u-blox, the Swiss positioning and wireless chip and module company, has received approval for its LISA-U110 UMTS/HSPA wireless module from SK Telecom, Korea’s largest mobile telecom operator with more than 50 percent market share. SK Telecom provides multimedia services and connectivity to 24 million customers throughout South Korea.
The certification allows the LISA modem to be used in a wide range of consumer and M2M applications operating over SK Telecom’s nation-wide 3G network including vehicle infotainment, supply chain management, industrial automation, metering, security, and location-based services.
“We are very pleased that SK Telecom has chosen to work with us on this 3G approval. Our compact and high-speed LISA 3G module is a perfect fit with their strategy to provide converged wireless services supporting entertainment, business and financial applications. Our local support in Korea was a key factor in obtaining this certification” said Samuel Ji, u-blox Country Manager, Korea.
The LISA-U110 is an embedded wireless UMTS/HSPA module delivering high data rates in 3G networks intended for consumer, automotive and industrial applications. For telematics applications, the series provides easy integration with u-blox GPS, GLONASS and QZSS receivers.
LISA modules come in SMT form factor and have a very small footprint, allowing easy mounting on any application board. The LISA form factor enables easy manufacturing, u-blox said, as well as simple migration from u‑blox’ GSM/GPRS modules. Support for A-GPS and u-blox’ CellLocate positioning technology is embedded to facilitate advanced telematics applications including indoor positioning.
Features include compatibility with quad-band GPRS/EDGE, low power (idle mode less than 2 mA) and operating temperature -40 to +85 deg. Celsius. RIL software for Android and Embedded Windows is available free of charge.
LISA modules are manufactured in ISO/TS 16949 certified sites and are fully qualified according to ISO 16750 — Environmental conditions and electrical testing for electrical and electronic equipment for road vehicles to provide high durability and reliability.
CES is big, loud and happens every year. For the past three or so years, the largest tradeshow in the United States has become a showcase for automobile manufacturers’ product rollouts…which is a far cry from the traditional car stereos and mega-huge flat-screen TVs you see walking the several football field-sized show floors. CES may not be everyone’s idea of a good time — hotels are expensive, you can’t get a cab as lines are a quarter-mile long, and much of the action for location may not even be in the show itself anymore. But it would be hard to say it’s a boring week.
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas had lot of everything: 150,000 people, nearly 3,300 exhibitors and almost 2 million square feet of exhibit space. What it didn’t have was a ton of location-based services news.
Most of that action came at off-site meetings such as the AT&T Developer’s Summit and other venues. Still, a lot of auto manufacturers, partnered with the wireless carriers, use the nation’s largest trade show as a launching pad for infotainment units that feature two-way connectivity.
This connectivity will be important for hybrid navigation, both automotive and fleet management users and service providers who want the best of both worlds, said Kim Fennell, deCarta president and CEO. “[This means] off-board search and navigation to get real-time content, traffic, search along a route for current information such as parking spaces near a theater, as well as proper on-board capabilities when no wireless connection is available,” he said. “Companies ‘talk’ a good story, but the ability to do real hybrid is difficult technologically and so this conversation will gain prominence [this year].”
Ford and GM both touted their developer programs at CES. Ford’s developer program allows users to work with SYNC and AppLink application programming interface. GM plans to offer developers an SDK.
At CES, not a lot of new handsets were launched, as many manufacturers use their own events or other trade shows for launch. One of the biggest trends of 2013, Fennell believes, is the movement by handset manufacturers to launch their own LBS apps and services. “Of course, Apple made a mess of it — and the result is that companies now recognize that geospatial is hard to do…well,” he said. “This will get some companies to back off doing their own, while it will get others to continue, but with more care and attention to what it takes to do it right.”
CES always announces what companies think is going to be the next big thing. Unfortunately, consumers sometimes don’t always agree. A year ago, the big deal was Ultrabook computers, which were supposed to be the one-up to tablets and smartphones, but lackluster sales have diminished that fledgling market.
Two years ago, the big thing was 3D TV, which turned out to be expensive and lacked content. “3D is overblown. Not at scale yet,” Fennell said.
Maybe the PND Isn’t Dead Yet
The lag in portable navigation sales and the rise of the smartphone as the navigation platform of choice signaled that maybe the end was near for PNDs. In fact, many companies said consumers would rather pay the extra money for manufacturer-installed infotainment products with two-way connectivity than a PND.
This means that PNDs couldn’t traditionally receive current traffic, weather or new driving information on roads, restaurants and other services.
To start competing with the auto manufacturers, at CES such companies as Magellan rolled out PND models with Bluetooth that connects to a customer’s smartphone. The $249 SmartGPS uses a consumer’s cell phone data connection to receive social and LBS. It will soon offer Foursquare alerts and Yelp restaurant reviews.
Another PND giant, TomTom, partnered with Telenav at CES to provide its Live Traffic service to Telenav, which makes Scout, an application for iPhone, Android and Windows mobile devices.
In other CES news:
Garmin rolled out the K2 platform, a customizable unit that offers digital displays, voice control, infrared buttons, and smartphone integration. The unit features navigation, vehicle diagnostics, music and real-time information.
Subaru introduced Starlink, a new in-car connectivity product. The unit includes Aha by HARMAN integration that allows drivers to access tens of thousands of stations of Web-based content, from radio stations, podcasts, and weather sites to social media feeds.
Chrysler upgraded its Uconnect infotainment system with dealer-activated navigation, which allows Chrysler Group dealers to activate the navigation functions in vehicles equipped with certain systems.
One question mark at CES was the absence of Microsoft, which didn’t exhibit for the first time in years. In years past, reporters would stand in line to listen to Bill Gates, who usually opened the conference with a speech or product roll-out the day before.
End of an Era
One of the pioneer companies to integrate GPS into wireless devices, as well as take a big chunk of the enterprise market has been sold. As GPS World reported, Princeton, N.J.-based ALK Technologies was purchased by Trimble for an undisclosed figure.
ALK’s transportation, logistics and mobile workforce products are going to Trimble’s Transportation and Logistics division. No word about what is happening to ALK’s consumer products.
ALK’s two flagship products, CoPilot and PC Miler were sold in North American and overseas. Approximately 64 percent of North American for-hire motor carriers use ALK products, the company said.
ALK Technologies founder and long-time industry veteran, Alain Kornhauser, said last year that location markets had been good for the company. The company’s CoPilot Live had been seeing good sales in Europe, he said.
Kornhauser was a dynamic speaker at the GPS-Wireless conference for 13 years, informing and enraging attendees alike with his great quotes. One favorite: “Telematics is a Stalinist term.”
Barry Glick, former MapQuest executive who was hired in 2011 as CEO, ran the company’s day-to-day operations. In December 2012, ALK established a new group, Enterprise Solutions, which combined its PC Miler, CoPilot Truck and CoPilot Live Professional Product lines plus supporting map data, software tools and professional services.
Take two in the morning and we’ll catch up with you.
Pill bottles fitted with GPS trackers are going to be used by the New York Police Department to combat the theft of painkillers and other addictive prescription medicines, according to the Associated Press. Pharmacies will be asked to hide the GPS bottles amid the legitimate supplies on their shelves. If stolen, the “bait bottles” could help investigators track stolen drugs and locate suspects.
The plan will be unveiled today at a La Quinta, California, conference on health issues hosted by former President Bill Clinton’s foundation, the AP reports.
The GPS bait-bottle initiative is an effort to curb crimes associated with the black market for prescription drugs. Similar attempts to track prescription drugs on a limited basis have been undertaken before, but the NYPD said this would be the first widespread effort.
Consumer Electronics Show 2013 (CES) was all about the hot pursuit of the in-vehicle dashboard by mobile advertising, content, and electronic providers. In the race to distinguish their models by adding more apps and connectivity, automakers are making it easier for apps to talk to cars. Automakers also showcased autonomous vehicles, including a self-driving car; and Inrix has made finding parking spaces easier. But CES isn’t the only place making news. The mapping battles, of course, continue, and the European Parliament is considering privacy measures that would make it difficult for digital content and service providers to subsist on ad revenue.
CES wasn’t about the wireless carriers or the handset makers. Not wanting to be left in the dust of the Google driverless car, Audi jumped on the bandwagon and is focusing on piloted driving and parking technology. Audi introduced self-driving car technology that it claims will enable a car to seek out a parking space in a garage and park, all without a driver. Audi received the second license from the State of Nevada to test autonomous vehicles on the state’s public roads. Google was the first company to obtain a license, and Audi has acquired the first license by a car maker. Toyota is taking a different tack and is focused on providing intelligent pre-collision systems, and not a car that drives itself, but may eventually do so.
Park your car?INRIX, known for traffic data, announced a parking service that provides real-time information on the number of available spaces at off-street parking locations, as well as current parking fees. The parking database includes more than 18,000 parking facilities in North America and 42,000 in Europe (36 countries). The data are sourced from ParkMe (formerly Parking in Motion) and Parkopedia. Kenwood will include INRIX parking in new in-dash DVD entertainment receivers, along with INRIX real-time traffic information, fuel and weather services.
Have you programmed a Ford Lately? Ford continues to lead in-vehicle mobile connectivity. The company has further opened up APIs to make it easier for developers to access in-car controls and the vehicle display. Those that want to share from the road are in luck. Ford has also added a location-sharing app from Glympse. With the Glympse smartphone app and Ford SYNC AppLInk, drivers can share their whereabouts or estimated time of arrival via a real-time dynamic map. Glympse also has a partnership with Mercedes Benz.
Bump in the road for contextual advertising? Companies that depend on mobile and online advertising in the European Union (EU) may be in for a tailspin. EU Europeans may have the strongest control of their online identities if a bill is passed by the European Parliament to overhaul data protection laws. Web tracking and profiling would not be allowed without consumer consent. With app and content providers depending on personalized advertising to provide revenue, alternate means of revenue would be needed as many consumers will be reticent. We’d see a return to a more subscription-based world and a smaller industry. The proposal, if approved, would create a European Union agency charged with enforcing a full series of privacy measures to give Internet users greater control of online information. The agency would be empowered to levy fines of up to two percent of a company’s revenue.
Update on the patent wars. Industry is falling over itself in pursuit of intellectual property. Although it is about the quality and not size, patent numbers are revealing. IBM was granted more patents in 2012 than any other company, the 20th year the company has taken first place. Archenemies Google and Apple posted the biggest increases in 2012, but were trounced by another rival, Samsung, who was second to IBM with more than 5,000 patents granted last year. Apple was awarded 1,236 patents in 2012, 68 percent more than the preceding year. Google posted a 170 percent jump in patents granted in 2012, with 1,151 patents. Google and Apple will continue to rocket fuel their intellectual property collection with acquisitions.
Turn at which Starbucks? Garmin unveiled a range of new personal navigation devices (PNDs). The new products include Natural Guidance from Navteq, re-branded as “Real Directions.” Directions include recognized landmarks, buildings, traffic lights and stop signs. On some models, traffic information and alternate routes are provided by voice.
Mapping skirmish. Google has been reportedly blocking Windows phones from using Google Maps from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) browser in a ploy to convert IE users to Google Chrome. Microsoft cried foul and Google provided a flimsy excuse of compatibility issues and reversed course.
GPS Insight, a GPS fleet tracking solution provider, announced its new GPS Insight Hours of Service Solution as an addition to its award-winning GPS Tracking software intended for fleets that need both electronic driver logs and GPS tracking combined.
The EOBR-1000 device combines GPS tracking with an Electronic Onboard Recorder and Electronic Driver Logs. The application also integrates electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) in a workflow environment ensuring compliance with inspections and omitting cumbersome paper forms. The HOS Solution is used to significantly reduce HOS violations, eliminate driver paperwork, and reduce log auditing time, the company said.
GPS Insight is hosting a webinar to introduce the GPS Insight Hours of Service Solution on January 17 at 10 a.m. PST. The webinar will include an update on FMCSA rules, how an HOS solution will benefit fleets that need to be compliant, and a demonstration of the GPS Insight Hours of Service Solution. Register Here.
Intersec, which provides software for mobile and integrated operators, has signed a global partnership agreement with Alcatel-Lucent for the creation of a geo-marketing service that will enable mobile operators to connect brands and retailers to consumers via mobile devices, based on their permission, preferences and location, to drive in-store traffic.
Intersec’s IGLOO collects and aggregates “anonymised” network data (circuit switch, packet switch, Wi-Fi, indoor location) in real time to provide proximity detection of all opt-in subscribers at a defined moment of the day. Alcatel-Lucent’s Optism then gathers and analyzes the location data to provide customers with relevant offers to drive in-store traffic. The companies say the cross-operator solution will enable multiple brands and retailers in several countries to deliver walk-in rewards, location-based targeted coupons and deals and post shopping surveys. Optism is deployed in 10 markets.
“In order to expand to geo-based offers and coupons, we were looking for a device-agnostic solution that was able to aggregate all of the location data that the network was seeing, both passive and active sources, both for in-store as outdoor proximity campaigns,” said Thomas Labarthe of Alcatel-Lucent. “By integrating Intersec IGLOO into Optism, brands and retailers can leverage all the existing Optism tools to define their campaigns including location as qualification criteria.”
Magellan has announced the Magellan SmartGPS, a GPS device based on navigation integrated with social, local and mobile content, including Yelp and Foursquare, through Magellan’s cloud-enabled Smart Ecosystem. The Magellan SmartGPS navigation device wirelessly syncs the user’s navigation data, such as favorite places and contacts, with a smartphone or personal computer. The device intelligently delivers stored and dynamic location-based information to the GPS display that is personalized to the driver’s locale.
“Magellan pioneered the GPS navigation industry, and in today’s socially driven world, we recognize that consumers want and need a much more comprehensive navigation solution that surpasses what traditional GPS devices and smartphones can offer,” said Peggy Fong of MiTAC Digital Corporation. “We engineered our cloud-based Smart Ecosystem and SmartGPS device from the ground up to deliver an innovative SoLoMo experience to consumers who desire discovery, relevance and local awareness combined with navigation. Additionally, the Smart Ecosystem is architected to integrate with automotive infotainment and mobile network service platforms.”
The Magellan SmartGPS communicates with Magellan’s custom-built Smart Ecosystem, a cloud platform for a database of constantly-updating, location-relevant social media and navigation content that is automatically pushed to the SmartGPS display to create a unique driving experience, the company said.
Magellan SmartGPS users can simultaneously view maps, navigate, and see reviews, tips and offers from Yelp and Foursquare for nearby restaurants, stores and services, plus navigate to those locations without needing to use an additional device or application. As a vehicle progresses on its route, the SmartGPS accesses the cloud-based Smart Ecosystem to deliver a variety of location-relevant information “squares” that are displayed on the SmartGPS screen and graphically flip between service establishments in the vicinity. When the user taps on a square, detailed profile information is displayed including the address, phone and any available special offers or consumer reviews, plus an icon to navigate to their selected destination. In addition, the SmartGPS delivers current gas prices in the vicinity, weather, traffic events and speed camera warnings.
Skyhook and Philips Lifeline have announced a collaboration to incorporate Skyhook’s hybrid location positioning platform into Philips’ Lifeline GoSafe mobile personal response services. Skyhook’s hybrid location service will be part of a suite of locating technologies used with the new GoSafe system and designed to help provide the call center with the location information needed to support locating of users in the event of an emergency.
“Accurate location information is of critical value to ensuring the quick dispatch, arrival and delivery of what is often life-saving assistance,” noted Rob Goudswaard of Philips Home Monitoring. “After reviewing the market, we concluded that Skyhook’s location network and technology capabilities were consistent with our requirements for enabling timely and accurate response.”
“If an individual experiences a fall or other emergency, quickly getting help to the right location is of vital importance,” said Michael Shean of Skyhook. “Skyhook is proud to partner with Lifeline, the leading medical alert service, in order to enhance the safety and care that Lifeline provides to all of its customers.”
With apologies to the Bard of Avon, as I paraphrase his prose, 2C or not 2C — that is the question for millions of GPS users and has been for several years. Indeed, over the past seven years hardly a week has gone by without an email or inquiry about the status of the GPS L2C signal.
The name “L2C” refers to the radio frequency used by the signal (1227 MHz, or L2) and the fact that it is for civilian use, but of course it will also be used by the military. There are also two military signals on the L2 frequency. In the past couple of months inquiries concerning L2C have become an almost everyday occurrence. Plus I have it on good authority that it was a topic of conversation at recent a PNT EXCOM or Executive Committee Meeting.
However, when I started making inquiries I was met with an interesting dichotomy. One group of users actually laughed and accused me of having a Don Quixote complex and tilting at windmills, since this debate has been continuing for over seven years, while other more sanguine user groups are seriously interested in the future of L2C. Here is what I discovered.
What is L2C?
According to the official U.S. government website concerning GPS, “L2C is the second civilian GPS signal, designed specifically to meet commercial needs. When combined with L1 C/A [ed. coarse acquisition] in a dual-frequency receiver, L2C enables ionospheric correction, a technique that boosts accuracy. Civilians with dual-frequency GPS receivers enjoy the same or better accuracy as the military. For professional users with existing dual-frequency operations, L2C delivers faster signal acquisition, enhanced reliability, and greater operating range. L2C broadcasts at a higher effective power than the legacy L1 C/A signal, making it easier to receive under trees and even indoors. The Commerce Department estimates L2C could generate $5.8 billion in economic productivity benefits through the year 2030. The first GPS IIR(M) satellite featuring L2C launched in 2005. Every GPS satellite fielded since then has included an L2C transmitter.”
Problems
So while this would appear to be a “no brainer” as it were, especially the $5.8 billion in economic benefits, it appears the Global Positioning System is actually at a crossroads and the decision makers are apparently on the horns of a dilemma. For some groups of users, the laudable global PNT (position, navigation and timing) gold standard is looking a bit tarnished of late but has an opportunity to shine once again. The question and future perception of GPS by many global users simply revolves around implementing full navigation messages on signals that are already in place, namely L2 and L5 with CNAV and M-code with MNAV. So, what’s the issue, you say? The signals are there, and in the case of L2C and M-code, have been for seven years — simply upload a full navigation message and be done with all the ambiguity that has become unwelcome baggage for these modern day signals. Au contraire, mon ami, if it were only that simple.
Now grant you this, should be a simple decision, but remember this is the U.S. government we are talking about — apropos failed budgets, endless continuing resolutions, health care fiascos, and the fiscal cliff — important but in the end actually simple decisions all. Unfortunately, history reflects when the U.S. government is involved, nothing is ever easy and timely decisions are hard to come by. So as not to confuse anyone, especially the players, let’s take this process one step at a time and see what all the fuss is about, shall we?
Problem Statement: The L2C and M-code signal capability has been on orbit for more than seven years, since 2005. In 2009, the 2SOPS began uploading and broadcasting a Message Type Zero on L2C, which, while not a navigation message, does put data on the channel. What users are now asking for is the full navigation message on L2C or CNAV, which is a modern-day navigation message and will have significant advantages for all users. Plus, the signal would be available to potentially more than 3 billion users versus the small subset today that utilizes the L2C carrier phase for RTK (real-time kinematic) operations. Indeed, when compared to the L1 C/A (coarse acquisition) signal, L2C has 2.7 dB greater data recovery (with a navigation message) and 0.7 dB greater carrier tracking.
The bottom line is that, with the addition of a valid and updated CNAV message on L2C, all users, the military included, would immediately have ten more potential navigation signals available, and that number would grow with each new GPS launch. Obviously, the same is true for military users with M-code and for all users with an L5 capability. However, the upgrade process needs to start somewhere, and L2C is the obvious choice since there are essentially no M-code receivers available today and there are approximately between 450,000-500,000 L2C capable receivers already in the hands of users.
Assets
Hardware – Simply put, there are currently 10 satellites (SVs) capable of broadcasting a full navigation message or CNAV message on the L2 signal and MNAV message on the M-code signal, also on L2 and three L5 CNAV capable SVs:
7 – IIRM SVs (does not include SVN-49 which, while capable, is currently in residual and/or test status).
3 – IIF SVs (same capabilities as the IIRMs and also capable of broadcasting an L5 signal with CNAV).
While the lack of L2C monitor stations has historically been used as a reason for not broadcasting the new CNAV navigation messages, today there are literally more than one hundred L2C- and L5-capable monitoring stations, which includes the NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) monitoring stations. Logs from several independent monitoring stations show that at any given time there are from one to three L2C SVs visible for the majority of global users, including our warfighters, who in the mountains of Afghanistan need all the signal availability we can provide.
Plus, of the estimated 450,000-500,000 fully capable L2C receivers, several thousand of those are in the hands of our warfighters. Trimble started building in the L2C and L5 CNAV capability as far back as 2003, a full two years before the first L2C launch, for users that wanted the option. However, that option has never been fully tested with live on-air CNAV coded transmissions and they need to be. More on testing later.
From a global user perspective, Japan has essentially leapfrogged the U.S., since the L2C and L5 signals with full CNAV messages are already being broadcast on the Japanese QZSS navigation satellite QZSS-1.
Software was initially thought to be an issue, but according to my sources, the current MNAV or M-code full navigation message is remarkably similar, as to be almost identical to the CNAV messages for L2C and L5, and MNAV has already been shown to work well on the ten GPS SVs capable of broadcasting the M-code signal. Granted, it is not fully integrated into the current OCS or operational control system known as AEP or Architecture Evolution Plan, but then not many future capabilities are, so this is really not an issue since manual processes abound in the current OCS. The L2C, L5 and M-code full navigation messages are supposedly still part of the plan for OCX or the future operational control system for GPS, which should be up and working sometime in early 2017. This would be twelve years after the L2C and M-code signal capability was first placed on orbit.
Timelines
Given those timelines, some would say, hey that’s only four years from now, maybe five if you count testing, and the full navigation message might actually be turned on. But, alas, rumors abound that there is a government agency apparently objecting to the immediate activation of L2C and L5. This agency, and it is not hard to ferret out exactly which one, wants extensive testing to ensure there will be no complications with the WAAS or Wide Area Augmentation System broadcasts, and as an alternative plan it proposes waiting until all the L5 satellites are on orbit before activating navigation messages on L2C or L5. Let’s do the math – that’s 24 L5 SVs, before the L2C and L5 PNT signals are activated with full navigation messages. At one launch per year, the current GPS launch rate, and it matters not whether it is a IIF or a III, and with three L5 SVs already on orbit, that effectively means we will see all 24 L5 SVs on orbit sometime in 2034, if indeed the II-F SVs are truly the first 30-year GPS SVs. If not, then it could be as late as 2037. However, given the average life span of GPS SVs today, it is more than likely that by 2037 every single L2C, L5 and M-code capable satellite on orbit today will have been disposed of without ever having broadcast any of the new signals for which they were designed. Now, how’s that for a lachrymose plan?
Fortunately, this alternate long-term “plan’ has not a prayer of passing, dare I utter the words, the dreaded Washington Post test. Never having purposely written anything for the Washington Post, even though several of my articles have been quoted and misquoted there, it is still a force to be reckoned with in our nation’s capital, simply because the Washington Post continually asks the question, “Is this a wise use of taxpayer’s money?” The answer for the alternative GPS L2C and L5 plan is obvious.
Personnel and monetary issues are always mentioned in the context of new GPS capabilities; however, I have no doubts that the absolutely superb blue suit operators, tacticians and support contractors at 2SOPS are more than capable of performing the simple actions of uploading the new navigation messages on their own.
Sure, times are tough but the blue suit operators and their on-site support staff, at the 2SOPS, have proven themselves time and again to simply be the best in the business. They have brought GPS SVs back from the dead, they (with Braxton Technologies Software) maintain residual satellites that everyone thought for years was an impossible task, and they have saved SVs for important missions that everyone else thought should have been abandoned. We don’t give the fine men and women at Schriever AFB, the 50th Space Wing and the 2SOPS (2nd Space Operations Squadron) enough credit, and I am not about to sell them short. I am convinced the signals in question can be uploaded with full navigation messages, tested and made operational, even if only on a test basis, within six months without expensive outside help.
Full-Scale Testing
This brings us back to the full testing proposal, which actually makes a lot of sense. We (all users) need immediate full scale and extensive operational evaluations that confirm “we have it right” with the CNAV and MNAV data messages. We should encourage manufacturers to participate in this testing process to ensure their GPS devices meet specifications and are not flawed because of a misinterpretation of an interface specification. The GPS equipment manufacturers would be the first to embrace this approach. The manufacturers and users need open-air full-scale testing with valid CNAV messages being broadcast by numerous satellites to ensure they have coded the L2C, L5 and M-code receivers properly.
Immediate testing is the key here, because otherwise under one proposed plan we will only find out if there is a problem with full end-to-end testing of the L2C CNAV signal and user equipment 13 years after manufacturers began fielding the supposed and promised capability. Under the wait for L5 FOC (full operational capability) plan, we won’t find out if the implementation of specifications are correct for another 20-plus years. Personally, I find this to be unacceptable. We need to begin the immediate six-month test plan now.
The aviation community has the mantra, “Test it as you fly it.” We should not do any less. A full six-month evaluation is absolutely appropriate and should be undertaken now. We cannot afford to repeat the 5.5C debacle. [ed. click to read more about 5.5C].
Users, of course, are the prime concern. If you or your organization, including the military, can benefit from 23 more navigation signals today (and three additional signals each year from now until 2034), one of them being the strongest GPS signal to ever be broadcast (L5 with CNAV), and you want/need those signals active now, then please let us know. You may email me at [email protected].
Stand up and Be Heard
Although some of my comments have been a bit tongue-in-cheek, this is indeed your chance to be heard and to make a difference. Let there be no mistake: there is no other PNT system in existence today, planned or unplanned, on the drawing boards or on PowerPoint slides that approaches the capability, availability, reliability, longevity, accuracy and integrity of the Global Positioning System. The folks at Air Force Space Command have been and continue to be admirable stewards. We just need to let them go about their business without undue restrictions.
Dare to Compare
If you want to know exactly how the GPS compares to other PNT systems, consider that the Russian GLONASS (Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema), which came into existence in 1979 only one year after the first GPS launch, has only been Fully Mission Capable (FOC) as a global PNT system for about two years, and that dubious status is literally day-to-day as it teeters on that magic number of 24 available SVs broadcasting multiple PNT signals simultaneously. Contrast that to the GPS, which currently has 32 active SVs with several additional SVs in residual status. Three GPS SVs are nearing, have attained or will soon attain 20 years on orbit. One of our SVs has been on orbit for more than 22 years. GLONASS has serious problems merely attaining an average SV life of less than five years on orbit. Even the vaunted Chinese are experiencing serious technical, longevity and integrity issues with their multiple PNT constellations. It is just not as easy as it sounds. So yes, GPS is the global PNT gold standard, and its stewards must always strive to improve and lead the way. The GPS must continue to grow and innovate or risk being left behind. This is your chance to contribute to that leadership role. Let your opinion be heard.
Until next time Happy New Year, happy navigating, and keep those card, letters and emails coming.
The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLA) have announced that ships in the Port of Dover, its approaches and part of the Dover Strait can now use eLoran radio navigation technology as a backup to satnav systems like GPS and Galileo. What is considered the world’s busiest shipping route is the first to deploy eLoran to counter jammers and space weather, the GLA said in a statement.
The ground-based eLoran system provides alternative position and timing signals for improved navigational safety. The Dover area, the world’s busiest shipping lane, is the first in the world to achieve this initial operational capability (IOC) for shipping companies operating both passenger and cargo services.
Today’s announcement represents the first of up to seven eLoran installations to be implemented along the East Coast of the United Kingdom. The Thames Estuary and approaches up to Tilbury, the Humber Estuary and approaches, and the ports of Middlesbrough, Grangemouth and Aberdeen will all benefit from new installations, and the prototype service at Harwich and Felixstowe will be upgraded, the GLA said.
Although primarily intended as a maritime aid to navigation, eLoran could become a cost-effective backup for a wide range of applications that are becoming increasingly reliant on the position and timing information provided by satellite systems.
“Our primary concern at the GLA is for the safety of mariners,” said Captain Ian McNaught, Chief Executive of Trinity House. “But signals from eLoran transmitters could also provide essential backup to telecommunications, smart grid and high frequency trading systems vulnerable to jamming by natural or deliberate means. We encourage ship owners and mariners to assess eLoran in this region and provide feedback to the GLA on its performance.”
P&O Ferries has installed an eLoran receiver on its new vessel Spirit of Britain. She will be based at Dover and is one of the largest passenger ships the busy Dover/Calais route has ever seen.
“Accurate real-time positional information is essential for the safe navigation of ships with modern electronic charts,” Captain Simon Richardson, head of Safety Management at P&O Ferries, said. “Satellite navigation systems are vulnerable to degradation of signal strength and our ships have also experienced occasional loss of signal. We welcome the development of a robust alternative to provide redundancy in real-time positional information and we see eLoran as the most effective solution to countering the problem.”
Commenting on the announcement Stephen Hammond, Minister for Shipping, said, “I congratulate the General Lighthouse Authorities on this initiative that seeks to improve navigational safety in what is the busiest shipping channel in the world, through the development and deployment of technology. I look forward to receiving reports of its effectiveness.”
GPS Plotter makes it easy to plot longitude and latitude coordinates using iPhone, according to app developer Make It Digital. Using the mobile phone’s in-built GPS system, users can plot their current location at the touch of a button. Multiple sessions can be used to create maps plotting anything, and easy export of longitude and latitude coordinates is made possible by utilizing the universal CSV data format.
GPS Plotter is designed for:
Orienteering
Outdoor wayfinding
Tracking unmarked trails
Detailing longitude and latitude on the move
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Researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) say reveal that data culled from geosocial networks like the GPS traffic app Waze can help prevent traffic incidents with better deployment of police resources at the most accident prone areas.
“Only now are we beginning to discover the potential in the huge amount of data collected daily,” explains BGU researcher and Ph.D. student Michael Fire. “Studies of this kind, which monitor events such as traffic accidents over time, can help the police identify dangerous sections of roads in real time, or alternatively, locations where few police are needed.”
The paper, “Data Mining Opportunities in Geosocial Networks for Improving Road Safety,” was presented at the IEEE 27th Convention of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in Israel.
Waze records location data and enables users to upload and share comments on any detail, including traffic alerts, accidents or police presence. According to its website, Waze has 30 million worldwide users and describes itself as “a community-based traffic and navigation app whose users share real-time traffic and road info, saving time and gas money.”
Using Waze data and Google Earth, the BGU researchers determined that three-quarters (75 percent) of the locations in Israel with the highest number of accidents were intersections. They then analyzed references to a police presence to determine if the police were present at the spots that had the worst traffic accidents.
“There were numerous instances where the police were manning quieter intersections, while busier intersections went unmonitored,” Fire explains. “According to the data, police response time varied from 20 minutes to 40 minutes in some situations.”
Using Waze, data from May and June 2012 was collected and analyzed on accident reports, police presence, traffic jams, and speed traps. BGU researchers identified 579 different locations in Israel that had at least five reoccurring accidents during this time where 5,156 reported accidents occurred. Police were reported at least 15 times at more than 3,500 locations.
Other researchers involved with the study from BGU’s Department of Information Systems Engineering and BGU’s Telekom Innovation Laboratories include Prof. Yuval Elovici, head of the lab, as well as Dr. Rami Puzis, Prof. Lior Rokach as well as student Dima Kagan.
