Location awareness
Encyclopedia
Location awareness refers to devices that can passively or actively determine their location. Navigational instruments provide location coordinates for vessels and vehicles. Surveying equipment identifies location with respect to a well-known locationa wireless communications device. Network location awareness (NLA) describes the location of a node in a network.
The term applies to navigating
, real-time locating and position
ing support with global, regional or local scope. The term has been applied to traffic
, logistics
, business administration and leisure
applications. Location awareness is supported by navigation systems
, positioning systems
and/or locating services
.
Location awareness without the active participation of the device is known as non-cooperative locating or detection.
settings of network
systems and addressed network entities. Network location awareness (NLA) services collect network configuration and location information, and notify applications when this information changes. With the advent of global positioning system
s and radio-equipped mobile devices, the term was redefined to include consumer-focused applications.
While location awareness began as a matter of static user location, the notion was extended to reflect movement. Context models have been proposed to support context-aware applications which use location to tailor interfaces, refine application-relevant data, increase the precision of information retrieval, discover services, make user interaction implicit and build smart environments. For example, a location-aware mobile phone may confirm that it is currently in a building.
Location in mathematical terms offers coordinates that refer to a nominated point of reference
.
Location in network terms relates to locating network nodes. These include:
adds timely delivery of results, especially for moving targets. Real time locating is defined with ISO/IEC 19762-5 and ISO/IEC 24730-1. Fuzzy locating
offers less precision, e.g., presence "near" a point of reference. Measuring wireless power levels can supply this degree of precision. Less sophisticated systems can use wireless distance measurements to estimate a point of reference in polar coordinates (distance and direction) from another site. Index locating indicates presence at a known location, as with fixed RFID readers and RFID tags.
and reckoning are key concerns for seafarers, aviator
s and professional drivers. The task is to dynamically determine the current location and the time, distance and direction to destination. RADAR
served for regional demand and NAVSTAR satellite systems for global demand. GPS and similar systems have become ubituitous in long-haul transport operation and are becoming a standard automobile feature.
is the static complement to navigating. It is essential for delineating land ownership and for architect
s and civil engineer
s designing construction projects. Optical surveying technology preceded LASER
triangulating
aids.
s, and is integral to ubiquitous
and wearable computing
. On mobile devices, location aware search
can prioritize results that are close to the device. Conversely, the device location can be disclosed to others, at some cost to the bearer's privacy.
s. Such applications include publishing a user's location to appropriate members of a social network, and allowing retailers to publish special offers to potential customers who are near to the retailer. Allegedly, individuals gain self confidence with confirmation of current whereabouts
.
and WPAN
, wireless LAN
or DECT, with results in proprietary terms of floor plan
s or room numbers. Local systems degrade as distance from the locality increases. Applications include avalanche rescue
or emergency
and mountain rescue
as well as with search and rescue
, (SAR) and combat search and rescue
, (CSAR).
, GSM or LTE
, typically returning information in standardized coordinates as with WGS84 in standardized formats such as NMEA
for outdoor usage or in symbolic coordinates referring to street addresses.
The term applies to navigating
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, real-time locating and position
Position
Position may refer to:* Position , a player role within a team* Position , the orientation of a baby prior to birth* Position , a mathematical identification of relative location...
ing support with global, regional or local scope. The term has been applied to traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
, logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, business administration and leisure
Leisure
Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
applications. Location awareness is supported by navigation systems
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, positioning systems
Radar tracker
A radar tracker is a component of a radar system, or an associated command and control system, that associates consecutive radar observations of the same target into tracks...
and/or locating services
Real-time locating system
Real-time locating systems are a type of local positioning system that allow to track and identify the location of objects in real time. Using simple, inexpensive badges or tags attached to the objects, readers receive wireless signals from these tags to determine their locations...
.
Location awareness without the active participation of the device is known as non-cooperative locating or detection.
History of terminology
The term originated for configurationsConfigurations
Configurations is an academic journal establlished in 1993 and the official publication of the Society for Literature, Science, and Arts. It covers the study of discourse in science, technology, and medicine and investigates the relationship between literature and the arts and science and...
settings of network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
systems and addressed network entities. Network location awareness (NLA) services collect network configuration and location information, and notify applications when this information changes. With the advent of global positioning system
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
s and radio-equipped mobile devices, the term was redefined to include consumer-focused applications.
While location awareness began as a matter of static user location, the notion was extended to reflect movement. Context models have been proposed to support context-aware applications which use location to tailor interfaces, refine application-relevant data, increase the precision of information retrieval, discover services, make user interaction implicit and build smart environments. For example, a location-aware mobile phone may confirm that it is currently in a building.
Determining location
Description in logical terms uses a structured textual form. International standardisation offers a common method using ISO/TS 16952 as originated with German standards DIN EN 61346 and DIN EN 81346.Location in mathematical terms offers coordinates that refer to a nominated point of reference
Reference
Reference is derived from Middle English referren, from Middle French rèférer, from Latin referre, "to carry back", formed from the prefix re- and ferre, "to bear"...
.
Location in network terms relates to locating network nodes. These include:
- ITU switched line access addressing according to International Telecommunications Union Q-Series standards, Telecommunications Signaling System#7 (SS7) and mirroring ANSIAnsiAnsi is a village in Kaarma Parish, Saare County, on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia....
Standards T1.110—General Information and subsequent standards. - IEEE media access addressing according to MAC International standard ISO/IEC 10038 with ISO/IEC 11802 and ANSI/IEEE edition.
- ISO procedure call addressing according to URN/UUID International standards ISO/IEC 11578 and ISO/IEC 9834 and IETF RFC 4122.
Variants
"Crisp" locating offers precise coordinates, using wireless signals or optical sighting, possibly with phase angle measurements. Coordinates are relative to either a standardized system of coordinates, e.g. WGS84, or a fixed object such as a building plan. Real-time locatingReal-time locating system
Real-time locating systems are a type of local positioning system that allow to track and identify the location of objects in real time. Using simple, inexpensive badges or tags attached to the objects, readers receive wireless signals from these tags to determine their locations...
adds timely delivery of results, especially for moving targets. Real time locating is defined with ISO/IEC 19762-5 and ISO/IEC 24730-1. Fuzzy locating
Fuzzy locating system
Fuzzy locating is a rough but reliable method based on appropriate measuring technology for estimating a location of an object. The concept of precise or ‘’crisp locating’’ is replaced with respect to the operational requirements and the economic viability...
offers less precision, e.g., presence "near" a point of reference. Measuring wireless power levels can supply this degree of precision. Less sophisticated systems can use wireless distance measurements to estimate a point of reference in polar coordinates (distance and direction) from another site. Index locating indicates presence at a known location, as with fixed RFID readers and RFID tags.
Applications
Location-aware systems address the acquisition of coordinates in a grid (for example using distance metrics and lateration algorithms) or at least distances to reference points (for example discriminating presence at a certain choke point on a corridor or in a room of a building).Navigation
NavigationNavigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
and reckoning are key concerns for seafarers, aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
s and professional drivers. The task is to dynamically determine the current location and the time, distance and direction to destination. RADAR
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
served for regional demand and NAVSTAR satellite systems for global demand. GPS and similar systems have become ubituitous in long-haul transport operation and are becoming a standard automobile feature.
Surveying
SurveyingSurveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
is the static complement to navigating. It is essential for delineating land ownership and for architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s and civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
s designing construction projects. Optical surveying technology preceded LASER
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
triangulating
Triangulation
In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly...
aids.
Business process
Currently location awareness is applied to design innovative process controlProcess control
Process control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms and algorithms for maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired range...
s, and is integral to ubiquitous
Ubiquitous computing
Ubiquitous computing is a post-desktop model of human-computer interaction in which information processing has been thoroughly integrated into everyday objects and activities. In the course of ordinary activities, someone "using" ubiquitous computing engages many computational devices and systems...
and wearable computing
Wearable computer
Wearable computers are miniature electronic devices that are worn by the bearer under, with or on top of clothing. This class of wearable technology has been developed for general or special purpose information technologies and media development...
. On mobile devices, location aware search
Search algorithm
In computer science, a search algorithm is an algorithm for finding an item with specified properties among a collection of items. The items may be stored individually as records in a database; or may be elements of a search space defined by a mathematical formula or procedure, such as the roots...
can prioritize results that are close to the device. Conversely, the device location can be disclosed to others, at some cost to the bearer's privacy.
Warehouse and routing
RFID provides a time/location reference for an object, but does not indicate that the object remains at that location, which is sufficient for applications that limit access, such as tracking objects entering and leaving a warehouse, or for objects moving on a fixed route, such as charging tolls for crossing a bridge.Consumer
Location awareness enables new applications for ubiquitous computing systems and mobile phoneMobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s. Such applications include publishing a user's location to appropriate members of a social network, and allowing retailers to publish special offers to potential customers who are near to the retailer. Allegedly, individuals gain self confidence with confirmation of current whereabouts
Tracking (Scouting)
Tracking is a Scouting activity which involves laying a trail or following a trail laid by others. A trail is a series of signs, largely comprising directions, which are laid on the ground. Tracking also involves interpreting bird language to better understand relevant changes in baseline and if...
.
Infrastructure
While governments have created global systems for computing locations, independent localized systems exist at scales ranging from one building to sub-national regions.Local
Such solutions may apply concepts of RTLSReal-time locating system
Real-time locating systems are a type of local positioning system that allow to track and identify the location of objects in real time. Using simple, inexpensive badges or tags attached to the objects, readers receive wireless signals from these tags to determine their locations...
and WPAN
WPAN
WPAN is a commercial television station in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, serving the Mobile, Alabama market on channel 53 as an affiliate of Jewelry TV. Founded February 22, 1983, the station is owned by Franklin Media, Inc...
, wireless LAN
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
or DECT, with results in proprietary terms of floor plan
Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan, or floorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure....
s or room numbers. Local systems degrade as distance from the locality increases. Applications include avalanche rescue
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
or emergency
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
and mountain rescue
Mountain rescue
Mountain rescue refers to search and rescue activities that occur in a mountainous environment, although the term is sometimes also used to apply to search and rescue in other wilderness environments. The difficult and remote nature of the terrain in which mountain rescue often occurs has resulted...
as well as with search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
, (SAR) and combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue
Combat search and rescue are search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.A CSAR mission may be carried out by a task force of helicopters, ground-attack aircraft, tankers and an airborne command post...
, (CSAR).
Regional
This approach uses for example mobile phone systems, such as 3GPP3GPP
The 3rd Generation Partnership Project is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations, known as the Organizational Partners...
, GSM or LTE
3GPP Long Term Evolution
3GPP Long Term Evolution, usually referred to as LTE, is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and data terminals. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using new modulation techniques...
, typically returning information in standardized coordinates as with WGS84 in standardized formats such as NMEA
NMEA
NMEA 0183 is a combined electrical and data specification for communication between marine electronic devices such as echo sounder, sonars, anemometer, gyrocompass, autopilot, GPS receivers and many other types of instruments. It has been defined by,...
for outdoor usage or in symbolic coordinates referring to street addresses.
Global
This approach relies on GPS technology, currently supplied by NAVSTAR and may in future employ the pending Galileo (satellite navigation) system, generally adopting WGS84 and NMEA.See also
- Context adaptation
- Context awarenessContext awarenessContext awareness is defined complementary to location awareness. Whereas location may serve as a determinant for resident processes, context may be applied more flexibly with mobile computing with any moving entities, especially with bearers of smart communicators...
- Context-aware pervasive systemsContext-aware pervasive systemsContext-aware computing refers to a general class of mobile systems that can sense their physical environment, and adapt their behavior accordingly. Such systems are a component of a ubiquitous computing or pervasive computing environment. Three important aspects of context are: where you are; ...
- Differentiated service (design pattern)
- MultilaterationMultilaterationMultilateration is a navigation technique based on the measurement of the difference in distance to two or more stations at known locations that broadcast signals at known times. Unlike measurements of absolute distance or angle, measuring the difference in distance results in an infinite number of...
- PagerPagerA pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call...
- Real-time locating
- Unilateration
- LAMDLAMD- See also :* Context adaptation* Location awareness* Context awareness* Context-aware pervasive systems* Differentiated service * Multilateration* Pager* Real time locating* Unilateration...
External links
- Capturing Ambient Intelligence for Mobile Communications through Wireless Sensor Networks (Research Project)
- Middleware Platform for Developing and Deploying Advanced Mobile Services (Research Project)
- Bring advances in mobile applications and services within the reach of users (Research Project)
- Middleware for context collection and personal profile exchange