GIS For Location Based

Services
 Outline

 What is LBS?
 What is GIS?
 Desktop GIS
 Web GIS
 Mobile GIS
 Summary

GIS for Location Based Services

 What is LBS ?
 Provide personalized services to mobile users based on
their current location
 Where am I?
 What is the nearest restaurant, cinema ect.

Operator Tracking Assistance

services

Range of applications

Monitoring Information

GIS for Location Based Services

 What is LBS ?
Mobile Devices

http://www.geo.unizh.ch/ GIS for Location Based Services

What is LBS ? …

 Definition 1 (Virrantaus et al. 2001)

LBSs are information services accessible with mobile
devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability
to make use of the location of the mobile device.

 Definition 2 (OGC, 2005 )

A wireless-IP service that uses geographic information to
serve a mobile user. Any application service that exploits the
position of a mobile terminal.

GIS for Location Based Services

What is LBS ? …

 LBS as an intersection of three technologies

http://www.geo.unizh.ch/publications/cartouche/
lbs_lecturenotes_steinigeretal2006.pdf
 LBS need to deal with GIS …
GIS for Location Based Services
 What is GIS ?

“A Geographic Information System (GIS) is an organized

collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data,
methods, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store,
update, manipulate, analyze and display all forms of geographically
referenced information” [ESRI,1996].

GIS services (OpenGIS Guide [Buehler & McKee, 1998])

 Geodata Services
 Geoprocessing Services

GIS for Location Based Services

Key Features of GIS

 Information from different sources

Computer databases
 Digital maps
 GPS receiver
 Satellite image

 Data integration

http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/

GIS for Location Based Services

Key Features of GIS …

 Projection
 Information retrieval
 Data output
Overlay
 Topological modeling

http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/

GIS for Location Based Services

Data Representation

 Raster Data
 Represent images as a collection of pixels
 A grid of cells covering an image / area
 Higher data volume
 Example of raster formats
 GeoTiff
 ARC/INFO ASCII Grid
 ARC/INFO GRID
 ECW
 IMG
GIS for Location Based Services
Data Representation…

 Vector Data
 Use geometrical shapes (Lines, Points, Polygons)
 Low data volume
 Example of vector formats
 Shape files
 MapInfo TAB
 NTF
 TIGER

GIS for Location Based Services

Types of GIS

GIS

Desktop GIS Web GIS Mobile GIS

 GIS is moving from Desktop systems to Distributed system

OpenGIS concept
 Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) [http://www.opengeospatial.org]
Develop specifications to increase the interoperability of geospatial data and
geoprocessing software components
GIS for Location Based Services
 Desktop GIS

 Represents the real world on a computer

 Limited to the desktop Computer
 Not everyone can access the applications
 Desktop GIS Functionalities
View data on a map
 Analyze data
 Create publication quality, professional maps

GIS for Location Based Services

Desktop GIS Software

GIS Software
 Proprietary Software
- ArcGIS Desktop (ESRI)
- Envision (Autodesk)
- MapInfo Professional
 Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
- GRASS GIS
- Quantum GIS (QGIS)

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop (ESRI)

 Includes four software components.

 ArcReader
 ArcView
 ArcEditor
 ArcInfo

http://www.esri.com/products.html

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop …

 ArcReader
-An easy-to-use desktop mapping application
- Allow users to view, explore and print maps
 ArcView
- A full featured GIS software
- Allow users to view, analyze, manage and create
geographic data

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop …

 ArcEditor
- A powerful GIS desktop system
- Provide all the functionality of ArcView
- Provide data edit capability
- Supports single user editing OR collaborative process

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop…

 ArcInfo
- The most complete GIS
- Includes all the functionality of ArcEditor, ArcView, and
ArcReader
- Provide advanced spatial analysis, extensive data
manipulation, and high-end cartography tools

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

2. Envision (Autodesk)

 Integrates GIS spatial data and AutoCad design data

 Perform civil engineering tasks such as
- calculating elevations
- cut/fill volumes
-running flood analyses
 AutoDesk Raster Design is used to edit, modify, and enhance
raster data

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

3. MapInfo Professional
 A full featured Desktop geospatial solution
 Comes with easy-to-use software and a powerful
software tool
 Vertical Mapper third party add-on for raster data

GIS for Location Based Services

FOSS Software

1. GRASS GIS

 GRASS - Geographic Resources Analysis Support

System
 Supports various platforms
 Supports for both raster & vector formats

GIS for Location Based Services

FOSS Software

1. GRASS GIS…
 Functionalities
- geospatial data management and analysis
- image processing
- graphics/maps production
- spatial modeling
- visualization

GIS for Location Based Services

FOSS Software

2. Quantum GIS (QGIS)

 Support multiple platforms

- Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows

 Support multiple data formats

-vector, raster, database formats
-GRASS layers
http://qgis.org/brochure/qgis_brochure_en.pdf

 Extendable functionality using plug-ins

GIS for Location Based Services

Applicability for LBS

 Issues…
Limited to a Desktop PC
Cannot access remotely
 LBS deals with mobile users
Need remote access to GIS
Transfer information between user and the GIS

 Desktop GIS not suitable for LBS

GIS for Location Based Services

 Web GIS

“Web GIS is a Geographic Information System distributed across

a networked computer environment to integrate, disseminate,
and communicate geographic information visually on the
World Wide Web over the Internet.” [Gillavry, 2000]

Disseminate geospatial data and processing tools

 Possible to Process geo-related information with no location
restrictions.

GIS for Location Based Services

Web GIS Architecture

Web GIS

Client-Server Architecture Distributed Architecture

GIS for Location Based Services

1. Client – Server Architecture

 Geoprocessing  Server side & Client side tasks

 Typical three tier architecture
1. Presentation tier
- Contains user interface
2. Application logic tier
- Model & process GIS data
3. Storage tier
- Databases that store GIS data

GIS for Location Based Services

1. Client – Server Architecture …

 A typical client-server architecture

Client Middle Ware Server

Spatial request Internet Map

Web Web Server
Browser Internet Server (IMS)
HTML,Image,Map..

 Two types GIS

software GIS
database
- Thin client architecture
- Thick client architecture
GIS for Location Based Services
2. Distributed Architecture

 Both data and processing components are distributed

 The client and server do not refer to a specific machine
 “Geodata anywhere, Geoprocessing anywhere” model
 Distributed object architectures
- Microsoft's Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM)
- Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)
- Java Remote Method Invocation (Java RMI)

GIS for Location Based Services

IMS Software

 Allow users to access spatial data via a web browser interface

 Interact with web server and spatial database

Proprietary software FOSS software

- ArcView IMS (ESRI) - Minnesota Map Server
- MapObjects IMS (ESRI) - Open-GIS Multiviewer
- ArcIMS (ESRI) - GIS Viewer
- MapGuide (Autodesk)

GIS for Location Based Services

Applicability for LBS

 Key features of web GIS:

- Distribute geospatial data over the Internet or an Intranet
- Limited to hardwired networks
 Features of Mobile devices:
- Use wireless Internet (low bandwidth, low connection speed)
- Limited processing power
- Diversity nature
 Web GIS not suitable for LBS

GIS for Location Based Services

 Mobile GIS

“Mobile GIS is an integrated software/hardware framework for the

access of geospatial data and services through mobile devices via
wireline or wireless networks.” [http://map.sdsu.edu/publications/Tsou2-CaGIS-
final-short.pdf]

 Mobile GIS can be taken as a sub new research area in Web GIS
 Address issues such as….
- moving client side
- wireless internet
- limited hardware resources in moving client side
GIS for Location Based Services
Mobile GIS Architecture

Client:
- Mobile GIS receiver
- Positioning System
- Mobile GIS software
Server :
- Geospatial data
- GIS content server

http://map.sdsu.edu/publications/Tsou2-CaGIS-final-short.pdf

 Similar to the traditional client/server architecture in Web GIS

 Use “ Thin Client” structure
GIS for Location Based Services
Mobile GIS Applications

 Two major application areas:

1. Location Based Services
2. Field based GIS

GIS for Location Based Services

Mobile GIS Technologies for LBS
 LBS deals with cellular phones and vehicle
based computers  Very diverse in nature

 Integrate the wireless Internet with GIS

 Two main technologies:
1. WAP
2. JAVA
GIS for Location Based Services
1. WAP based Mobile GIS

 Proposed by Wang Fangxiong and Jian Zhiyong

 Use WAP along with J2EE
Mobile Client Wireless network Internet Server

WAP WAP Web Server

microbrowser / gateway
J2ME application WAP HTTP
RMI

Mobile Application
Position Server
 Four tier architecture Center
MLP

1. Presentation tier - UI
2. WAP service tier - WAP gateway +Web server Spatial
Database

3. Application tier – Application server

4. Data service tier – Spatial database
GIS for Location Based Services
2. JAVA based Mobile GIS

 Proposed by Xiaoqing Zhou, Xinming Tang, Zhao Fan and

Zhongping Wang
 Client side – J2ME
 Server side – J2EE
 Three tier architecture
1. Client tier
2. Web service tier
3. Data tier

GIS for Location Based Services