METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING REAL-TIME TRAFFIC BROADCASTS WITH NAVIGATION SYSTEMS

A system and method are disclosed that allow a navigation system that uses a geographic database to also use the data in traffic messages broadcast by a traffic broadcast system. One aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of location reference data records in a geographic database used by a navigation system. These location reference data records identify certain other kinds of data records that represent physical geographic features, such as data records that represent segments of roads, as being associated with certain location reference numbers. These location reference records may be included in a geographic database installed in the vehicle or may be provided to vehicles via a wireless communication link. Another aspect of a present system and method includes the formation, storage, and use of one or more indices that relate location reference numbers used by a traffic broadcast system to location reference records in a geographic database used by the navigation system. Another aspect of a present system and method is the formation, storage, and use of data that identify, for each location reference number, the immediately previous and the immediately next location reference number. Still another aspect of a present system and method includes the programming, and methods of use thereof, that query the geographic database and return the data entities associated with certain identified location reference numbers.