Varying the degree of precision in navigation data analysis

Abstract

For a segment of a route, a navigation data gathering system and method may progressively increment the precision of data analysis in proportion to the number of people actively on a route segment. Navigation data may be anonymized to preclude the possibility of correlating navigation data with personal data to track users or infer private information. Further, the system or method may determine if information for a route segment can be used at all based on the number of users of that segment. If the number of users does not exceed a threshold, the information collected on that route may not be used for other purposes. Thus, the system and method may use navigation data related to a busy section of an interstate highway at the level of precision with which the data is gathered, but reduce the level of precision of data available for a rarely used road segment.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for varying the degree of precision in navigation data analysis, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of requests for mapping data at a remote mapping server sent from a plurality of client computing devices via a computer network, each received request including geographic data corresponding to a map location that is represented by map content data stored at the remote mapping server;   sending map content data corresponding to the received map location from the remote mapping server to the plurality of client computing devices; and   processing the plurality of requests for mapping data when a number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location reaches a threshold number.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein processing the plurality of requests for mapping data when a number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location reaches the threshold number includes one or more of:
 discarding the plurality of requests,   instructing the plurality of client computing devices to not send geographic data corresponding to the map location when the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests is below the threshold number, or   instructing the plurality of client computing devices to send detailed traffic or speed data including a precise location for the client computing device.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining that the request includes map content data associated with a navigation data analysis, wherein the map location corresponds to a location for each of the plurality of client computing devices. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of requests for mapping data includes a request type. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein determining whether the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location is above or below the threshold number includes determining whether the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location is above or below the threshold number based on the request type for the received plurality of requests. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , further comprising modifying the threshold number based on the request type. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the threshold number includes a first threshold number corresponding to a first request type and a second threshold number corresponding to a second request type. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the first request type includes a map location corresponding to traffic data and the second request type includes an indication of a wrong turn related to navigation data. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the requested map location includes navigation data corresponding to one or more segments of a navigation route. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein determining whether a number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location is above or below a threshold number comprises counting a number of client computing devices that were sent a segment of the navigation route. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising grouping one or more client computing devices based on a geographic area corresponding to the map location for each received request. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , further comprising generating a heat map based on the one or more groups, the heat map indicating a number of client computing devices currently present within one or more geographic areas corresponding to the request map locations. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , wherein determining whether the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location is above or below the threshold number includes determining whether the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location is above or below the threshold number based on the generated heat map. 
     
     
         14 . A mapping system configured to vary the degree of precision in navigation data analysis, the system comprising:
 a remote mapping server including a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions executed on the processor to:   receive a plurality of requests for mapping data at the remote mapping server sent from a plurality of client computing devices via a computer network, each received request including geographic data corresponding to a map location that is represented by map content data stored at the remote mapping server;   send map content data corresponding to the received map location from the remote mapping server to the plurality of client computing devices; and   process the plurality of requests for mapping data when a number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location reaches a threshold number.   
     
     
         15 . The mapping system of  claim 14 , wherein the instruction to process the plurality of requests for mapping data when a number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location reaches the threshold number includes one or more of an instruction to:
 discard the plurality of requests,   instruct the plurality of client computing devices to not send geographic data corresponding to the map location when the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests is below the threshold number, or   instruct the plurality of client computing devices to send detailed traffic or speed data including a precise location for the client computing device.   
     
     
         16 . The mapping system of  claim 14 , wherein the memory includes further instructions to determine that the request includes map content data associated with a navigation data analysis. 
     
     
         17 . The mapping system of  claim 15 , wherein the memory includes further instructions to modify the threshold number based on the request type;
 wherein the threshold number includes a first threshold number corresponding to a first request type and a second threshold number corresponding to a second request type, the first request type includes a map location corresponding to traffic data, and the second request type includes an indication of a wrong turn related to navigation data.   
     
     
         18 . The mapping system of  claim 14 , wherein the memory includes further instructions to:
 group one or more client computing devices based on a geographic area corresponding to the map location for each received request; and   generate a heat map based on the one or more groups, the heat map indicating a number of client computing devices currently present within one or more geographic areas corresponding to the request map locations;   wherein the instruction to process the plurality of requests for mapping data when the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location reaches the threshold number includes an instruction to determine whether the number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location is above or below the threshold number based on the generated heat map.   
     
     
         19 . A tangible computer-readable medium including non-transitory computer readable instructions stored thereon for varying the degree of precision in navigation data analysis, the instructions to:
 receive a plurality of requests for navigation data at a remote mapping server sent from a plurality of client computing devices via a computer network, each received request including geographic data corresponding to one or more segments of a navigation route that is represented by map content data stored at the remote mapping server;   send navigation data corresponding to the received geographic data from the remote mapping server to the plurality of client computing devices; and   process the plurality of requests for mapping data when a number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location reaches a threshold number.   
     
     
         20 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , further comprising instructions to:
 group one or more client computing devices based on a geographic area corresponding to the segments for each received request; and   generate a heat map based on the one or more groups, the heat map indicating a number of client computing devices currently present within one or more segments corresponding to the request geographic data;   wherein the instruction to process the plurality of requests for mapping data when a number of client computing devices that sent the plurality of requests corresponding to the requested map location reaches a threshold number includes an instruction to determine whether a number of client computing devices that were sent a segment of the navigation route is above or below a threshold number based on the generated heat map.