Method and system for developing traffic messages

1. A method for developing a plurality of traffic messages using a computing platform, said method comprising:

using the computing platform to obtain of traffic data indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network, said traffic data includes a location description for each of said traffic conditions;

for each of said traffic conditions, converting said location description into a location reference code assigned by a traffic message supplier; and

transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions, each of said traffic messages include said location reference code of one of said traffic conditions

wherein said traffic data includes an event description and said method further comprising for each of said traffic conditions, converting said event description into a event code assigned by said traffic message supplier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said location description is an alphanumeric description.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said location description is a text description.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said location description is a description of a landmark proximate said traffic condition on said road network, wherein said landmark description being converted into said location reference code.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said location description provides a latitude and longitude position of said traffic condition, wherein said latitude and longitude position being converted into said location reference code.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said converting step is performed with a conversion table.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said converting step comprises geo-coding said location description with a geographic database.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, for each of said traffic conditions, determining a direction affected by said traffic condition.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said event description is a traffic speed.

10. A method for developing a plurality of traffic messages using a computing platform, said method comprising:

using the computing platform to obtain traffic data indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network, said traffic data includes a location description for each of said traffic conditions;

for each of said traffic conditions, converting said location description into a location reference code assigned by a traffic message supplier; and

transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions, each of said traffic messages include said location reference code of one of said traffic conditions,

wherein said location description provides a main road along which said traffic condition exists, a start description indicating a beginning of said traffic condition on said main road and an end description indicating an end of said traffic condition on said main road, wherein said main road and said start description being converted into a first location reference code and said main road and said end description being converted into a second location reference code.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining a number of contiguous location reference codes affected by said traffic condition from said first location reference code to said second location reference code.

12. A method for developing a plurality of traffic messages using a computing platform, said method comprising:

using the computing platform to obtain traffic data indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network, said traffic data includes a location description for each of said traffic conditions;

for each of said traffic conditions, converting said location description into a location reference code assigned by a traffic message supplier; and

transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions, each of said traffic messages include said location reference code of one of said traffic conditions,

wherein said converting step is performed with a conversion table,

wherein if said conversion table does not provide a match between said location description and said location reference code, said traffic condition is excluded from said transmitted traffic messages.

13. A method for developing a plurality of traffic messages using a computing platform, said method comprising:

using the computing platform to obtain traffic data indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network, said traffic data includes a location description for each of said traffic conditions;

for each of said traffic conditions, converting said location description into a location reference code assigned by a traffic message supplier; and

transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions, each of said traffic messages include said location reference code of one of said traffic conditions,

wherein said traffic data includes a duration and said method further comprising determining whether said duration has expired, if so, said traffic condition is excluded from said transmitted traffic messages.

14. A method for developing a plurality of traffic messages using a computing platform, said method comprising:

using the computing platform to obtain traffic data indicating traffic conditions at a plurality of locations on a road network, said traffic data includes a location description for each of said traffic conditions;

for each of said traffic conditions, converting said location description into a location reference code assigned by a traffic message supplier and an extent of a number of consecutive location reference codes affected by said traffic condition;

transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions, each of said traffic messages include said location reference code and said extent of said traffic condition.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said location description is an alphanumeric description.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said location of said traffic data provides a road description of a road along which said traffic condition exists, a start description indicating a beginning of said traffic condition along said road and an end description of said traffic condition along said road, wherein said road description and said start description being converted into said location reference code and said road description and said end description being converted into said extent.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising determining said number of contiguous location reference codes affected by said traffic condition.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said converting step is performed with a conversion table.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising, for each of said traffic conditions, determining a direction affected by said traffic condition.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said converting step comprises geo-coding said location description with a geographic database.

21. A method for developing a plurality of traffic messages comprising:

obtaining traffic data indicating traffic conditions on a road network, said traffic data includes a location description for each of said traffic conditions;

for each of said traffic conditions, converting said location description into a first location reference code and a second location reference code assigned by a traffic message supplier, wherein said first location reference code indicates where said traffic condition begins and said second location reference code indicates where said traffic condition ends; transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions, each of said traffic messages include said first location reference code and said second location reference code of said traffic condition.

22. A method for developing a plurality of traffic messages using a computing platform, said method comprising:

using the computing platform to obtain traffic data indicating a plurality of traffic conditions on a road network, said traffic data includes a location description for each of said traffic conditions, wherein said traffic data includes a duration;

for each of said traffic conditions, converting said location description into a location reference code assigned by a traffic message supplier, and converting said duration into a duration code assigned by said traffic message supplier; and

transmitting said traffic messages representing said traffic conditions, each of said traffic messages include said location reference code of one of said traffic conditions.