Method of resolving a point location from encoded data representative thereof

1. A method of resolving a point location from a location reference, the location reference comprising a plurality of location reference points, each location reference point being representative of a node in a first digital map and having attributes associated therewith from the first digital map, including geographic coordinates of the node, so as to define a path between a start location reference point and an end location reference point, the location reference further comprising an offset value representative of a distance along the path, the method comprising:

obtaining, using a processor, the geographic coordinates of the start location reference point and the end location reference point;

defining a straight line extending between and intersecting the geographic coordinates of the start location reference point and the end location reference point;

determining, using the processor, geographic coordinates of a location along the line corresponding to the offset value;

using, by the processor, the determined geographic coordinates as an approximate location of the point location in a second digital map; and

using the approximate location for one or more navigation operations involving the second digital map.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising selecting a segment of the second digital map based on the approximate location.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the segment comprises determining a closest segment of the second digital map to the geographic coordinates of the approximate location.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the segment comprises determining a segment of the second digital map associated with one or more attributes contained in the location reference.

5. The method of claim 2 , comprising projecting the approximate location onto the segment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the offset value is one of: a distance measure along the path or a proportional measure along the path.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining geographic coordinates of the location comprises:

determining the location at the offset value distance from the start location reference point along the straight line.

8. A method of determining a location of a Point of Interest (POI), comprising:

receiving, using a processor, a location reference indicative of a location of the POI;

determining, using the processor, an approximate location of the POI based on the location reference; and

outputting, using the processor, a notification indicative of a proximity to the POI based on the approximate location;

wherein the approximate location of the POI is determined by resolving a point location from a location reference, the location reference comprising a plurality of location reference points, each location reference point being representative of a node in a first digital map and having attributes associated therewith from the first digital map, including geographic coordinates of the node, so as to define a path between a start location reference point and an end location reference point, the location reference further comprising an offset value representative of a distance along the path, the method of resolving a point location from the location reference comprising:

obtaining, using the processor, the geographic coordinates of the start location reference point and the end location reference point;

defining a straight line extending between and intersecting the geographic coordinates of the start location reference point and the end location reference point;

determining, using the processor, geographic coordinates of a location along the line corresponding to the offset value;

using, by the processor, the determined geographic coordinates as an approximate location of the point location in a second digital map; and

using the approximate location for one or more navigation operations involving the second digital map.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising determining that a location resolved from the location reference does not correspond to a location associated with digital map data and, in response thereto, determining the approximate location of the POI.

10. A device for resolving a point location from a location reference, comprising one or more processors, the location reference comprising a plurality of location reference points, each location reference point being representative of a node in a first digital map and having attributes associated therewith from the first digital map, including the geographic coordinates of the node, so as to define a path between a start location reference point and an end location reference point, the location reference further comprising an offset value representative of a distance along the path, the one or more processors being arranged to:

obtain the geographic coordinates of the start location reference point and the end location reference point;

defining a straight line extending between and intersecting the geographic coordinates of the start location reference point and the end location reference point;

determine the geographic coordinates of a location along the line corresponding to the offset value;

use the determined geographic coordinates as an approximate location of the point location in a second digital map; and

using the approximate location for one or more navigation operations involving the second digital map.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors is arranged to select a segment of the second digital map based on the approximate location.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors is arranged to determine a closest segment of the second digital map to the geographic coordinates of the approximate location.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors is arranged to determine a segment of the second digital map associated with one or more attributes contained in the location reference.

14. The device of 11 , wherein the one or more processors is arranged to project the approximate location onto the segment.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors is arranged to project the approximate location onto the segment along another line that is perpendicular to the line.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the offset value is one of a distance measure along the path or a proportional measure along the path.

17. The device of claim 10 wherein the device is communicably coupled to a store comprising the second digital map.

18. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors is further arranged to:

determine the location at the offset value distance from the start location reference point along the straight line.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when read by one or more processors of a system, cause the system to perform the method of claim 1 .

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when read by one or more processors of a system, cause the system to perform the method of claim 8 .