A new type of GPS?

John Armstrong

John Armstrong

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Anyone heard about a navigation sytem that uses mobile phone cell technology? My guess is that the mast knows where it is, and sends out signals and gets responses which is just like a phone. The cost will apparently be rather a lot less than a GPS, whether it will work in the wilds is open to debate.
 
You cannot get a mobile signal in quite a lot of this country!
You DEFINATELY WILL NOT get a signal in the middle of the Sahara.
Not worth buying those then!
 
John Armstrong said:
Anyone heard about a navigation sytem that uses mobile phone cell technology? My guess is that the mast knows where it is, and sends out signals and gets responses which is just like a phone. The cost will apparently be rather a lot less than a GPS, whether it will work in the wilds is open to debate.
Click to expand...

I guess what you are refering to is Location based services. Those operator chaps have various applications and ideas for them up their sleeves. Based on GPS on the phone/pda whatever and/or using triangulation. Not sure the accuracy will be as good. And in the near future may rely on the maps and other date being their servers rather than on your device.
Then there is the issue of privacy them or perhaps other users knowing where you are. Of course they can do this to an extent already, but if the Mrs can see which house you are in ....

No doubt some of you out there work for TMobile/Vodafone/Orange so spill the beans. Being a bit out of work those beans may have moved on so who I am to rattle on about LBS (if that was what you even refering to)...
 
John Armstrong said:
Anyone heard about a navigation sytem that uses mobile phone cell technology? My guess is that the mast knows where it is, and sends out signals and gets responses which is just like a phone. The cost will apparently be rather a lot less than a GPS, whether it will work in the wilds is open to debate.
Click to expand...

This isn't anything new. The powers that be including those nice people in Cheltenham have been able to triangulate your position based on signal strength to multiple transmitters at once. As network bandwidth demand increases, more transmitters are put up, cells get smaller and this all gets even easier.

I think that the funkiest bit of kit around is the Garmin Rino 120 which isn't availabe in the UK yet but is on Garmins website if you fancy a look at it.

Mike
 
gprs

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) enabled networks offer 'always-on', higher capacity, Internet-based content and packet-based data services. This enables services such as colour Internet browsing, e-mail on the move, powerful visual communications, multimedia messages and location-based services.

imagine having your pda phone and open it up and ring a cab company, they say "where are you" and you check your phone and send them the info, or they get it automatically and send the nearset cab to you.. knowing your location thanks to gprs

or else just think of parents bieng able to find out where there kids are, or spouses checking on their partners.. all thanks to your mobile

the list is endless, but the biggest problem is legal..

freedom of information, do you want your telco to know where you go, when you go there, and what your up to all the time..

thats the doozy...
 
GPRS is only a Packet bearer and does not offer any Location Services.
The most common location service and cheapest for Mobiles is by using the cell ID that the mobile is currently camped on, although this is fairly inacurrate as a cell can be upto 70km in radius. The other options are using the neighbour list and the timing advance which will give you fairly good accuracy down to approx 50m. Some phones have GPS built in like the Benefone Track pro which is designed for lone worker applications.
Also there are a number of companies like CPS in Cambridge offering network based location services, and these are soon to become mandatory in all mobiles sold in the US.
 
cecilthecat said:
GPRS is only a Packet bearer and does not offer any Location Services.
Click to expand...

sorry should have stated that these services are not available yet..

only ideas at moment.. but it is possible.. and mobile comanies are testing combined handheld units with gprs and wireless lans for location based services..

even here in dublin.. gov have maoney available for test cases.. bids were required a few weeks agoi. i know caus ei had some friends involved in this..

so the future could have wireless conection to your pda phone sending you ads or special offers as you walk by a shop, or a cinema trailer as you walk by the local cineam, all on wireless lans linked in with gprs..

anyway enough..

btw these wireless hot spots are already up and running in some places new york for eg..

regards

pthagonal
 
Currently in the UK 3 of the 4 networks are using basic Cell ID location services with the AA traffic service. If you phone the number (2020 for T-mobile) it will give you local traffic info for the area you are in.

Kinda cool really :idea

Simon
 
Take a look at http://www.cursor-system.com/default.htm this is for the company Cambridge Positioning Systems who designed the system. Although they do use signal strength triangulation principles, its a tad more sophisticated than simple triangulation calculations as they have to take into account environmental factors that can affect signal strength (e.g. if there is a mountain between you and one of the transmitters which affects the signal strength then that information has to be taken into account in the calculations).
 
Pthagonal said:



even here in dublin.. gov have maoney available for test cases.. bids were required a few weeks agoi. i know caus ei had some friends involved in this..
Click to expand...

Hey Ian,
Are you speaking with a northside or a southside accent here ? he he


:beerjug:
 
No, I heard it from my wife who works for a software company that is looking to branch into tracking of persons / vehicles. They say the alternative will be a lot cheaper, but then will it work in deepest Wales / Spain or the Saharra? Probably not as well as the current GPS systems.
 
luke scott said:


Hey Ian,
Are you speaking with a northside or a southside accent here ? he he


:beerjug:
Click to expand...
sorry dere guv, was workin an typeng at der same toime..

anyway dont have a northsoider accent..

ois got a limerick accent.. the one wiv the sharp edges .. if you know what i mean..

lol

ok ok sorry for the typos, must learn to spell check

pthagonal
 
No, I heard it from my wife who works for a software company that is looking to branch into tracking of persons / vehicles. They say the alternative will be a lot cheaper, but then will it work in deepest Wales / Spain or the Saharra? Probably not as well as the current GPS systems.
Click to expand...

John, In a vehicle/person tracking appliction if the phone doesn't work you can't transmit the location regardless of whether it is derived from GPS or phone. The cost of the GPS is not all that significant, in a low cost tracking box (e.g. around the £250 pound mark) the GPS adds about £50 pounds to the cost and the antenna about £15, the GSM phone module is the expensive bit at about £120. The rest is circuit board, power regulator, memory, processor, connectors, case etc.

PS If your wife's company wants good quality mapping software for vehicle tracking get her to contact me.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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