NAVTEQ Maps Offer Additional Road Network Attributes

Five New Attributes Bring Advanced Functionality to Navigation Solutions

CHICAGO, Oct. 20 -- NAVTEQ , a leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, has added five new attributes to NAVTEQ(TM) maps: enhanced geometry accuracy, speed limit, special speed situation, variable speed signs and number of lanes.

These additional attributes make it possible for navigation systems to offer drivers advanced functionality and more useful information about the road network. For example, the enhanced geometry, which provides higher absolute and relative accuracy of the road network, can be integrated into vehicles' navigation and telematics systems to improve the performance of the vehicles' adaptive cruise control and adaptive headlight functionality. The speed limit attributes detail the actual speed, special speed limit (usually dependent on time, conditions or activities), dependent special speed type (school, rain, snow, time dependent, etc), variable speed sign (where speed limit information changes based on road conditions and traffic) and speed limit unit (numerical value-either mph or kph). The number of lanes recorded, quite literally, identifies the number of lanes (excluding exit, acceleration and deceleration lanes) constituting specific sections or 'links' of roadway.

The speed limit and geometry attributes are also useful to the development of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which enhance the performance of vehicles by enabling communication between and within the vehicle and the roadway.

"Every piece of information about the road network that can be shared with a vehicle contributes to the goal of seamless communication between the car and its driver. These attributes help make cars and fleets smarter and navigation applications more robust, giving our customers yet another avenue for differentiating their navigation and telematics solutions," said John MacLeod, Executive Vice President - Global Marketing & Strategy for NAVTEQ.

These new attributes are available with NAVTEQ maps of North America and Europe; however, there are variations in availability by level of roadway, with interstate highways offering all of these attributes and inter-town roadways and residential streets respectively offering fewer categories of the new attributes.

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices and Internet-based mapping applications. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 1,400 employees located in over 100 offices in 20 countries.