Abstract: A digital card of a highway network is provided in the form of a traffic file in a traffic data control center and in a terminal. Sections of streets or lanes or groups of streets or lanes are each represented as a segment in the digital card. Data pertaining to a chain of segments which follow each other in a numerical sequence in the highway network are combined in the control center into traffic data packets. Each traffic data packet contains (a) an identifier symbol representing the identity of the segment at one end of the chain, (b) a numerical chain segment symbol representing the total number of segments in numerical sequence in the chain, and (c) at least one condition symbol representing the condition of at least one of the segments in the chain The traffic data packets are transmitted to the terminal, where they are decoded and route information is output to a terminal user.

Abstract: The transmission of traffic information from a control center to a terminal is optimized with respect to the volume of data to be transmitted by a control center, a terminal, and process for decoding the traffic information pertaining to a highway network transmitted from a traffic control information center to a terminal.

Abstract: Optimized, universal transmission of traffic information and the coding thereof by different terminals is permitted in a simple, inexpensive and efficient manner by apparatuses and a method for transmitting traffic information relating to a road traffic network from a traffic information control center to at least one terminal. In the control center, the segments of the road traffic network which are affected by the traffic information are either coded using a location coordinate table, available in the control center, in a form which represents the location of the segments, or are coded using a segment table, available in the control center, in a form which represents the identity of the segments without their location. The control center transmits to the terminal a selection information item which indicates which of the two above codings is used in the transmitted information.