Embodiments are disclosed for a feature-based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system and method that generates radio maps for environments that are not accessible for surveying. More accurate radio maps are generated for an unsurveyed environment by determining a best estimate of a mobile device state from harvested traced data that maximizes a posterior probability of the mobile device state given measurements, landmarks and loop constraints.

An approach is provided for an asymmetric evaluation of polygon similarity. The approach, for instance, involves receiving a first polygon representing an object depicted in an image. The approach also involves generating a transformation of the image comprising image elements whose values are based on a respective distance that each image element is from a nearest image element located on a first boundary of the first polygon. The approach further involves determining a subset of the plurality of image elements of the transformation that intersect with a second boundary of a second polygon. The approach further involves calculating a polygon similarity of the second polygon with respect the first polygon based on the values of the subset of image elements normalized to a length of the second boundary of the second polygon.

A computer-implemented method may include monitoring an age of a tile of a map, where the map includes multiple tiles including the tile. The method may also include, based on the age exceeding a threshold age, determining that the tile of the map is to be updated, and receiving a location indicator from a vehicle. The method may additionally include transmitting an update message to a vehicle traversing a track within the tile as indicated by the location indicator, where the update message includes instructions to cause the vehicle to gather and submit sensor data to a computing system. The method may also include receiving the sensor data from the vehicle, and updating the tile of the map based on the received sensor data.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer program products are provided. An example method comprises receiving a change trigger; and providing two or more map versions to a plurality of vehicle apparatuses. The map versions may comprise a stable map version and a changed map version. The example method further comprises receiving two or more responses from at least two of the plurality of vehicle apparatuses. A response comprises an indicator of a preferred map version selected by a vehicle apparatus of the plurality of vehicle apparatuses from the two or more map versions. The example method further comprises analyzing the responses to determine a most preferred map version; and when it is determined that the most preferred map version is a changed map version, updating one or more map databases based at least in part on the changed map version.

A method for mapping an environment by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining a set of sensor measurements. The method also includes determining a set of voxel occupancy probability distributions respectively corresponding to a set of voxels based on the set of sensor measurements. Each of the voxel occupancy probability distributions represents a probability of occupancy of a voxel over a range of occupation densities. The range includes partial occupation densities.

A mapping system allows a user to interact with any location on a digital map and present the user with location related information associated with the selected location. The location related information may be in the form or a card, pop-up, image, or other graphic and may be displayed on the map at or near the selected location, around the map, etc. The displayed location related information may include predetermined or pre-stored data about the location or may include location related information collected and generated on the fly in response to the user interaction with the digital map. The displayed location related information may be displayed in the same graphical format on the digital map regardless of whether location related information is predetermined information about the location that already exists or information that is collected and generated on the fly in response to the user interaction.

A system for vehicle navigation may include a processor including a circuitry and a memory. The memory may include instructions that when executed by the circuitry cause the processor to receive navigational information associated with the vehicle including an indicator of a location of the vehicle, and determine target navigational map segments to retrieve from a map database. The map database may include stored navigational map segments each corresponding to a real-world area. The determination of the target navigational map segments may be based on the indicator of vehicle location and on map segment connectivity information associated with the stored navigational map segments. The instructions may also cause the processor to initiate downloading of the target navigational map segments from the map database, and cause the vehicle to navigate along a target trajectory included in one or more of the target navigational map segments downloaded from the map database.

A system for collecting and distributing navigation information relative to a road segment is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one processor programmed to receive drive information collected from each of a plurality of vehicles that traversed the road segment, wherein the drive information received from each of the plurality of vehicles includes indicators of speed traveled by one of the plurality of vehicles during a drive traversing the road segment; determine, based on the indicators of speed included in the drive information received from each of the plurality of vehicles, at least one aggregated common speed profile for the road segment; store the at least one aggregated common speed profile in an autonomous vehicle road navigation model associated with the road segment; and distribute the autonomous vehicle road navigation model to one or more autonomous vehicles for use in navigating along the road segment.

A processor of a route provision apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in outputting map information received from a server, on a rollable display provided in a vehicle, determining a change in the size of a display area of the rollable display, and requesting the server for map information to be displayed on the changed display area, on the basis of the changed size of the display area, and receiving the map information.

Methods and systems for updating digital maps by refining map feature positions and improving map position accuracy are disclosed. Geographic map updating may include a base map element and an update element where the base map element may include a representation of the map area displaying features thereof and the update element may include a geographic feature identification element and one or more positioning elements. One embodiment includes identifying a point of interest's position data and updating the map data within a map region surrounding the point of interest.