Swiss-based u‑blox, a provider of GPS/GNSS and wireless semiconductors, has achieved successful satellite positioning using China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. According to u-blox, the technical achievement establishes u-blox as the first GNSS component vendor to demonstrate compatibility with all globally deployed positioning systems: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and now BeiDou.
However, NovAtel has also announced support for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System on its OEM6 family and select OEMStar GNSS receivers.
Customer demonstration of the u-blox technology will begin during Q1 2013.
“We are thrilled to have achieved this milestone only three weeks after the BeiDou specification was published,” said Thomas Seiler, u-blox CEO. “China will become the world’s most important single market for devices relying on embedded satellite navigation, and u-blox plans to be a major player in this market.”
BeiDou-2 currently has 15 satellites in orbit, offering navigation and positioning services to users in China and Southeast Asia. It will ultimately consist of 35 satellites providing worldwide positioning capability over its open service to within 10 meters accuracy.
u-blox will be demonstrating BeiDou compatibility with their latest GNSS platform at embeddedworld 2013 February 26-28 in Nuremberg, Germany, stand 4A-325.
Two of the Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites, E11 and E12, began transmitting navigation messages on their Open Service signals on January 17. Several stations in the Cooperative Network for GNSS Observation and the International GNSS Service’s Multi-GNSS Experiment network received the messages. The epheremis data in the messages appears to be updated every 10 minutes.
On December 21, 2012, GLONASS 712 was deactivated and replaced in almanac slot 8 by GLONASS 743, transmitting on frequency channel -6 (minus 6). At the time, the satellite was physically in orbital slot 2.
On January 4, the GLONASS System Control Centre announced that GLONASS 743 was to be moved from orbital slot 2 to orbital slot 8 beginning on January 5. The move is expected to take until February 15. IGS M-GEX stations stopped tracking GLONASS 743 at about 05:23:30 GPS Time on January 5.
Subsequently, the GLONASS System Control Centre announced that GLONASS 701K, the GLONASS-K test satellite (also known as GLONASS 801 by the
IGS), was re-introduced into the broadcast almanac beginning January 6. It will use almanac slot 8 and transmit on frequency channel -5 (minus 5). Note that the satellite is physically near orbital slot 21. Experimental work with GLONASS 701K will continue until GLONASS 743 completes its orbital slot move.
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.
NovAtel announces support for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System on its OEM6 family and select OEMStar GNSS receivers.
The long-anticipated BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Interface Control Document (ICD) release is a significant milestone that facilitates global acceptance of BeiDou into the growing range of satellite-based positioning applications, NovAtel said.
NovAtel has a long-standing partnership with several Chinese GNSS system manufacturers. This partnership has allowed NovAtel to verify B1 and B2 signal tracking on its latest generation receivers. The company has been supplying GNSS receivers that include the BeiDou constellation since Q4 2010.
“We are excited to see what performance improvements BeiDou will provide to our AdVance RTK, GL1DE and SPAN GNSS/INS positioning algorithms,” said Pat Fenton, NovAtel CTO.
BeiDou positioning has been available through NovAtel’s Chinese partners utilizing the receiver Application Programming Interface (API) feature. With the BeiDou ICD made available to the public, NovAtel is now able to offer BeiDou positioning on its receiver products directly.
Firmware updates for the OEM6 and OEMStar receivers will enable tracking of the BeiDou signal in conjunction with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS signals that are currently supported. Over the coming months NovAtel will be working with early-adopter customers to optimize their receiver positioning engines to support the BeiDou signals.
Customers interested in trialing BeiDou functionality on their receivers should contact NovAtel Customer Support at [email protected].
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.”
