The described technology is generally directed towards digital map truth maintenance. Map inputs shared among multiple users of a shared overlay map service can have a range of credibility, from not credible to highly credible. The disclosed digital map truth maintenance technologies can be used to enhance credibility of shared map inputs. Credibility values can be calculated for map inputs, based on any of multiple factors. Map inputs having sufficiently high credibility, such as a credibility value determined to be above a threshold value, can be shared among multiple mobile devices.

A map object management system including object information for objects in the environment around a location. The objects generally relating to the roadway on which a user is travelling. The map object management system provides a user with queries regarding detected objects that fail to meet confidence thresholds regarding the identification of the object. The map object management system receives answers to the queries to crowdsource uncertain or inaccurate object identifications for use in a map service to provide accurate map information to users.

A method for facilitating real-time sharing of location over the internet of available parking and other points of interest among a plurality of users having a plurality of user computing devices currently located at or arriving at a target area via a server connected to the internet. A computer system to improve, simplify, and facilitate real-time sharing of location over the internet of available parking and other points of interest among a plurality of users having a plurality of user computing devices currently located at or arriving at a target area via a server connected to the internet.

A methodology for establishing a frequency for reviewing of a map segment, in which encounters by a vehicle with a map error in the map segment are detected using at least one detector, is described. A method includes determining a time to next encounter (TTNE) for the map segment, the TTNE comprising a time until a next encounter with the map segment is expected to occur for a targeted quartile; determining a recall rate for the at least one detector, wherein the recall rate comprises a percentage of total encounters with the map error that are accurately detected by the at least one detector; and establishing a review frequency for the map segment based on the TTNE and the recall rate. A review ticket requiring manual review of the map segment is scheduled to be issued in accordance with the established review frequency.

An approach is provided for determining a lane marking confusion index based on lane confusion event detections. The approach, for example, involves detecting, by at least one processor, a number of instances of a lane confusion event associated with a location in a road network. The lane confusion event indicates presence of temporary lane markings in addition to standard lane markings at the location. The approach also involves determining, by the at least on processor, a lane marking confusion index for the location based on the detected number of instances of the lane confusion event in association with the location. The approach further involves storing, by the at least one processor, the lane marking confusion index as a map attribute of the location in a geographic database.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to validating map data using challenge questions. For instance, an attributes to be validated may be identified from the map data. At least one challenge question may be selected from a plurality of predetermined challenge questions based on the attribute. An image may be retrieved based on image information associated with the at least one challenge question. The image and the at least one challenge question may be provided for display. In response to the providing, operator input identifying an answer to the at least one challenge question may be received. This answer may be then used to validate the attribute.

Methods and systems for estimating a time of arrival for a vehicle at a destination are disclosed. The system will access an adjacency graph comprising nodes and edges. Each node is associated with a unique location in a geographic area in which the vehicle is traveling. Each edge connects two of the nodes and is associated with an estimated travel time between the two connected nodes. The system will select, from the locations in adjacency graph, a first location that is near the vehicle and a second location that is near the destination. The location and destination are each associated with nodes in adjacency graph. The system will calculate a shortest path along the edges in the adjacency graph from the location and destination nodes, and it will calculate an estimated time of arrival for the vehicle as a function of the estimated travel times along the shortest path.

Methods and systems for generating a planned path for a vehicle are disclosed. Upon receiving a trip service request, a processor will access a data store containing multiple candidate motion planning systems, each of which is associated with at least one vehicle or fleet. The processor will identify a starting point and a destination for the trip service request, and it will use an identifier for the vehicle or its fleet to select, from the candidate systems, a motion planning system. The processor will use the functions of the selected motion planning system to generate candidate trajectories for the first vehicle from the starting point to the destination in a high definition map. The processor will select a planned route from the candidate trajectories, and it will output trip instructions to cause the vehicle to move along the planned route.

Systems and methods for managing permissions and authorizing access to a service supported by a computing device. The methods comprise by a computing device: intercepting a request to access the service sent along with a certificate including a first tenant identifier (the first tenant identifier identifying a first business entity other than a second business entity providing the service); using the first tenant identifier to obtain permission information from a datastore (the permission information specifying which resources of a plurality of resources can be returned in response to requests from the first business entity); generating a web authentication token including the first tenant identifier and the permission information; and initiating operations of the service in response to a validation of the web authentication token.

Methods and systems for obtaining serviceable areas for a robotic system in a metropolitan area are described. A computing device obtains information about places where (i) the system can route to and from in the area and/or (ii) the system can stop in the area. The computing device uses the information to generate clusters of places where the robotic system can route or stop in the metropolitan area. The computing device creates a geometric shape for each cluster, wherein each shape which has a boundary defined by outermost places contained in the cluster. The computing device uses the geometric shapes to define the serviceable areas for the robotic system within the metropolitan area. The computing device uses the serviceable areas to generate a map displaying at least one geographic area representing a portion of the metropolitan area where a concentrated number of the places exist.