ISO TS 14823 Provides IT Information for Trip Planning

October 31, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

The TS presents a system of standardized codes for existing signs and pictograms used to deliver traffic and traveler information (TTI).

According to ISO, it is aimed at helping IT systems (ITS) to work effectively, employing common principles and practices within regions and, as far as possible, globally.

Among the potential benefits of ISO TS 14823 are improving the environment, including air quality and noise abatement, and saving travel time and cost and as well as making travel time more productive for business travelers and more agreeable for all travelers, ISO said.

It can also facilitate the use of alternate or multiple travel modes, improving travel times and leveling loads in the transportation system, according to the organization.

The coding system presented in ISO TS 14823 can be used to form messages to be handled by respective media systems, graphic messages on on-board units and media system information on TTI dissemination systems.

These types of information are required by travelers for their pre-trip planning, as well as their in-trip plan modification based on information obtained through media systems.

A system handling graphic messages generally comprises TTI system operators, media systems and communication networks interconnecting these systems.

ISO TS 14823 relates to:

• TTI systems operators, which include traffic management centers (TMCs), traffic information centers (TICs), parking information centers (PICs), public transport centers (PTCs) and value-added service providers (VASPs).
• Media systems, which include on-board units (OBUs), variable message signs (VMS), PCs and public access terminals (PATs).

The main part of the standard explains the concepts of graphic data information service to the users who need TTI information service and presents an overview of the user service.

Information elements contained in messages provided by pre-trip and in-trip information services can be divided into:

• Traffic sign information: danger warning, regulatory, informative.
• Public facilities information.
• Ambient/road condition information.

Adopting unified graphic data is expected to improve the understandability of the graphic information by the user and thereby increase the convenience of TTI systems, ISO said.

The purpose of the graphic data dictionary (GDD) presented in ISO TS 14823 is to catalog graphic images like traffic signs and pictograms specified and used uniquely in each country and to assign them a certain code in order to facilitate the data exchange between media, ISO said.

Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).