Method and apparatus for detecting false positive slippery road reports using mapping data

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a plurality of slippery road reports from one or more vehicles, wherein the plurality of slippery road reports indicate that slippery road events are detected at one or more locations based on sensor information collected by one or more sensors of the one or more vehicles;

determining geographic coordinates for the one or more locations indicating the slippery road events;

determining mapping data corresponding to the determined geographic coordinates;

determining that the mapping data specifies a map feature indicating where the one or more vehicles are expected to brake or accelerate within the one or more locations;

determining that the map feature further specifies that driver behavior is a factor in the plurality of slippery road reports; and

classifying one or more of the plurality of slippery road reports as a false positive report based on proximity to the map feature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the map feature comprises an intersection, a curve, a ramp, a junction, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining weather data records for the plurality of slippery road reports,

wherein the classification is further based on the weather data records.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing sensor data associated with the plurality of slippery road reports to determine a vehicle speed; and

determining a speed limit corresponding to the map feature

wherein the classification is further based on the vehicle speed and the speed limit.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

maintaining historical record of the driving behavior data for the map feature.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

configuring, via a graphical user interface, criteria for determining the proximity.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

configuring a distance threshold for the proximity; and

determining that the map feature corresponds to a non-navigable road segment based on the distance threshold,

wherein the classification as the false positive report is based on the determination that the map feature corresponds to the non-navigable road segment.

8. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

retrieving the weather data records from a source independent from the one or more vehicles, wherein the classification as the false positive report is solely based on the weather data records indicating that a road segment corresponding to the map feature is dry.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving historical driver behavior data corresponding to the driver behavior, wherein the driver behavior data indicates braking or accelerating within the proximity to the map feature; and

determining that the one or more vehicles has excessively accelerated or decelerated based on the historical driver behavior data.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving road data specifying low friction condition of a road segment associated with the map feature, wherein the determination that the one or more vehicles has excessively accelerated or decelerated is further based on the road data.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive a plurality of slippery road reports from one or more vehicles, wherein the plurality of slippery road reports indicate that slippery road events are detected at one or more locations based on sensor information collected by one or more sensors of the one or more vehicles;

determine geographic coordinates for the one or more locations indicating the slippery road events;

determine mapping data corresponding to the determined geographic coordinates;

determine that the mapping data specifies a map feature indicating where the one or more vehicles are expected to brake or accelerate within the one or more locations;

determine that the map feature further specifies that driver behavior is a factor in the plurality of slippery road reports; and

classify one or more of the plurality of slippery road reports as a false positive report based on proximity to the map feature.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the map feature comprises an intersection, a curve, a ramp, a junction, or a combination thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process sensor data associated with the plurality of slippery road reports determine a vehicle speed; and

determine a speed limit corresponding to the map feature,

wherein the classification is further based on the vehicle speed and the speed limit.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:

receiving a plurality of slippery road reports from one or more vehicles indicating that slippery road events are detected at one or more locations based on sensor information collected by one or more sensors of the one or more vehicles;

determining geographic coordinates for the one or more locations indicating the slippery road events;

determining mapping data corresponding to the determined geographic coordinates;

determining that the mapping data specifies a map feature indicating where the one or more vehicles are expected to brake or accelerate within the one or more locations;

determining that the map feature further specifies that driver behavior is a factor in the plurality of slippery road reports; and

classifying one or more of the plurality of slippery road reports as a false positive report based on proximity to the map feature.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the map feature includes an intersection, a curve, a ramp, a junction, or a combination thereof.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the driver behavior is based on historical driver behavior data that is associated with a population of drivers or an individual driver.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:

processing sensor data associated with the plurality of slippery road reports to determine a vehicle speed; and

determining a speed limit corresponding to the map feature,

wherein the classification is further based on the vehicle speed and the speed limit.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

presenting, via a graphical user interface, the driving behavior data including an individualized driver behavior data or a general population driver behavior data to users of the one or more vehicles for user selection; and

configuring false positive detection parameters based on the selection.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the individualized driver behavior data comprises behavior of an individual driver, and wherein the general population driver behavior data comprises behavior of a group of drivers with similar characteristics, similar vehicle types, or a combination thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

present, via a graphical user interface, the driving behavior data including an individualized driver behavior data or a general population driver behavior data to users of the one or more vehicles for user selection; and

configure false positive detection parameters based on the selection.