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Workflow Step

TMC (Traffic Message Channel)

OpenLR (Dynamic Location Referencing)

Key Differences / Notes

1. Location Model

Pre-coded locations stored in a Location Table with static IDsDynamic encoding based on geometry, topology, and attributesOpenLR does not rely on static tables; supports unlimited locations

2. Map Dependency

Relatively dependent on the specific map version/revision used to build and link the TMC table codes to the road network map elementsMap‑agnostic and designed to work across multiple maps and versionsAs road networks change, TMC location definitions may become outdated.  Older versions of TMC location tables anOpenLR and OpenLR requires careful matching between source and target maps

3. Location Identification

Lookup of a pre-defined TMC Location Code based on table or attributed map elements.On‑the‑fly encoding of point/line based on actual map geometryTMC is instant lookup; OpenLR requires computation

4. Encoding Process

Encoding = selecting the right TMC Location Codes from the tableEncoding = generating a reference path via attributes + geometryOpenLR encoding is computationally heavier but flexible

5. Message Construction

Very compact messages (a few bytes)Larger messages (~20–30 bytes for a line location)Size is rarely an issue today, but OpenLR uses more bandwidth

6. Transmission

Typically  used in broadcast (RDS, DAB), and low‑bandwidth IP environments

Typically used in wider bandwidth IP-based environments.
TPEG enables hybrid TMC and OpenLR use in digital Broadcast transmission and IP environments.

OpenLR is suitable for richer digital ecosystems

7. Decoding Method

Match Location Codes to same TMC table on receiver side, and look up associated map elements in map.Decoder reconstructs location using map matching + shortest-path algorithmsOpenLR decoding is more CPU-intensive compared to TMC decoding

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