Q - What is Automatic Vehicle Location?
A - Automatic Vehicle
Location is a technologically advanced method of remote vehicle tracking and monitoring.
Each vehicle is equipped with a module that receives signals from a series of satellites,
and calculates its current geographical location, speed and heading. This information can
be stored for later retrieval, or most often, transmitted to a central dispatch/control
location where it is displayed real time on a high resolution geographical map. The most
popular form of Automatic Vehicle Location is called the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Q - What is GPS?
A - GPS is an existing
technology originally set up by the U.S. government to accurately monitor the maneuvers of
military vehicles with nearly pin-point precision. GPS was a qualified success with
military operations, and now it is revolutionizing navigational tracking for commercial
and civilian use. The principals of GPS are quite simplistic in nature, yet this simple
solution to maintaining knowledge of the exact location of a vehicle or troop of vehicles
is currently being trusted by such high pressure industries as Police Forces, Hospitals
and Fire Departments. Other industries such as Taxi Cab Companies, Messenger Services,
Cement and Concrete suppliers, Construction Firms and Utility Companies have also
discovered the benefits of GPS, and they are finding advantageous and profitable results
as an outcome.
Q - What is the existing technology set up by the
U.S. Government?
A - In the early
1980’s, the United States launched 24 satellites. These 24 satellites are encircling
the Earth in six separate orbits at an altitude of 11,000 miles. At any given moment, at
least five of these satellites can view any spot on the Earth’s surface
simultaneously. The satellites are synchronized to emit encoded navigational information
(exact positioning and exact time). Any vehicle equipped with a GPS receiver will
intercept these transmissions. The receiver will then compute its own distance from the
satellites. Using a simple mathematical formula derived from "triangulation" the
receiver is able to calculate its own longitude, latitude, velocity and even altitude.
Q - What is Triangulation?
A - Triangulation is at
the very root of GPS. As stated above, no fewer than 5 satellites are in view of any given
spot on the Earth’s surface at any given moment. In order to use the formula of
triangulation it is only necessary for three signals to be intercepted by a GPS receiver.
Using the information the satellites transmit to the receiver and by calculating the time
the signal took to reach the receiver, the receiver is able to recognize its exact
distance from the satellite. By collecting signals from three of more satellites in
carefully monitored orbit the receiver computes its own spatial relationship to each
satellite in order to come up with a precise reading of its position on the planet.
Q - How can it be so accurate?
A - Measuring the travel
time of satellite emissions is a crucial key for triangulation to work properly. The exact
location of each satellite is also of the essence. High orbits, careful monitoring and
correcting any delays the signal experiences as it travels through the atmosphere are
important factors. In order to guarantee that these factors are kept in constant check,
GPS also involves the use of 5 ground control stations strategically positioned around the
globe that track and correct any positioning errors. The ground stations check the
operational health of the satellites as will as their exact position in space. If an error
should be detected by one of the ground stations, the master ground station will correct
it by transmitting any adjustment information back to the satellite that may not be
operating perfectly. The Department of Defense contributes by measuring minor variations
in each satellite’s orbit, and atomic clocks are on board of every satellite.
Combined, all of these components contribute to the accuracy of GPS. GPS is accurate up to
100 meters 95% of the time. Accuracy up to 10 meters is commonplace.
Q - OK, the receiver knows its exact position, but
how does that affect me?
A - This is where CES
fits into the equation that might look something like this:
GPS + CES technology
=
Enhanced efficiency, productivity, security and management for your company.
CES has produced state-of-the-art
technology that is exceedingly user friendly. Our engineers have harnessed the power of
GPS and have designed products that work with the existing technology in order for
companies like yours to reap the benefits. Our products are fully integrated and
expandable. They can also easily be adapted to best suit your needs.
Q - So, what has CES done?
A - CES has designed and
manufactured a superior system of AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) using the GPS process.
The technology involved with AVL is extremely advanced, but the explanation as well as the
operation of it is quite simple. A GPS receiver is mounted in a vehicle, and a GPS antenna
is mounted on the vehicle roof. This combination receives and decodes the pertinent data
from the satellites. The data is then passed to the CES radio modem which converts the
information into an analog signal (a series of 1’s and 0’s) for transmission
through a radio system. Once passed through the users radio system, the data is received
at a dispatcher location and displayed on a "real time" computer mapping system.
CES provides the complete turnkey system.
Q - Modem? Where’s that?
A - CES has developed an
entire series of intelligent messaging devices that operate with your existing
conventional, trunked,
cellular or satellite mobile radio systems. Each of these
messaging devices comes equipped with an internal, built-in modem. It is the modem that
converts the information into a suitable format for transmission to the target location.
Depending on the needs of your company, these device can feature a vast array of driver
interface controls and readouts, or it can be neatly hidden away within the vehicle and
programmed to transmit signals to a dispatcher completely independent of driver
interaction.
Q - So, I don’t need a new radio/communication
system?
A - Absolutely not. This
is one of the major benefits of having CES installed AVL. Our family of intelligent mobile
wireless data products are engineered to operate with pre-existing radio systems. Our
mobile products are no exception. Each comes complete with a radio interface cable and
mounting brackets. Your previously installed transceiver operates just as it had before;
sending the signal to a reception tower that reroutes the signal directly to your
dispatcher. Using the exclusive CES QUADTEC process, all transmissions automatically
determine which radio channel is available, send the message, receive an acknowledgment
and process retries if the data is not properly received by the dispatcher. In other
words: CES has made it so that a transmission is never "lost" because of
distance or interference.
CES supports a wide range of wireless
formats, from two-way radio, analog and digital trunking, satellite and cellular.
Q - It sounds too good to be true. What about my
dispatch location? Will it require a complete overhaul?
A - CES technologies
have designed a base dispatch Data Controller (DCC) with simplicity in mind. It comes
complete with operating software, Monitor, DCC, Keyboard and Mouse. The powerful operating
software is Windows ’95 compatible. The "pull down" menu format has been
proven user-friendly. It is so user-friendly in fact, that very little, if any,
specialized training is required. A full "Help" menu is also provided.
Q - You mentioned a mapping system. What’s that?
A - The mapping software
designed by CES is not only amazing in terms of its functionality, it’s also fun to
use. Windows compatible digital maps are loaded into the dispatch computer.
Using the transmissions sent to the dispatch from each vehicle of your fleet, you will be
able to see precisely where these vehicles are located, which direction they are heading
and, depending on intricacies of the programs you have chosen, data such as the job
currently being performed by each vehicle. Our mapping system also features status
messaging, pan, zoom in/out, scroll, and "real time" vehicle display. No matter
how large or small, keeping track of your fleet has never been easier.
Q - This is great! I can see where all my vehicles
are on the map, but how do I communicate with them?
A - Your current two-way
radio dispatch system (or cellular) works exactly as it did before, only now you will have the luxury of
immediate messaging without relying on fallible voice communication. Again, depending on
the system that was selected to best suit your needs, you can easily transmit messages to
all or only one of your fleet drivers. If you opted for mobile display terminals within
your vehicles, you can send electronic messages as simplistic or elaborate as you desire.
Your new dispatch transmissions provide timely and secure information, reduce costs,
improves driver efficiencies, removes driver distractions, improves productivity and
vehicle turn-around, and provides critical management information. On the other hand,
given all these advancements, you will still be able to use voice communication if you
wish.
Q - I’m sold! But what if I find that I need my
fleet upgraded in the future?
A - CES has already
planned ahead for your future. All of our data products are fully upgradable. We have the
capability of providing your fleet with such invaluable hardware as credit card readers,
bar code scanners, external keyboards and even mobile printers.
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