GPS World

Author: GPS World Staff

  • Bluetooth Group Adopts GNSS Standard

    The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which publishes specifications for Bluetooth, has adopted the GNSS Profile version 1.0 for devices using Bluetooth 2.0 and up. The GNSS profile provides a means for a GPS enabled device to share its position data with another device via a Bluetooth wireless technology based connection.

    The unified standard, which has been in progress for several years, will likely make it easier for location-aware Bluetooth devices to share information. Currently, devices can use proprietary formats or other formats not covered by the Special Interest Group. Developers can download the profile here (PDF).

    Revision history on the standard began in 2006, with a two-year gap in 2009 and 2010.

  • Survey GPS Maps Routes on iPhone

    allows users to record, export, and import routes and landmarks together with information such as photos, videos, audios, or text directly to an iPhone. The product is intended both for professional survey teams and outdoor adventurers. Key features include:

    • Enjoy recording your trip routes and pinning impressive landmarks, with multimedia files and descriptions.
    • Advanced functions; export/import, geotag/geocode, along with Multiple Recording Filters.
    • Versatilely edit the saved track/point; crop, move, copy, merge, or change properties.
    • Share and develop your trips with friends easily via iTunes or email.
    • Available in two versions: The Basic (TMX) and The In-App (TMX, GPX, MID/MIF, or Shapefiles.)

  • UrsaNav Follows Up with Second Wide-Area Timing Tests

    This week, UrsaNav once again transmitted from the former USCG Loran Support Unit (LSU) facility in Wildwood, New Jersey. To ensure that those interested understand that the USCG has no intent to acquire, operate, or provide a wireless time technology or services, UrsaNav has renamed the LSU — it’s new facility name is the Diamond Beach Facility, or “dBF.”

    In a statement released today, UrsaNav said:

    “Our main purpose for on-air testing at this time is to demonstrate wide-area precise time distribution using terrestrial, ground-wave RF solutions. However, a robust timing solution uses on-signal data channel(s) for nanosecond-level corrections, so we are also testing a variety of modulation techniques that provide significant throughput gains over the current 100-180 BPS methods.

    “Our current equipment suites consist of the Nautel NL Series prototype transmitters, Symmetricom Timing and Frequency Equipment (TFE), and UrsaNav UN-150 eLoran Timing Receivers.

    “We are not simply transmitting eLoran. We are also evaluating some improvements to eLoran that do not change the underlying signal structure. Finally, we are testing various alternative LF solutions that include new waveforms and modulation techniques.

    “We have established preliminary monitor sites at five locations: Boston, Massachusetts; Chambersburg, Pennsylvania; Leesburg and Chesapeake, Virginia; and Charleston, South Carolina. We are scouting for additional monitor sites at distances of up to 1,500 miles from our current transmitting location.

    “During this week’s testing, we tightened the synchronization of our transmissions to within 10 ns of UTC. We tested continuously for periods in excess of 24 hours. Without the use of any propagation corrections or differential monitoring, we successfully demonstrated UTC traceability to within +/- 30 ns at 160 miles and to within +/- 70 ns at 500 miles. Several acquisition trials showed that our receivers can very quickly acquire the LF signal and steer to within 50 ns of UTC. At all distances, our receivers met the ITU and ETSI Maximum Time Interval Error (MTIE) masks for Primary Reference Clocks.

    “Additional on-air tests are planned for next week, so stay tuned for the third part of our continuing series on wide-area timing.”

  • Accord Technology Completes Full Suite Advanced GPS for Aviation

    Accord Technology LLC was recently authorized TSO-C145c for its latest receiver/sensor in the NextNav product family, the NextNav MAX GPS WAAS Class Beta-1, -2, -3. This successful GPS development is a key solution in a series of Accord Technology’s affordable civil aviation GPS receivers and sensor, the company said.

    Available as circuit card receivers (CCA) for avionics OEM hosting or as line replaceable sensor units (LRU) for aircraft installations, MAX is affordable and meets the latest standards, worldwide. It supports ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-broadcast), all normal GPS procedures, as well as precision approach requirements such as LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance) and RNP AR (Required Navigation Performance with Authorization Required).

    The NextNav MAX GPS technology is the most advanced in the world and is compatible with Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) solutions such as the United States’ WAAS, the European EGNOS, Japan’s MTSAT, and GAGAN in India.

    “This TSO authorization for the NextNav MAX gives us greater flexibility to serve our customers with WAAS Beta 1 Only or Beta 1, 2, 3 LRU’s and CCA’s to fit their need,” commented Hal Adams, chief operating officer for Accord Technology. “The NextNav MAX is another important first for Accord Technology and we are anxious to move forward now with our AC 20-165 approved GPS sensor,” added Adams.

    Accord Technology received TSO-C145c for its NextNav mini in 2010. The NexNav mini GPS technology was the first GPS WAAS sensor to be authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration TSO-C145c WAAS Class Beta-1 Only. The NexNav mini solution is a market-breaking hybrid of automotive technology and aviation requirements providing an affordable solution for ADS-B GPS source.

    NextNav MAX’s DO-229D compliant aerospace GPS-SBAS receiver is certified by the FAA for TSO-C145c Class Beta-3 operation and is the enabling technology for several key applications, including:

    • Primary means of navigation
    • Localizer Precision with Vertical guidance approaches (LPV)
    • Airborne spacing assurance
    • Airborne Collision Avoidance (Non-TCAS System)
    • Constant descent approaches
    • Surface area movement management
    • Current and advanced Terrain Avoidance Warning System (TAWS)
    • Advanced Air Traffic Management (ATM)
    • Required Navigation Performance enhancements (RNP AR)

    “Whether it’s a need for LP/LPV approach precision or highly reliable PVT, NextNav MAX offers standard and custom solutions according to what our customers need,” Adams said. Designed around a small form-factor, the NextNav MAX CCA is delivered ready to integrate into host avionics systems, an LRU sensor or as a standalone module to ARINC 743 requirements. “We can even package the CCA in a module, tailored to your application,” Adams said.

  • Broadcom Introduces New Location Architecture with Advanced Multi-Constellation and Indoor Positioning Support

    Broadcom Corporation, maker of semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, has introduced a new location architecture to provide more responsive outdoor and indoor positioning capabilities for smartphone devices. With proven third-generation multi-constellation support and tight integration with sensor components and Broadcom’s connectivity sub-system, the new solution opens the door to innovative applications, such as indoor positioning and place-based mobile commerce, Broadcom said.

    The architecture features a new GNSS chip that significantly reduces time-to-first-fix (TTFF) for outdoor positioning applications, cutting the time smartphone users have to wait when first checking their position, Broadcom said. The platform solution also uses data from inertial sensors, Wi-Fi access points (including those based on recently announced 5G Wi-Fi), and future technologies such as Bluetooth beacons to enable ground-breaking indoor positioning capabilities, such as “personal shopper” applications that can direct users to specific stores within shopping malls, and even specific shelves within those stores. In addition, platform integration with NFC enables smarter, more secure mobile payments, with users able to specify countries, cities or even stores where digital wallets can be used, Broadcom said.

    The BCM4752 GNSS chip provides advanced multi-constellation support by simultaneously collecting data from four satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, and SBAS) and using the best received signals, resulting in faster searches and more accurate real-time navigation. Building on the success of previous GNSS chips, Broadcom’s multi-constellation technology, coupled with advanced signal processing, provides faster positioning performance for improved user experience, especially in challenging urban environments where buildings and obstructions can dramatically impact accuracy and time-to-fix, Broadcom said.

    The new chip and accompanying software are tightly integrated with Broadcom’s InConcert wireless connectivity sub-system, featuring the most advanced and complete technology offering in the industry. By developing its various connectivity components to operate as a unified system, Broadcom can offer more expansive location features that extend beyond GNSS capabilities, the company said.

    Key Features and Benefits:

    • Enhances performance and reliability:
      • Acquisition engine with advanced multipath mitigation techniques provides faster time-to-first-fix performance in challenging environments, as well as a more accurate urban navigation experience.
      • Multi-constellation capability collects data from four satellite constellations (GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, and SBAS) simultaneously and uses the best received signals, resulting in faster signal searches and more accurate real-time navigation.
    • Low board space, power consumption, and cost:
      • Fabricated in 40-nm process, the BCM4752 is tiny, occupying 44 percent less board space in a device.
      • Integration of key components such a low noise amplifier (LNA) enables low bill of materials cost.
      • The BCM4752 uses 50 percent less power than previous generations, allowing location-aware applications to remain active for longer periods of time.
      • New applications such as geofencing that provide alerts or services based on location can be completely off-loaded from the smartphone’s CPU for ultra-low system power operation.
    • Opens doors to new applications, with a proven software platform capable of:
      • Ground-breaking indoor positioning through integration of Wi-Fi (including 5G Wi-Fi), Bluetooth low energy, NFC and handset inertial sensor data into positioning applications.
      • Urban navigation by applying handset inertial sensor readings into the position computation.
      • Assisted GNSS (AGNSS) with both GPS and GLONASS assistance data available worldwide from Broadcom’s hosted reference network.

    Availability

    The BCM4752 is production ready and shipping to early access partners.

  • Galileo Launches Accelerated

    Javier Benedicto, the head of the Galileo Project Office for the European Space Agency (ESA), set an aggressive schedule for launching some Galileo satellites as many as four at a time in 2014 and 2015, in an effort to meet a target provision date of Galileo's initial services in 2014 and full services in 2015. The announcement emerged at the Munich Summit on March 14.

    The hurry-up to carry a further 22 satellites into orbit will get underway with continued dual-satellite launches aboard Russian Soyuz rockets, as was the case for the most recent in-orbit validation (IOV) launch in October, 2011. There will be three Soyuz launches in 2013, for a total of six new satellites boosted into orbit, and two Soyuz launches in 2014, adding four more. Then the burden will shift to European rockets provided by Arianespace, according to a contract signed in February of this year. One Ariane 5 rocket is slated to carry four Galileo satellites aloft in 2014, bringing the projected total of IOV and eventually operational Galileo satellites in space to 16 by the end of 2014.

    Previously, ESA had aired plans to continue with Soyuz-borne IOV launches in 2012, but the schedule announced in Munich did not mention these.

    In 2015, two more Ariane 5 launches will add eight satellites, for a total on orbit of 24, estimated to be sufficient for Galileo full operational capability.

    In subsequent talks with European satellite manufacturers OHB Systems and Astrium, GPS World contributing editor Don Jewell was told that the future launch schedule is "subject to change."

    ESA has made no official announcement of a detailed launch schedule; inquiries regarding the Benedicto remarks were referred to the February contract statement, cited above.

     

  • New CoreLogic Report Shows Tornado and Hail Risk Extends Far Beyond Great Plains States

    CoreLogic announced the release of its Tornado and Hail Risk Beyond Tornado Alley report. The new research findings from CoreLogic, based on historical weather patterns, reveal that severe weather risk extends far outside the narrow eight-state corridor in the U.S. Midwest, commonly known as “Tornado Alley,” traditionally considered to be the area in which tornado and severe hail risk is highly concentrated.

    U.S Tornado Risk (Source: CoreLogic, 2012)

    According to CoreLogic, the report was developed to provide the insurance industry additional insight into the true extent of tornado and hail risk in the U.S. following a record-breaking year of weather related disasters in 2011 and has been released in tandem with the launch of two new CoreLogic risk assessment products, Wind Probability and Hail Probability. These data layers will provide insurers with a unique level of spatial and content granularity to assess property level wind and hail risk.

    “The extensive destruction wrought by convective storms in 2011, which produce hail, strong winds and tornados, captured the attention of the public and forced many insurance companies to rethink the way they assess natural hazard risk,” said Dr. Howard Botts, vice president and director of database development for CoreLogic Spatial Solutions. “The apparent increase in the number of incidents and shift in geographic distribution of losses that occurred last year in the U.S. called the long-held notion of risk concentration in Tornado Alley into question, and is leading to changes in risk management policy and procedure.”

     

    The Tornado and Hail Risk Beyond Tornado Alley report analyzes hazard risk at the state-level across the U.S using the new CoreLogic wind and hail data layers. Key findings include:

    • Tornado risk actually extends across most of the eastern half of the U.S. rather than being confined to the Midwest.
    • According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), of the top ten states with the highest number of tornado touchdowns between 1980 and 2009, only three actually fell within Tornado Alley.
    • At least 26 states have some area facing extreme tornado risk.
    • At least 11 states have significant areas facing extreme hail risk, and almost every state east of the Rocky Mountains has some area facing a moderate or higher level of hail risk.
    • The area of highest hail risk extends outward from the central Great Plains to include states as far east as Georgia and the Carolinas.

    U.S. Damaging Hail Risk (Source: CoreLogic, 2012)

    CoreLogic reports that unlike most generalized wind and hail data, which provide a risk rating for large geographical areas, the new CoreLogic risk assessment products pinpoint and predict the probability of a wind or hail event using 10 x 10-meter property-level grid cells. Developed using highly scientific models, these new data layers are much more precise than the more traditional calculations based on ZIP codes or counties. Using a probabilistic rating in addition to a general risk rating allows users a more precise understanding of the risk of damaging winds and hail for properties in question. Individual addresses or a complete portfolio can be evaluated and the usual ranges of “high” or “medium” risk are now broken down into specific probability ranges.

    “Insurers cannot afford to rely on inprecise data,” said Botts. “Decision-making based on general risk rating over large geographic areas is little more than a best guess and can lead to common errors, such as incorrectly identifying properties or assigning risk to the wrong property. The additional precision of the products CoreLogic is introducing today provides insurers with the information necessary to better assess wind and hail risk, minimize loss and maximize underwriting profits.”

    According to the announcement, the new CoreLogic Wind Probability product predicts the likelihood of multiple damaging wind events including tornadoes, hurricanes, straight-line winds striking an individual property and takes into account special wind areas (isolated areas designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in which the magnitude of the local wind speeds is affected by local conditions). Additionally, the model used to derive both the wind and hail data layers also factors in short-run randomness of events. Used together, the wind and hail data layers offer an industry-leading level of accuracy and the most complete picture of the risk that is inherent in these weather related events. Both of the wind and hail products offer nationwide coverage and can be integrated directly into existing geospatial or underwriting systems, or can be accessed via the Xiance™ Desktop, a platform that CoreLogic recently introduced to provide insurers easy access to precise hazard risk and premium tax data.

    For a complete copy of the Tornado and Hail Risk Beyond Tornado Alley report, which includes charts, images and risk maps for the top 16 states outside of the traditional Tornado Alley corridor with the greatest exposure to tornado and hail disasters, visit www.corelogic.com/about-us/researchtrends/tornado-hail-research-report.aspx.  For more information regarding the CoreLogic Wind Probability and Hail Probability products visit www.corelogic.com/products/wind-and-hail-risk.aspx.

  • Galileo Launches Accelerated

    Javier Benedicto, the head of the Galileo Project Office for the European Space Agency (ESA), set an aggressive schedule for launching some Galileo satellites as many as four at a time in 2014 and 2015, in an effort to meet a target provision date of Galileo’s initial services in 2014 and full services in 2015. The announcement emerged at the Munich Summit on March 14.

    The hurry-up to carry a further 22 satellites into orbit will get underway with continued dual-satellite launches aboard Russian Soyuz rockets, as was the case for the most recent in-orbit validation (IOV) launch in October, 2011. There will be three Soyuz launches in 2013, for a total of six new satellites boosted into orbit, and two Soyuz launches in 2014, adding four more. Then the burden will shift to European rockets provided by Arianespace, according to a contract signed in February of this year. One Ariane 5 rocket is slated to carry four Galileo satellites aloft in 2014, bringing the projected total of IOV and eventually operational Galileo satellites in space to 16 by the end of 2014.

    Previously, ESA had aired plans to continue with Soyuz-borne IOV launches in 2012, but the schedule announced in Munich did not mention these.

    In 2015, two more Ariane 5 launches will add eight satellites, for a total on orbit of 24, estimated to be sufficient for Galileo full operational capability.

    In subsequent talks with European satellite manufacturers OHB Systems and Astrium, GPS World contributing editor Don Jewell was told that the future launch schedule is “subject to change.”

    ESA has made no official announcement of a detailed launch schedule; inquiries regarding the Benedicto remarks were referred to the February contract statement, cited above.

  • Time and Frequency Metrology Seminar Slated for June

    The 37th Annual Time and Frequency Metrology Seminar will be held June 5-8, 2012, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado. Don Jewell, GPS World’s contributing editor for Defense and PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing), will be attending.

    The Time and Frequency Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is offering the course on understanding clocks, oscillators, atomic frequency standards, RF and optical synchronization, optical oscillators, quantum information, optical cooling and heating; making precise frequency, time, phase-noise, and jitter measurements; and establishing measurement accuracy and traceability. This four-day course is the most comprehensive available, organizers say.

    The 2012 Seminar will include lectures in direct-digital PM noise measurements, how to specify frequency uncertainty, oscillator needs for new radars and surveillance systems, GPS vs. other global navigation satellite systems, photonic (laser-based) oscillators, chip-scale atomic clocks, femtosecond laser dividers, active PM-noise reduction techniques in oscillators, millimeter-wave applications and noise measurements, and ultra-low noise amplifier design techniques.

    For more information and to register, visit the seminar website.

  • 37th Annual Time and Frequency Metrology Seminar

    The 37th Annual Time and Frequency Metrology Seminar will be held June 5-8, 2012, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado. Don Jewell, GPS World’s contributing editor for Defense and PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing), will be attending.

    The Time and Frequency Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is offering the course on understanding clocks, oscillators, atomic frequency standards, RF and optical synchronization, optical oscillators, quantum information, optical cooling and heating; making precise frequency, time, phase-noise, and jitter measurements; and establishing measurement accuracy and traceability. This four-day course is the most comprehensive available.

    The 2012 Seminar will include lectures in direct-digital PM noise measurements, how to specify frequency uncertainty, oscillator needs for new radars and surveillance systems, GPS vs. other global navigation satellite systems, photonic (laser-based) oscillators, chip-scale atomic clocks, femtosecond laser dividers, active PM-noise reduction techniques in oscillators, millimeter-wave applications and noise measurements, and ultra-low noise amplifier design techniques.

    For more information and to register, visit the seminar website.

  • Green Dot to Acquire Loopt

    Green Dot Corporation, a provider of banking and payment solutions, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Loopt, a social location-based service that connects people.

    Green Dot indicated that the acquisition will provide a number of key strategic benefits that are expected to improve customer acquisition and retention of its current prepaid debit card products, drive the adoption of new banking and payment products targeted to new segments of consumers, and provide the opportunity for Green Dot to become a leader in mobile wallets, rewards and payment solutions at retailers nationwide, the company said.

    Furthermore, Loopt holds several patents that are applicable to mobile marketing in the context of location-based messaging delivered real-time to a mobile handset. Green Dot believes that these patents will be important strategic assets as it pursues its mobile business opportunities.

    “We believe that mobile phones have the potential to change the way people interact with their bank, control their money and pay for goods and services,” said Steve Streit, Chairman and CEO of Green Dot. “Loopt has innovative mobile technology, market leading mobile programming capabilities and compelling intellectual property. Meanwhile, Green Dot has a large customer base, a robust enterprise-level financial services infrastructure and retail point-of-sale financial transaction capabilities deployed at major retailers nationwide. When Loopt’s assets are layered into Green Dot’s platform, we believe that a significant opportunity emerges for Green Dot to become a large-scale player in mobile technology solutions at the retail point of sale.”

    Loopt co-founder and CEO Sam Altman stated, “It’s been exhilarating to see mobile become such a critical part of our collective daily lives. As this technology truly reaches the masses, I believe we’re going to see the banking and payments industry fundamentally reshaped in a way that’s better for everyone. My team and I look forward to being part of this transformation and are eager to bring cutting edge mobile banking and payment solutions to Green Dot’s retail partners and Green Dot’s millions of current and future customers.”

    Upon closing of the transaction, Loopt’s current headquarters in Mountain View, California, will become the new Silicon Valley hub for Green Dot’s mobile technology and product development team.

    Green Dot will pay total consideration of $43.4 million in cash for the company, which includes approximately $9.8 million to be set aside as a retention pool for key Loopt employees. Green Dot expects this transaction will result in approximately $14 million of incremental operating expenses during the remainder of this year which will reduce the Company’s previously guided 2012 full year adjusted EBITDA accordingly. This amount includes the above mentioned retention payments, ongoing salaries and benefits for retained Loopt employees, wind-down expenses of current Loopt services and other expenses associated with the costs of integrating Loopt’s technology into Green Dot’s operating infrastructure.

  • Millennial Media Announces Release of Self-Service Solution mMedia

    Millennial Media, provider of mobile advertising, announced that mMedia, its newest self-service mobile solution, has emerged from private beta to full release.

    Within mMedia, developers and advertisers will be able to reach more than 200 million global mobile users via Millennial Media’s advertising platform, according to the company. mMedia complements Millennial Media’s full-service mobile advertising solutions, renowned for their scale across multiple regions of the world.

    mMedia allows mobile app developers, franchises, and small or independent businesses to utilize mobile as a strategic piece of their marketing strategy. mMedia campaigns can be set up quickly, and advertisers will have access to a comprehensive dashboard that puts them in control of bids, creative, targeting, and more, the company said.

    “mMedia extends our mobile ad platform to developers and advertisers who are looking for a complete self-service solution,” said Chris Brandenburg, Co-Founder and CTO, Millennial Media. “Whether their goals are to monetize an app or to promote a business, the technology behind mMedia helps our developer and advertiser partners unlock the power of mobile and drive results that will scale their businesses.”

    In addition to traditional mobile targeting methods, mMedia includes a self-service hyper-local targeting feature. Advertisers can draw a virtual fence around their desired targeting area to deliver zone-based advertising with ease. Once drawn, the advertiser’s ads will reach users within that designated area.

    Developers can now access mMedia through the same portal they currently use to monetize their mobile applications and sites.