Telematics and GPS Navigation » Global Positioning System http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles Telematics and vehicle fleet tracking and related tracking systems Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:04:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Benefits of Having an Automotive GPS Navigation System http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/06/14/benefits-of-having-an-automotive-gps-navigation-system/ http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/06/14/benefits-of-having-an-automotive-gps-navigation-system/#comments Mon, 14 Jun 2010 06:06:33 +0000 admin http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/?p=127 Automotive GPS navigation systems are commonly found in todays automobiles.  If they aren’t activated at the time of purchase, they can usually be activated later at the dealership or other car shop.  IN this article, the author discusses why it is important to have a automotive GPS navigation system.  Read on for more.


For various reasons everyone these days needs to have an automotive GPS navigation system. Knowing what these reasons are will help you see why you need to get your own GPS system as soon as you are able to.

Here are the most important reasons why a GPS navigations system is needed by anyone that is legally able to drive.

1. Not getting lost – This is a big reason why a navigation system is important these days. Cities continue to grow and if you have never been there before finding your way around can be confusing.

The GPS allows you to get from your starting point to the ending point without getting lost in an unfamiliar area. This will give you peace of mind knowing that you will not be getting lost anymore and will save you a lot of time trying to find your way back to a familiar area.

2. Insurance premium reduction – Were you aware that most insurance companies will reduce your premium if you have GPS navigation?

These systems come with tracking installed that makes it very easy to find your vehicle if someone steals it and this is why insurance companies are willing to provide lower premiums for anyone that has a GPS in their vehicle.

3. Road navigation made easier – There will be many times when you drive to someplace new and find that the route is blocked with construction or something else. With the GPS navigation you can easily find an alternate route to take to get you there.

All GPS devices have preloaded road and directional maps that make road navigation simple for anyone. With there being more than one route that you can take it really makes it easy to get where you need to go quicker.

4. Emergency service access – There are some GPS units that come with built-in monitoring capabilities that will make it much simpler to connect your vehicle to an emergency number for quick response.

If you have a GPS with this monitoring available than if there is an accident you will receive the important help needed faster since the GPS will make it very simple for emergency responders to find you.

Now that you know these important reasons you can see why an automotive GPS navigation system is needed by anyone that gets behind the wheel of a vehicle. Take time for yourself to decide if you will be getting your own GPS system or if you will continue to hope you get where you are going without getting lost.

KV Chaudhary is an Electronics Engineer with a Master of Business Administration in eCommerce, and over 25 years experience of working at Senior Technical jobs in the USA. His automotive GPS navigation system website is the best GPS Store for buying, Garmin GPS Systems, Automotive GPS, GPS Accessories, Marine Electronics, Fish Finder, and Camping Supplies. http://www.gpsdealer.com.


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GPS Navigation Systems have come a long way | The Review Queen

Jeff Sanders Garmin GPS Navigation Systems GPS Navigation Systems have come a long way Gps systems have come a long way. … A?? though originally intended f?r aviation m??t GPS receivers today ?r? WAAS- enabled including automotive, boating chartplotters ??? hand-held units. WAAS uses a network ?f ground based reference stations, ?? North America ??? Hawaii, t? measure small variations ?? t?? GPS satellites’ signals. …

Publish Date: 06/10/2010

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]]> http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/06/14/benefits-of-having-an-automotive-gps-navigation-system/feed/ 0 GPS Navigation – An Information Guide http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/05/22/gps-navigation-an-information-guide/ http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/05/22/gps-navigation-an-information-guide/#comments Sun, 23 May 2010 01:54:46 +0000 admin http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/?p=117 There are places where you can find information on GPS Navigation.  This original article was titled, “The Complete Information Guide on GPS Navigation”.  I wouldn’t call it the complete guide.  It gives you some info, but you will still be doing some research after this article.  Why did I include it here?  It gives some background on GPS Navigation and it’s different uses, so if you are just searching, you will glean some useful information.  Read on to see if you glean anything else.


Established way back in 1973 by the DOD or Department of Defense, a GPS system was put in place with the launching of 24 different satellites that could pinpoint the exact location of different GPS receivers. Originally being used by the Department of Defense, GPS is now widely and popularly used by regular civilians all around the world. As long as the line of sight between four different GPS satellites is clear, then the exact location of an individual with a GPS receiver can be given. Since we live in such a modern, technologically advanced world, GPS is integrated into a variety of different products.

Personal and portable, handheld GPS receivers can now be bought by any consumer, that will read that devices exact location at any given time as long as there is a clear signal. Handheld GPS navigation systems are absolutely essential when going out and about of different trips. Not only can they help you find out where you are located at a particular point in time, but they can also come in handy in times of survival in case you get lost. For example, if you were to go on a mountain climbing expedition and end up getting lost, your GPS unit can give you your exact coordinates so that you can tell rescue crews where you are located.

Even more advanced than that, are GPS systems that work in conjunction with your vehicle. Nowadays, maps just are not enough, and why should they be when there is technology to be take advantage of. GPS navigation units for a vehicle work basically by allowing a driver to input the address of a destination and then the GPS will tell you what roads to take to get there. Some of these GPS systems are so advanced that they not only allow you to input the destination, but they are also preloaded with points of interest that can come in handy when you are looking for a destination but do not know the address. These GPS systems can also be used as personal GPS systems on trips and some can even be attached to a bike.

GPS navigation is now widely used in a variety of different applications with one of the most popular devices having a GPS incorporated in are cell phones. It seems that nowadays, cell phones do everything we need in life and just so happen to have a phone built in; unlike when the first cell phones came out and their sole purpose was to make phone calls. Now cell phones have GPS navigation built right in so you can always know where you are as long as you have your cell phone. This also brings parents a piece of mind because they know their kid’s cell phones can be traced via GPS should something happen to them.

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It seems that just about everyone is familiar with mobile GPS navigation today. Formerly GPS was simply a novelty but now nav systems are getting to be a.

Publish Date: 05/22/2010

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]]> http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/05/22/gps-navigation-an-information-guide/feed/ 0 Using Satellite Time Signals with the NTP GPS Server http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/05/10/using-satellite-time-signals-with-the-ntp-gps-server/ http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/05/10/using-satellite-time-signals-with-the-ntp-gps-server/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 01:07:41 +0000 admin http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/?p=107 From time to time it is always nice to go back to the basics and see how systems work at a high end level.  In this article, we discuss the basics of GPS signaling and how it relates to satellite timing signals.  These timing clocks have to be accurate beyond your standard accuracy.  It is the relationship to the accuracy of the clocks to how closely the GPS can pinpoint a location.  Read on for how this technology works.

The NTP GPS server is a dedicated device that uses the time signal from the GPS (Global Positioning System) network. GPS is now a common tool for motorists with satellite navigation devices fitted to most new cars. But GPS is far more than just an aid for positioning, at the very heart of the GPS network is the atomic clocks that are inside each GPS satellite.

The GPS system works by transmitting the time from these clocks along with the position and velocity of the satellite. A satellite navigation receiver will work out when it receives this time how long it took to arrive and therefore how far the signal travelled. Using three or more of these signals the satellite navigation device can work out exactly where it is.

GPS can only do this because of the atomic clocks that it uses to transmit the time signals. These time signals travel, like all radio signals, at the speed of light so an inaccuracy of just 1 millisecond (1/1000 of a second) could result in the satellite navigation being nearly 300 kilometres out.

Because these clocks have to be so accurate, they make an ideal source of time for a NTP time server. NTP (Network Time Protocol) is the software that distributes the time from the time server to the network. GPS time and UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) the civil timescale is not quite the same thing but are base don the same timescale so NTP has no trouble converting it. Using a dedicated NTP GPS server a network can be realistically synchronised to within a few milliseconds of UTC

The GPS clock is another term often given to a GPS time server. The GPS network consists of 21 active satellites (and a few spare) 10,000 miles in orbit above the Earth and each satellite circles the Earth twice a day. Designed for satellite navigation, A GPS receiver needs at least three satellites to maintain a position. However, in the case of a GPS clock just one satellite is required making it far easier to obtain a reliable signal.

Each satellite continuously transmits its own position and a time code. The time code is generated by an onboard atomic clock and is highly accurate, it has to be as this information is used by the GPS receiver to triangulate a position and if it was just half a second out the Sat Nav. unit would be inaccurate by thousands of miles.

Richard N Williams is a technical author and specialist in atomic clocks, telecommunications, NTP and network time synchronisation helping to develop dedicated NTP clocks. Please visit us for more information about a Galleon ntp server or other ntp server solutions.


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Publish Date: 05/09/2010

]]> http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/05/10/using-satellite-time-signals-with-the-ntp-gps-server/feed/ 2 Fleet Management and Tracking Using GSM and GPS Location http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/04/09/fleet-management-and-tracking-using-gsm-and-gps-location/ http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/04/09/fleet-management-and-tracking-using-gsm-and-gps-location/#comments Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:48:59 +0000 admin http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/?p=65 There are a number of different technologies that businesses can use to track their fleets.  GPS and Telematics is a popular technology, but there is also GSM location tracking.  Sometimes, multiple technologies are used depending upon the type of business it is.  This is a good article that discusses how these technologies work and also employing asset location technology as well.  Read on for more info on how these technologies work together and the benefits that fleet managers get when using this technology.


FLEET MANAGEMENT using GPS Tracking & GSM TRACKING

Whether your vehicle fleet operates Regionally, Nationally, in Europe or Internationally a modern vehicle tracking service that provides pin-point location, snail trail facilities and a communications platform in one complete solution improves performance, reduce costs and give you a real competitive advantage in the marketplace.

About the technology

Fleet Management uses asset location technology that employs both a combination of GSM (CELL-ID) & GPS Tracking to locate company vehicles in real-time anywhere in the world. Individual vehicle locations are plotted against a visual map displaying geographical location of each vehicle in relation to each other. Location history enables a snail trail to be viewed, showing the vehicle route and waypoints passed.

No capital investment required

Although Asset Location Units can be installed into individual vehicles, iTrack also offer the facility for mobile phone users to be located using an existing handset. Whether you are buying for people location or asset location iTrack has the complete solution.

Lower communications costs

The asset location service can reduce communication costs allowing the control centre to send messages direct to the company vehicle or vehicle driver using a one touch system. This facility reduces the need for costly telephone calls and other non-integrated solutions. iTRack duplex communication system allows fleet operatives to communicate with the control centre via their handset or location device.

Red-Alerts & Lone Worker Protection

Fleet operatives also have the facility to send red alert and amber alert messages to the control centre in the event of accidents, assault, injury or any other pre-defined event. The iTrack asset location system is completely customisable to your business requirements. Lone Workers have an additional layer of protection using the iTrack asset location service and your company is will be protected from the new Corporate Manslaughter bill.

Better operations performance

Pin point location 24hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days year provides real-time management information enabling decision makers to react better under operational pressures. Management information of this nature will give your business a real advantage in the market place.

iTrack, the only Worldwide GPS Tracking Solution

iTrack is the only Fleet Tracking solution on the market today that will allow you to locate your workforce anywhere in the world on the GSM & GPS Network. Our secure Java based platform enables you to locate assets and people via a combination of GSM and GPS Locations. To find out more and book a live demonstration please see the links below:

A full demonstration for fleet managers is available at:

www.itrackonline.co.uk/fleet-tracking

For general enquiries click here

Spencer Sharpe,
iTrack
http://www.itrackonline.co.uk


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Publish Date: 04/08/2010


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]]> http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/04/09/fleet-management-and-tracking-using-gsm-and-gps-location/feed/ 0 Database Assisted Small Business Asset GPS Tracking Systems http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/31/database-assisted-small-business-asset-gps-tracking-systems/ http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/31/database-assisted-small-business-asset-gps-tracking-systems/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:31:06 +0000 admin http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/?p=51 Asset tracking can take many forms when it comes to implementing this concept for businesses.  Businesses can use a specific asset GPS tracking system to track small items such as laptops and the more expensive smaller equipment where there is an actual device on the piece of equipment and software to keep track of it’s location, to the systems that track where the resources are and who they are assigned to.  Read on to read in the following article about what kinds of information these asset tracking systems can produce for the logistics and equipment manager.


It is becoming common knowledge that database information can greatly assist asset tracking efforts using GPS monitoring systems. What is not so commonly known is that software assisted management of specialized interfaces can contribute additional value by synchronizing real-world data with historically verified data.

GPS and RFID technologies combine to form tag-identifiable virtual communication channels by combining their software operations with master database business queries. The software operations detect variations based on the combination of current real-time GPS/RFID readings matched with correlated queries.

When it comes to small business asset tracking, GPS electronic-receivers and RFID transceivers help owners save time and money but an even greater pay-back is received by the company that merges GPS/RFID receivers with wireless communication channels and corresponding database coordination.

For example, a vehicle inventory program using RFID tags attached to company owned vehicles that are located in several different lots along with GPS receivers attached to the same vehicles represents the static set up. The dynamic tracking idea is accomplished when the RFID tag readings along with their GPS locations are transmitted to a central server where database records are updated.

At this point, the updated information is now available for real-time display on your system display monitors or your printing devices. Also, additional calculations and comparisons with historical data can now contribute to management reporting requests through the same output channels.

The stored data takes advantage of bringing together otherwise unreported values because the real-time occurrences of transmitted location readings take place simultaneously but table-record query automatically combines the two location tags. This of course could happen within a computer program whose values are stored temporarily in variables but programming technique does not account for sensor errors and wireless interruptions that need to be verified over a longer time period.

The most advantageous position for your data collection system to take is to incorporate a database record that includes historical data along with most recent sensor readings. This assures sufficient sampling intervals with sufficient verifiable measurement opportunities.

In conclusion, with more available data over a longer measurement interval, your database assisted GPS asset tracking system will provide you with better results and more accurate tracking data.

Tom Gruich is a professional database designer with 40 years experience in systems analysis and design of database software applications. For more database business mapping thoughts and design ideas please visit Software Database Validation or his Smart Database website at => http://www.adaptcode.com

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Publish Date: 03/30/2010

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]]> http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/31/database-assisted-small-business-asset-gps-tracking-systems/feed/ 0 Fleet Management Systems – Could They Be an Answer to Rising Fuel Costs? http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/24/fleet-management-systems-could-they-be-an-answer-to-rising-fuel-costs/ http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/24/fleet-management-systems-could-they-be-an-answer-to-rising-fuel-costs/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:00:46 +0000 admin http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/?p=39 Rising fuel costs certainly are forcing consumers, and business especially to look at ingenious ways to reduce costs.  One way for businesses with fleets of  vehicles is to use a fleet management systems to reduce waste.  This article discusses mostly what a fleet management system is at the 10,000 foot level as well as how it may be able to reduce costs.  You will certainly need to continue your research for a specific fleet management system solution that might be good for your business, but this is a good place to start if you are just starting out.  You will get some ideas of where to begin your search, and sometimes, that is half of the battle.


The rising cost of fuel will force many companies to re-assess budgets and costs, so fleet management will become a central tool for managing consumption. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have become an essential commodity for vehicle management services that allow companies to efficiently manage the journeys, journey times and locations of their drivers.

It is conceived that this service can considerably help companies, trying to balance the rising costs of fuel with a competitive service, to maintain their edge.

Trimming the Fat in Operational Costs with Fleet Management

If you’re a company that has an extensive list of vehicles under your control there is an essential value in employing a fleet management system. Not only does an active fleet policy give you the control over monitoring your drivers and where your vehicles are, it also allows for better operational management.

‘Trimming the fat’ in operational costs has become a key focus since the cost of fuel began to rise again. Fleet management services also offer expenses and cost control as well as risk management and duty of care. This can save thousands of pounds in the long run and help the business run more efficiently in the processes.

Keeping You in Control of Your Business

Keeping you on the road by providing professionally sourced vehicles that can steer your company in the right direction, vehicle management also allows you to keep track of your vehicles and improve the efficiency of their operating costs so you might not feel the pinch of rising fuel prices quite as much.

Fleet Management is a service which grants small and large companies that depend on transportation in their business to eliminate or reduce the liabilities related with vehicle investment.



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]]> http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/24/fleet-management-systems-could-they-be-an-answer-to-rising-fuel-costs/feed/ 0 How to Compare Automobile GPS Navigation Systems http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/22/how-to-compare-automobile-gps-navigation-systems/ http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/2010/03/22/how-to-compare-automobile-gps-navigation-systems/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:39:08 +0000 admin http://totaltelematics.com/telematicsarticles/?p=37 In this article, Lee Cole shares a process on how to determine the differences between different automobile GPS navigation systems.  This is mostly about the process of looking for the different features in these Tracking devices as well as what differences to look for.  On thing that you want to realize as well in looking for a GPS Navigation system is to know how you plan on using it now and in the future so you can pick something you can grow with.  Read on for more on this topic.


If you’ve never bought one before buying your first GPS system is a daunting experience. The best way to go about it is to compare automobile gps navigation systems from different manufacturers to find the one that will work best for you. Of course, to do this you need to know a little more about gps systems, what they offer, what the standard features are, and what you can get if you’re willing to pay more money.

Prices have gone down in GPS systems over the past two years quite a lot. Still these babies cost anywhere from $150 to several hundred dollars. I guess if you bought one you didn’t like, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but who wants to do that? The best thing to do is to get a little education before you actually start shopping.

With the Internet, you have a wealth of resources at your disposal. You can go to several shopping sites and learn about what’s available and how much it costs. There are also a lot of informational sites out there you can refer to.

In order to help you get off on the right foot, let me say a few things.

There are basically three main manufacturers of GPS systems, Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan. Sure, there are a number of other companies that make these things, but these are the big three. Garmin is by far the biggest.

All GPS systems basically accomplish the same thing. They show you where you are on an electronic map and they tell you how to get where you want to go via voice instructions.

All automotive GPS navigational systems have touch screens, which usually has a choice of “views”–2D or 3D. 2D is what we call “bird’s eye.” 3D is the more realistic looking view. (It looks like an early version of a realistic video game.)

Other stuff you generally get with most systems is a database of Points of Interest (POIs). These are pre-programmed locations of hospitals, restaurants, state parks, basically the main places you might want to go. Almost all come pre-installed with maps of the lower 48 states. And, as I said, all will calculate your route from where you are to where you want to go.

Some features you can pay extra for are: actually saying the names of the streets, maps of Canada, Mexico or Europe, Bluetooth, real-time traffic and weather, and a larger POI database.

Don’t let all of this stuff keep you from buying a system! If you compare automobile GPS navigation systems logically, you’ll be able to find the right one for you!

Lee Cole is a true GPS enthusiast! You can check out his website and find more information about how to compare automobile GPS navigation systems!




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