AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATOR Abstract Is your car or a vehicle stolen or is it not visible in the thickest snow or is one amon

the several cars !resent" #o you wa nt to know the arrival o$ the bus $or which you are waitin " Are your chil%ren oin alone in a vehicle an% you want to track their moments" #oes your car o consists o$ costly loa% an% want to !rotect them" #o you want to kee! track o$ your little !layin ki%s about where they are" A&'( Automatic Vehicle Locator) This *a!er ives us a novel a!!roach o$ usin certain +*' technolo y in trackin not only vehicles, but even chil%ren an% to !rotect !recious oo%s) 'o this technolo y has aine% a lot o$ im!ortance in the recent years) This !a!er tells us how this technolo y works, its a!!lications) It is still un%er research an% %evelo!ment sta e) -) AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATOR Automatic vehicle location .AVL/ is a com!uter 0base% vehicle trackin system) 1or transit, the actual real 0time !osition o$ each vehicle is %etermine% an% relaye% to a control center) Actual !osition %etermination an% relay techni2ues vary, %e!en%in on the nee%s o$ the transit system an% the technolo ies em!loye%) Transit a encies o$ten incor!orate other a%vance% system $eatures in con3unction with AVL system im!lementation) 'im!le AVL systems inclu%e( com!uter 0ai%e% %is!atch so$tware, mobile %ata terminals, emer ency alarms, an% %i ital communications) More so!hist icate% AVL 'ystems may inte rate( real0time !assen er in$ormation, automatic !assen er counters, an% automate% $are !ayment systems) Other

com!onents that may be inte rate% with AVL systems inclu%e automatic sto! annunciation, automate% %estination si ns, Vehicle com!onent monitorin , an% Tra$$ic si nal !riority) AVL technolo y allows im!rove% sche%ule a%herence an% time% trans$ers, more accessible !assen er in$ormation, increase% availability o$ %ata $or transit mana ement an% !lannin , e$$iciency4!ro%uctivity im!rovements in transit services ) 5) 6hat is AVL technolo y" Automate% Vehicle Locator .AVL/ systems use satellite an% lan% communications to %is!lay each vehicle7s location, status, hea%in , an% s!ee% on the com!uter7s screen) AVL systems use one o$ $our ty!es o$ navi ation technolo y, or may combine two o$ these technolo ies to com!ensate $or inevitable shortcomin s o$ any one technolo y) The $our !rinci!al technolo ies em!loye% $or AVL systems are( -) +lobal *ositionin 'ystem 5) #ea%0Reckonin 'ystem 8) 'i n!ost4O%ometer 'ystems 9) Ra%io &avi ation4Location 8) TRAC:I&+ ';'TEM' There are two ty!es o$ trackin systems) 8)-) *A''IVE TRAC:I&+( The *assive Trackin 'ystem mo%ality re$ers to stan% 0alone +*' Receivers, which store %ata $or $urther !rocess) *assive systems are ty!ically limite% to vehicle trackin only) 6hen a *assive Trackin #evice is installe% in a vehicle, the location, time, velocity an% hea%in %ata is usually store% in the unit or trans$erre% to a han%hel% %evice an% %ownloa%e% $rom the vehicle when the vehicle returns to their base station) 8)5) REAL TIME TRAC:I&+ Real Time Trackin 'ystems are base% on mobile stan%0alone terminals which combine +*' an% +'M technolo y to %eterminate an% transmit their

!osition) A two0way wireless communication link connects the unit with the control center at all times) A !ortable +*' trackin %evice can be use% as an emer ency cellular !hone with s!ee% %ialin $or two 0way voice communication) It can silently call any emer ency number in the worl% $or imme%iate assistance) The emer ency silent call $eature also !rovi%es a %i iti<e% voice messa e which can re!ort the time, %ate, s!ee%, hea%in , an% location o$ a !erson in %istress) 1i ure-) +*' Receiver The AVL trackin system consists o$ a +*' receiver insi%e the vehicle an% a communications link betwee n the vehicle an% the control Center as well as !c 0base% trackin so$tware $or %is!atch) The communication system is usually a cellular network similar to the one use% by cellular !hone) Currently all kin% o$ communications networks !ermit Real0Time Trackin $or mobile assets) 9) 6OR:I&+ O1 A +*' =A'E# AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATOR 9)-) +*' 'ATELLITE' The +*' satellites locate the transit vehicles by sen%in out +*' si nals to be !icke% u! by vehicles +*' U&IT') The +*' unit in the vehicle absorbs the si nals an% ives ra%io si nals to the RA#IO system) 1i ure5) A +*' =ase% AVL 'ystem 9)5) RA#IO ';'TEM The RA#IO systems receive the vehicle +EO 0 LOCATIO& coor%inates an% transmits th is ra%io si nals to communication center) 9)8) COMMU&ICATIO& CE&TER The communication center receives this in$ormation an% uses it to %etermine the location o$ transit vehicle an% sen%s this to %is!atch stations an% other stations $or $urther analysis o$ the in$ormation either throu h wire line or wireless

networks) 9)9) #I'*ATCH 'ECTIO& The %is!atch section uses the vehicle in$ormation to hel! maintain transit sche%ules an% !rovi%e o!erational su!!ort to the %rivers) 9)>) CU'TOMER A''I'TA&CE U&IT The customer assistance !lannin 4sche%ulin o!erations analysis unit also receives the vehicle location in$ormation throu h wire line or wireless network) This section use vehicle location ma! to hel! maintain transit sche%ules to analy<e an% !rovi%e tra$$ic in$ormation $or other roa% way %river) 1i ure8) 6orkin o$ a +*' base% AVL >) I&TE+RATI&+ AVL 6ITH OTHER ';'TEM' =uses e2ui!!e% with AVL o$$er many !ossibilities $or transit inter$ace with hi hway an% tra$$ic or ani<ations or trans!ortation mana ement centers) O!!ortunities inclu%e( !rovi%in transit buses with tra$$ic si nal !riority? obtainin tra$$ic con estion %ata at the %is!atch center to allow reroutin o$ buses or in$ormin customers o$ %elay? incor!oratin transit in$ormation in traveler in$ormation systems? %evelo!in multi 0a!!lication electronic !ayment systems? usin buses to automatically communicat e tra$$ic s!ee%? an% re!ortin o$ roa%way inci%ents by transit vehicle o!erators) @) MORE A=OUT +*' @)-) Use o$ #i$$erential +*' 1or AVL systems which %o re2uire more accurate !ositions, %i$$erential +*' can be em!loye%) These systems normally em!loy the transmission o$ correction in$ormation to the +*' receiver? this correction in$ormation has corrections $or each satellite in view) This is %one because each satellite has its own

error? the error in +*' is not sim!ly an A0; error which will be the same $or all receivers) The error on any two iven receivers will only be the same i$ those receivers are usin the 'AME satellites) This canBt normally be uarantee% as satellites may be obscure% at one location, makin the error sli htly %i$$erent $or two receivers) @)5) +*' Antennas The best !osition $or any antenna is enerally as hi h as !ossible with the best unrestricte% view) @)8) +*' 'atellites The lobal !ositionin system .+*'/ was s!eci$ically en ineere% so that at least $our o$ the 59 sat ellites woul% be !ositione% on the hori<on at all times) There are siC %i$$erent orbitin !atterns that the +*' satellites $ollow, makin a com!lete tri! aroun% the earth every -5 hours) The in$ormation re ar%in the location o$ the transit vehicle is calculate% by TRILATERATIO& metho%) 6ith this in$ormation, the receivers can, by a !rocess similar to trian ulation, tell the user the eCact location in latitu%e, lon itu%e, an% sometimes altitu%e too ) 1i ure9) +*' 'atellites @)9) MA**I&+ At any control station, %ata is normally re2uire% to be viewe% on a ma!) Ma!s allow a tan ible, un%erstan%able view o$ a vehicles location, an% will also allow o!erators to a!!ly local knowle% e) D) #ATA TRA&'1ER The two most common metho%s o$ transmittin vehicle location %ata to %is!atch are throu h !ollin an% eCce!tion re!ortin via wireless communications) Many a encies use a combination) E) =E&E1IT' The most eCtensive an% ri orous research into the bene$its

o$ AVL has $oun% that this technolo y has lea% t o si ni$icant transit $irm !ro%uctivity ains .whether out!ut is measure% by *assen er Miles or Vehicle Revenue Miles/) =ene$its have been %ocumente% to varyin %e rees $or all o$ the $ollowin cate ories) E)-) O!erations( Increases transit ri%er shi!) Re%uce% nee% $or a%%itional roa% su!ervisors an% manual %ata entry) E)5) Communications( Im!rove% communications between su!ervisors, %is!atchers, an% o!erators an% re%uce% voice ra%io tra$$ic) E)8) *assen er In$ormation( *rovi%es ca!ability to in$orm !assen ers o$ !re%icte% bus arrival times thus enhancin the 2uality o$ transit service an% allowin travelers to make better travel %ecisions) E)9) 'che%ulin an% *lannin ( *rovi%es more com!lete an% accurate %ata $or sche%ulin an% !lannin ) Ai%s in e$$ective bus sto! !lacement .when combine% with a +)I)') %atabase an% automatic !assen er counters/) E)>) 'a$ety an% 'ecurity( Enhances the security o$ the %river an% traveler .!articularly when cou!le% with silent alarm technolo y/) F) U'E' -) Vehicle location %is!lay in real0 time) 5) Recor%in o$ arrival an% %e!arture times .!roo$ o$ %elivery etc/) 8) Monitorin o$ %rivin !ractices .s!ee%/) 9) Alerts i$ vehicle leaves or enters a %e$ine% area ) -G) A**LICATIO&' I& OTHER 1IEL#' -G)-) In Military It is clear how use$ul this technolo y woul% be $or the Arme% 1orces) =e$ore small +*' receivers were available, troo!s in the $iel% %e!en%e% on the same technolo y $or enerations( the com!ass, seCtant, ma!s an% han% calculations) Ra%ios an% reconnaissance aircra$t wer e reat lea!s, but a +*' calculates !osition in real time, %own to

three $oot accuracyH -G)5) +eo0Cachin This is $or !eo!le who have likin towar%s searchin hi%%en thin s or !artici!atin in scaven er hunts) 6ith +*', comes the new twist( eo0cachin ) +eo0catchers hi%e a little treasure in a boC !ublic !lace, $or eCam!le, a shoe boC with a use% book insi%e, ta!e% un%er the seat o$ a bus sto!) They then o to eo0cachin websites an% !ost sim!le latitu%e an% lon itu%e, to as much accuracy as they like) Then other eo0catchers search $or these boCes with their +*' %ata) The $un is lookin $or a stran e boC in what coul% be an area with a 5> 0$oot ra%ius) 6hen the success$ul eo0catcher $in%s the boC, he or she kee!s the little treasure an% re!laces it with another, $or the neCt searcher) -G)8) Track Anythin *arents always worry about their teena e ki%s, es!ecially a$ter they start %rivin ) Auto sho!s have starte% o$$erin installation o$ small, hi%%en +*' receivers in ki%sB cars) *arents can then use sim!le com!uter so$tware an% have their ki%sB movements !lotte% on a ma!) Many !arents %onBt even tell the ki%s about this Ilittle eCtraB) 1i ure>) Track anythin -G)9) In Car o 'ome containers o$ car o are more valuable than others) A small +*' receiver insi%e the car o can know eCactly where it is, how $ar it is $rom the %estination, an% where to $in% even it i$ it is stolen) 1i ure@) +*' in Car o -G)>) Chil% Trackin O$ to!ical interest at this time is Ichil% trackin B, ivin the !ossibility $or chil%ren to wear or carry some sort o$ +*'4+'M tracker) 'uch a %evice coul% !rovi%e valuable in$ormation i$ a chil% is ab%ucte% or lost) 'i nals

coul% be sent $rom the tracker every $ew minutes to a central site so that a recor% is ke!t o$ the chil%Bs loca tion, or 3ust sent when a I!anic buttonB was !resse% by the chil%) J-5) =I=LIO+RA*H;K -)www)calccit)or )its%ecision4servLan%Lte ch4AutomaticLv ehicleLlocation4automaticLvehicleLlocationLsummary)html 5)htt!(44www) !sworl%)com4 !sworl%4article4article#etail)3 s!"i%M-G58ED