ROUTE SUMMARY CONSTRUCTION, COMPRESSION AND DECOMPRESSION

A system includes a processor that determines a route. The processor determines a plurality of nodes along the route and alternative paths from one node to a successive node along the route through another node. The processor defines the route based on the plurality of nodes and removes at least one node between second and third nodes on the basis that the removed node lies along a least-cost path between the second and third nodes. The processor repeats removal of nodes until a set of minimum nodes to define the route with all non-least-cost path decisions is achieved as a compressed route and transmits the compressed route to at least one second processor that decompresses the compressed route through inclusion of removed nodes, the removed nodes being re-included on the basis of being nodes lying on a least-cost path between two nodes included sequentially in the compressed route.