GPS Traffic Information
The advantages of a GPS navigation device include being able to find the fastest, most efficient route between two locations. This may be a simple process on a map, but under real-world conditions the shortest route is not always the fastest. GPS devices with traffic-monitoring systems are able to account for traffic patterns and adjust their navigation directions accordingly.
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Growth
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The earliest GPS devices marketed for drivers had no traffic-monitoring capabilities at all. Gradually, as the technology improved and the devices grew in popularity, traffic features became more widespread. Traffic-monitoring programs became part of the built-in navigation systems in some cars as well as optional services on the many different types of portable GPS devices. Today there are several different ways in which a GPS device receives information about traffic.
FM Receivers
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One of the most common types of GPS traffic-monitoring systems uses an FM radio receiver. This receiver is housed within the GPS device and connects either to an internal antenna or to a separate external antenna. Some GPS devices without FM receivers can be enabled to use this feature by attaching an FM accessory kit. Devices with FM capability interpret a silent radio broadcast that contains data about traffic, allowing the GPS device to adjust its navigation to choose the fastest-moving routes.
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Wireless Data
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Following the introduction of FM radio-based GPS traffic systems, some GPS manufacturers began producing devices that use a digital wireless data stream. The most common of these is MSN Direct, developed my Microsoft. GPS devices with MSN Direct capability receive signals generated by the website traffic.com and use it to adjust navigation. Like FM-based systems, wireless data traffic systems require an antenna which can either be integrated into the GPS device or added as an external accessory.
Cell Phone Systems
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Cell phones are another means of allowing a GPS device to receive traffic information. Phones that connect to the Internet can acquire real-time traffic data and transfer it to a GPS device using a Bluetooth connection. For cell phones that feature their own GPS navigation systems, this connection is even more straightforward. Like wireless data connections, cell phone-based GPS traffic relies on traffic information that has already been gathered online.
How to Choose
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Choosing between the different types of GPS traffic monitoring systems can be a challenge. Two types of coverage ensure that you get useful traffic information on the roads you commonly use. These are known as data coverage (the areas in which traffic information is collected) and delivery coverage (the areas in which it is available via broadcast to your GPS device). In addition, GPS traffic systems may supply two different types of information: incident reports (such as accidents or construction delays) and flow reports (the speed of traffic). The best traffic-monitoring systems have wide data and delivery ranges and offer both incident and flow reporting.
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