Real Time Positioning; Construction and implementation of a GPS-Communicator.

Abstract: The first half of the Masters thesis is the result of a survey made on the behalf of the Swedish company KORDAB International AB. The survey includes an overview of different positioning systems and some wireless communication techniques available on the market today. Positioning systems discussed are GPS, DGPS, AGPS and GSM positioning. Mobile Internet connections through mobile phones and communication through radio modems are mentioned and described as examples of wireless communication techniques. Examples of techniques described are HSCSD, GPRS, UMTS and MOBITEX. KORDAB is in the starting blocks to implement a real time positioning feature into their own technical information system GEOSECMA. This survey will give them a base which will help them to decide on which system to use for this feature. The second half of the thesis includes parts concerning a prototype made to exemplify how KORDAB could implement the real time positioning feature into GEOSECMA. The NMEA 0183 protocol, reference systems and transformation are described to give the necessary background knowledge for the construction and functionality of the prototype. The prototype is a GPS-communicator made as an interface between a GPS-receiver and GEOSECMA and its functionality is also described in this second half of the thesis. Feasible applications are also discussed to show the possibilities real time positioning gives. One application discussed is “Zoom and Auto highlighting”. This application is designed to help user of GEOSECMA to zoom in the map and highlighting the nearest object at current location.