Dear Dr. Ruan,

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Kind regards,

Dr. Guojin Qin

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Additional Editor Comments (if provided):

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: 1. Please clarify the key differences between the proposed algorithm and representative methods such as Sliding Window, IOPW, and DTGO. In both the Introduction and Conclusion, highlight the specific practical problems your method can address that previous approaches could not.

2. The mathematical derivations are not sufficiently systematic and contain logical gaps. For example, the choice of using twice the threshold (Rend = 2Dthreshold + C) lacks theoretical justification.

3. The dataset size and source are insufficient to demonstrate the generalizability of the algorithm. Using only 10 vessels’ AIS data is not representative.

4. Provide the key hyperparameters of the deep learning models (e.g., number of layers, hidden units, learning rate, batch size, training epochs).

5. The explanations of figures (e.g., Fig. 4–6) are too brief, making it difficult for readers to fully understand their meaning.

6. The Discussion section mostly restates experimental results and lacks deeper reflection on the method’s limitations and potential directions for future work.

Reviewer #2: This paper proposes an improved AIS data simplification algorithm designed to extract typical routes from raw AIS data while considering the continuity of vessel motion. The experimental design is reasonable, and the experimental results show that the algorithm has a good compression rate and can improve the trajectory prediction.

Minor revisions are recommended prior to acceptance.

Details Requiring Revision (Suggested Modifications)

1.The core filtering parameter for trajectory simplification lacks explanation of how its value affects compression rate and route segmentation accuracy. Supplement experiments with different values to clarify the optimal parameter range.

2.LSTM, GRU, and Transformer are used in trajectory prediction, but their hyperparameters are unspecified.

3.The two-step algorithm flow figure (e.g., Fig 3) lacks explanation of how "trajectory simplification"-output candidate routes link to the "trajectory optimization" module. Supplement captions or necessary notes.

4.For route segmentation, the paper mentions distance-based judgment of route retention/addition but does not specify specific outcomes under different distance conditions. Add corresponding explanations.

5. Terms such as "starting point" and "initial waypoint" are used interchangeably. It is recommended to standardize the terminology, for instance, consistently using "starting point".

6.Some references lack journal names or volume/issue numbers (e.g., Reference [18]). It is recommended to unify the reference format according to the journal's guidelines.

7. Other Minor Issues:

Page 2: "We proposes" should be corrected to "We propose".

Page 5: "p-m" should likely be "p_m".

A thorough check for spelling and grammar throughout the manuscript is recommended.

The algorithm is practical, with reliable experimental conclusions. Recommended for acceptance after revision.

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what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org . Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.

Improved AIS Data Simplification Algorithm for Extracting Typical Routes Considering Motion Continuity

PONE-D-25-36742R1

Dear Dr. Ruan,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org.

Kind regards,

Guojin Qin

Academic Editor

PLOS One

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions??>

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?>

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??>

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??>

Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: In response to the reviewers' comments, the authors have undertaken a comprehensive revision of the manuscript. All critical issues have been resolved, thereby improving the overall quality of the paper. The research is presented clearly, with sound argumentation, bringing the work into alignment with the journal's academic and publication criteria.

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what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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