Determining a route

A computer implemented method of determining a route, comprising:

• identifying, by one or more computing devices, at least a first shared GPS track which is available for sharing and which passes through a geographical area specified in a route request, wherein identifying the first shared GPS track comprises:
• searching, by the one or more computing devices, GPS tracks shared by users to identify at least one GPS track which is located within a predetermined area of the geographical area;
• performing, by the one or more computing devices, a security check associated with the identified GPS tracks to determine if the identified GPS tracks are available for sharing with a requesting user, wherein performing the security check comprises:
• determined, by the one or more computing devices for each identified GPS track, whether at least a predetermined number of other GPS tracks shared by users pass within a predetermined distance of at least a portion of such identified GPS track;
• and
• designating as available for sharing, by the one or more computing devices, each GPS track for which it is determined that at least the predetermined number of other GPS tracks shared by users pass within the predetermined distance of at least the portion of such identified GPS track;
• and
• determining, by the one or more computing devices, a route between two geographical locations which includes at least a part of the first shared GPS track.

A route provider apparatus for determining a route, comprising at least one computer processor and at least one computer-readable memory storing instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

• search journey tracks shared by users to identify at least one journey track which is located within a predetermined area of a defined route start location, wherein the journey tracks comprise the locations of a mobile user device during a journey made by a user;
• search journey tracks shared by users to identify at least one journey track which is located within a predetermined area of a defined route finish location;
• perform a security check associated with the identified journey tracks to determine if the identified journey tracks are available for sharing with a requesting user, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform the security check cause the at least one processor to:
• determine whether at least a predetermined number of other journey tracks shared by users pass within a predetermined distance of at least a portion of such identified journey track;
• and
• designate as available for sharing each identified journey track for which it is determined that at least the predetermined number of other journey tracks shared by users pass within the predetermined distance of at least the portion of such identified journey tracks;
• and
• use a plurality of the identified journey tracks to determine a route between the defined start and finish locations based at least in part on the security check, wherein determining the route comprises forming the route from intersecting journey tracks identified from the plurality of journey tracks and available for sharing, wherein the route consists of journey tracks, wherein at least one of the identified journey tracks from the plurality of the identified journey tracks comprises a journey track that does not follow an existing mapped road.

A route provider apparatus for determining a route, comprising at least one computer processor and at least one computer-readable memory storing instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

• identify at least a first shared GPS track which is available for sharing and which passes through a geographical area specified in a route request, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to identify at least the first GPS track cause the at least one processor to:
• search GPS tracks shared by users to identify at least one GPS track which is located within a predetermined area of the geographical area;
• and
• perform a security check associated with the identified GPS tracks to determine if the identified GPS tracks are available for sharing with a requesting user, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform the security check cause the at least one processor to:
• determine, for each identified GPS track, whether at least a predetermined number of other GPS tracks shared by users pass within a predetermined distance of at least a portion of such identified GPS track;
• and
• designate as available for sharing each GPS track for which it is determined that at least the predetermined number of other GPS tracks shared by users pass within the predetermined distance of at least the portion of such identified GPS track;
• and
• determine a route between two geographical locations which includes at least a part of the at least one identified GPS track.

A system for requesting and determining a route for providing to a user, comprising at least one computer processor and at least one computer-readable memory storing instructions which when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:

• generate a route request in response to a user input;
• respond to the route request by identifying a route start location and a route finish location from the route request;
• search journey tracks shared by users to identify tracks which form at least part of a route between the start and finish locations;
• and
• perform a security check associated with the identified journey tracks to determine if the identified journey tracks are available for sharing with a requesting user, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform the security check cause the at least one processor to:
• determine whether at least a predetermined number of other journey tracks shared by users pass within a predetermined distance of at least a portion of such identified journey track;
• and
• designate as available for sharing each identified journey track for which it is determined that at least the predetermined number of other journey tracks shared by users pass within the predetermined distance of at least the portion of such identified journey tracks.