally. Use of the computing platform is monitored and reported via a wireless communications system to a remotely located facility. The remotely located facility handles billing the end user based on use of the navigation system. The remotely located facility also transmits authorization back to the local computing platform to enable the end user to obtain requested navigation services.

Navigation system with wireless logging for billing

A feature provided by a navigation system or other device whereby additional information about roadside signs can be provided to a driver of a vehicle while travelling along a road. The additional information may be provided automatically or in response to a request from the driver. The additional information may include a translation of the sign text into a selected language, supplementary information about the subject matter of the sign, commercial information about the subject matter of the sign, or other kinds of information. In one embodiment, the additional information is contained in a database that includes data identifying locations of roadside signs and additional information about the roadside signs. Programming in the navigation system or other device determines the location of the vehicle, uses the database to identify one or more roadside signs close to the location of the vehicle, and provides the driver with the additional information about the one or more roadside signs via a user interface.

A system and method are disclosed that provide an end user of a navigation program with information about walking to a desired destination in combination with information about driving to or close to the desired destination. In addition to the calculation of a route for driving to the desired destination, the navigation program uses data in a geographic database to calculate one or more routes to reach the desired destination by walking from locations within a walking threshold around the desired destination. In calculating these one or more walking routes, the navigation program uses the data in the geographic database to assess the suitability of roads around the desired destination for pedestrian travel. In calculating these one or more walking routes, the navigation program can also include road segments in the walking routes without regard for travel restrictions that only apply to vehicular traffic. Additionally, if the navigation program is installed in a vehicle, the navigation program may indicate the walking distance to the desired destination along one of the calculated walking routes as the vehicle approaches the desired destination. Additionally, the navigation program may provide the end user with walking directions to walk to the desired destination along one of the calculated walking routes.

Method and system for providing walking instructions with route guidance in a navigation program

A feature whereby an end user of a navigation system that uses geographic data can easily report perceived errors or inaccuracies in the geographic data or other problems such as poor quality route calculation or guidance. The end user uses a user interface of the navigation system to indicate the perceived error, inaccuracy, or other problem. The navigation system includes a report program that operates in response to the end user's indication. The report program collects information indicating the error, inaccuracy, or other problem and sends a report including the collected information to a geographic database developer. The geographic database developer can use the information in the report to update a geographic database.

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Mundelein, IL, United States of America

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