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Geographic intelligence delivers a new dimension to wireless businesses through location-based services (LBS). Geographic data level of detail and accuracy opens up a broad scope of potential applications, enabling you to tailor your technology and services to the exact location of your customers.
The development of high-bandwidth networks has greatly enhanced the potential of LBS, generating a significant return on infrastructure investment with the delivery of personalized, user-specific data.
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LBS assists in personal and commercial route planning, vehicle, asset and personnel tracking, information services, real-world computer gaming and emergency and breakdown services. Customers can receive targeted, faster, more detailed information on demand, while you enjoy increased customer loyalty, mass market appeal and greater volume of data traffic.
But location-based services are only as accurate as the geographic data underpinning them. Geographic intelligence must be built on the most accurate and reliable geographic framework available, giving you the confidence to rely on this information to tailor your business activity.
LBS requires a convergent system of the following multiple technologies:
- Internet
- Wireless communication
- Geographic information system
- Location technologies
- Mobile devices
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Figure 1. Location Based Services General Outline
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Internet Provides an environment that can be accessed “virtually” everywhere. Please see Figures 2 and 3 for samples.
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Figure 2. Sample Web Application giving you the shortest or quickest route between two locations. This application can be customized to be easily viewed in mobile phones and Pocket PCs, PDAs.
Courtesy of http://www.turkyol.com
Figure 3. Mobile Devices.
The mobile handsets consist of cell phones and handheld computing devices. They are composed of three units; namely, a control/interface unit, a transceiver, and an antenna system
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Wireless Communication
Efficiency, productivity, time, and cost savings—how will you meet these demands? With LBS, you can run a more productive business by knowing when, where, and how quickly jobs get done. You can build location-based applications for sales force automation, field service automation, and field force automation.
- Route your workers correctly
- Meet customers’ appointments
- Know where your staff is at all times
- Integrate mobile location into short messaging alert notifications and e-mail
- Communicate more effectively
- Measure and audit mobile workforce productivity
Mobile E-911
Emergency 9-1-1, public works, homeland security, and other community services require you to know where your mobile workers are so you can direct them more efficiently. Serve the public better by equipping mobile staff with essential knowledge to act quickly during administrative activities and emergencies.
LBS software and Web services help you build applications that link your IT framework to mobile locations, maps, routes, and geographic events that help you and your staff communicate and respond more effectively.
- Serve e-9-1-1 callers
- Respond to public works problem reports
- Inform mobile crews of changing emergency conditions
- Integrate mobile location into short messaging alert notifications and e-mails
Figure 4. Mobile Consumer. With location-based applications, it's easy to find on-the-spot answers to important questions, such as Where am I? Where am I going? How do I get there?
Information, tracking, alerting, and navigation services help you know what's around you. Find friends, family, and colleagues, Get directions, Communicate better with others in a geographical context.
Geographic Information System
Storing and analyzing spatial data is an essential part of LBS System.
Geographical Information System (GIS) Refers to the computer-based capability to manipulate geographic data
Maps or images can be stored in vector or raster format.
A spatial object must have:
- Location: a known point
- Form: a geometric representation
- Attribute: the nature of the object
- Spatial relationship: the boundary of an area
Location Technologies
Network-based: Technologies that exploit the cellular infrastructure to obtain geo-location information.
Handset-based: Location intelligence is stored within terminal
Each of these groups may be divided into:
- The Mobile device uses signals transmitted by the base stations to calculate its own position
- The base stations measure the signals transmitted by the Mobile and relay them to a central site for processing.
References
- http://www.esri.com
- http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/business/sectors/wireless/lbs/
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sacemoglu@ags-group.com
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Sedat Acemoglu got his Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering in 1996 from Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. His main interests are Location-Based Services and GIS applications development. |
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