Patent ID: 7031983
Filing Date: 2006-04-18
Classification: G01C,G08G,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a geographic database stored on a computer-readable medium wherein the geographic database includes data that represent individual segments of roads and that can be used in a navigation system that also uses traffic messages broadcast by a traffic broadcast system that identify locations along roadways with location reference numbers wherein each of said traffic messages includes a location reference number that indicates a starting location of a reported traffic condition, wherein said location reference number identifies a designated location selected from an ordered sequence of designated locations along a road to which location reference numbers have been assigned, and data that indicates a physical distance that the reported traffic condition extends as an extent of the reported traffic condition, wherein said extent is expressed as a number of adjacent locations in said ordered sequence of designated locations extending from the starting location, the method comprising the steps of: storing in the geographic database on the computer-readable medium data that represent each individual road segment located in a region; and storing in the geographic database data that represent each location reference number, wherein the data that represent each location reference number identify