Mobile traffic information system

1. A mobile information display device, the device comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to receive an information-data packet having at least one payload element;

a correlation parameter configured for decoding a payload element;

a microcontroller including a memory and a processor, and which is operable to decode the at least one payload element in response to the correlation parameter;

an information viewing screen that includes an incorporated traffic map having road-display segments corresponding to selected roads and a visual display; and

the visual display having a plurality of individually controllable display elements corresponding to the road-display segments and being arranged to display a plurality of visual properties each representing a different traffic condition.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the correlation parameter includes a translation table.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the correlation parameter is a traffic-information translation table.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the information viewing screen further includes an incorporated displayable icon, and a controllable visual display element corresponding to the icon.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the controllable visual display element includes a liquid-crystal display.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein an unlit visual display element corresponds to the icon not being displayed.

7. The device of claim 4 , wherein a lit visual display element corresponds to the icon being displayed.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein a display element includes a liquid-crystal display.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the liquid-crystal display is a fixed-segment liquid crystal display.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein an unlit element indicates a first traffic condition, a slow flash indicates a second traffic condition, a fast flash indicates a third traffic condition, and a solid display indicates a fourth traffic condition.

11. A method of displaying information in a mobile wireless receiver that includes a display having an incorporated traffic map, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an information-data packet having at least one payload element that includes traffic information;

decoding a payload element;

displaying the traffic map having a plurality of fixed road-display segments corresponding to selected roads, and a plurality of individually controllable display elements corresponding to the road-display segments, each element corresponding to a road-display segment and being arranged to display a plurality of visual properties each representing a different traffic condition; and

displaying one visual property of a display element in response to the decoded payload element.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the decoding step further includes decoding traffic information in response to a correlation parameter.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the correlation parameter includes a translation table.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the traffic map includes a displayable icon and a display element corresponding to the icon.

15. A method of providing information to a plurality of mobile wireless devices each having a display, the method comprising the steps of:

gathering data on selected information, including traffic information for road segments;

conditioning the gathered data;

encoding at least a portion of the gathered data;

creating an information-data packet having at least one payload element that includes traffic information; and

causing the information-data packet to be transmitted to the plurality of mobile wireless devices.

16. A method of providing information to a plurality of mobile wireless devices, the method comprising the steps of:

gathering data on selected information, including traffic information for a plurality of road segments;

conditioning the gathered data;

encoding at least a portion of the gathered data;

creating an information-data packet having at least one payload element that includes traffic information; and

causing the information-data packet to be transmitted to the plurality of mobile wireless devices, each having a viewing screen that includes an incorporated traffic map having road-display segments and a visual display having a plurality of individually controllable display elements corresponding to the road-display segments.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the conditioning step further includes the step of reducing the gathered data for a predetermined number of road segments into one road-display segment.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein each viewing screen of the plurality of mobile devices further includes an incorporated displayable icon, and a controllable visual display element corresponding to the icon.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the data is gathered over the Internet.

20. A computer-implemented system configured for providing information to a plurality of mobile wireless devices, the system comprising:

a computer having at least one processor and data storage;

an Internet connection to the World Wide Web;

a plurality of processes spawned by the at least one processor, the processes including:

gathering data on selected information from the World Wide Web, including traffic information for reported road segments;

conditioning the traffic information by reducing data for a predetermined number of reported road segments into one road-display segment;

encoding at least a portion of the gathered data;

creating an information-data packet having at least one payload element that includes traffic information; and

causing the information-data packet to be transmitted to the plurality of mobile wireless devices.