Current Whereness Applications - Ubiquitous Positioning - page 70

GPS tracks are needed to follow the progress of a delivery. If, however, I only
want to let my friends know that I am generally “around” (i.e., not in another city
but am unwilling to disclose exactly where I might be), very coarse accuracy
might be helpful as, for example, provided by the local cellular base station using
Cell ID. The maps could be overlaid in this case by a shaded or fuzzy area rather
than a pinpoint icon.

4.12 Summary

This chapter considered the Whereness applications of today, particularly those
that have been associated with ITS and researched in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Mobile information was discussed including the RDS-TMC system that uses a
simple location code. A more advanced application is dynamic route guidance that
involves a set of interrelated databases necessary to create useful routes factoring
in future traffic congestion predictions.
Tolling or the collection of money with respect to position was discussed and
also the accounting of other value such as calories or carbon emissions. Parking,
ticketing, emergency calling, tracking, and logistics were other ITS applications
discussed.
More general location-based services described included mobile advertising,
personal guidance, finding people, and the management of moving objects.
Finally the importance of maps and Web 2.0 was again highlighted.

References

[1] ERTICO ITS Europe , http://www.ertico.com/en/activities/efficiency__environment/

road_traffic_information_group_.htm, Jan. 2008.

[2] Ali-Scout , http://www.umich.edu/~driving/publications/UMTRI-96-32A3.pdf, Jan. 2008.

[3] Catling, I., et al., “SOCRATES: System of Cellular Radio for Traffic Efficiency and

Safety,” Proc. of the DRIVE Conference, Brussels, Feb. 4-6, 1991.

[4] Golding, D., et al., “Mobile Multimedia Applications,” British Telecommunications

Engineering , Vol 17, Part 1, Apr. 1998, pp. 20-21.

[5] Randall, P., et al., “PROMISE A Personal Mobile Traveller and Traffic Information

Service,” 4th World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Berlin, Oct. 21-24,
1997.

[6] Mannings, R., Wall, N. D. C., Navigation Information System, European Patent EP0777863,

U.S. Patent 66664924, first filing 1995.

[7] Patel, D., Mannings, R., “Reflex-Personalised Wireless Interaction in a Broadband

Environment , 2004,” BT Technology Journal , Vol. 20, No. 1, Jan. 2002.