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Personal GPS in a Mobile Phone

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the this-could-get-fun dept.

i4u writes "NTT DoCoMo announced today that it will introduce it's first Global Positioning Service (GPS)-compatible handset F661i, at the end of April. The GPS mobile phone enables users to determine their location at the touch of a button, and download location specific information via i-mode like graphical maps and other interesting information about the area. This is not like the GPS functionality that the US Phone companies introduced so far. In the US the GPS coordinates are only used for emergencies and not yet for actually providing value to the user in other situations. Users of the F661i can send their current location to other i-mode enabled phones. In addition, a memo function allows users to store location information, including map, telephone numbers and addresses. The phone supports three applications of the GPS functionality: 1)The GPS enabled Phone can be tracked by via a service, useful for instance for parents to track their kids. See also the Wherify GPS Person Locator. 2)Submission of current location in case of emergency to pre-defined organizations, like police, fire departments etc. Similar to the GPS functionality available in the US. 3)The F661i also can be used by businesses to track their delivery trucks and more. Similar to Car GPS devices."

39 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm, no thanks by captainclever · · Score: 2, Funny

    Tin-foil hat time :)

    --
    Last.fm - join the social music revolution
  2. So, when the driver crashes by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 2, Funny

    they'll know exactly where they are when the call for help.

    --
    You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
  3. when you sleep, where do your fingers go... by Syncroswitch · · Score: 3, Informative

    Note to posters, a gps does not track you, it tracks the BYRD. to give your location to big brother it must send a signal, such as having your call triangulated, or (evil) it could call out and snitch on you... If they keep combining all the gadgets, Ill only have one multipurpose gadget, thats like geekdom in a thong. NO ONE SHOULD WANT THAT

    1. Re:when you sleep, where do your fingers go... by Bad_Feeling · · Score: 2, Informative

      It is true that GPS is receive only. However, digital phones send out data packets for SMS, audio data and just about everything else, so it's a piece of cake to engineer them to send a packet to the provider containing the received GPS data.

      --
      Disclaimer: On the other hand, I am kind of a psycho...
  4. thanks but no thanks by elmegil · · Score: 2, Insightful
    If the user of the phone can turn the tracking features off, it's useless for tracking kids.

    If the user of the phone cannot turn the tracking features off, they're just handing "big brother" another tool to track them with.

    --
    7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
    1. Re:thanks but no thanks by schmink182 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      While you have a good point, your first argument isn't entirely accurate. If the tracking features were turned off, the parent would assume that the child was up to no good. However, if they left the cell phone by itself while they went off to have lots of drugs and promiscuous sex, the parent wouldn't have any idea; so it's still worthless.

  5. Lots of phones already have GPS by Controlio · · Score: 4, Informative

    All sorts of phones do GPS, my Sanyo 4900 I bought months ago has GPS. Most of all cell phones released in the past 6 months (in the U.S.) do, because its a part of the new E911 initiative. When you dial 911, your phone passes your GPS info to the cell tower, and the cell tower sends you to the local police for the city you're in. They designed the new phones this way so the state police phones don't get bombarded with calls from all over the state... since most of the time they just forward you to a local police department anyways.

    So what's to prevent phones right now from doing mapping? Couldn't someone write up a java applet or some other fuctionality that could do this on existing phones? The worst thing you should need is a minor firmware revision to allow java to access the GPS data.

    I was going to ask this in an Ask Slashdot, but I guess I'll pose it here. Our phones have GPS on them today. Why don't we have mapping and positioning data accessible to us already?

    1. Re:Lots of phones already have GPS by seinman · · Score: 5, Informative

      The difference is that US GPS phones don't have the GPS decoders in them. They just recieve raw data from the satellites, relay it to the tower, where computers at your provider figure out your location and pass it on to 911. There is no way to decode that data within the phone. Apparently, that's what sets this new phone apart from what we already have.

    2. Re:Lots of phones already have GPS by sstidman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That's not exactly what Enhanced 911 is all about. Dialing 911 from your cell phone has always patched you to the correct 911 center (unless the cell tower happens to be close to a border). The major goal of E911 is the tell the emergency operaror where you are located. You can read more about E911 on the FCC website.

      There are many cell phones currently on the market which have what is called Assisted GPS. As another posted mentioned, Assisted GPS cell phones merely take measurments of the signal strength coming from various GPS satellites. These measurements are forwarded to the cell tower which calculates the mobile phones location. This is mainly implemented to support E911 in the cheapest way possible. However, I have seen numerous postings on the SprintPCS developer website forums that there are plans to put together a Java library which will permit application developers to write J2ME apps which can query the lat/long of the phone. Those postings are from Sprint employees, but they currently seem to be suggesting that we will see this as part of the Location API included with the Java MIDP 2.0 to be released 4th Quarter 2003.

      If I did not state it clearly above, once the cell tower calculates your position, it currently has no reason to pass that info back to your phone. The Location API will work by asking the cell tower for your location, not by reading some registers in your phone. Without the Location API (and the supporting software on the towers), there would be no way for you to write a mapping application that ran on your phone, regardless of how much memory you have. For obvious reasons, such a library would have to query the phone user before permitting the application to obtain location information. I also imagine that Sprint would have to come up with a scheme to prevent folks from reverse engineering the Sprint library and then implementing their own libraries which would not bother asking for permission. That is probably at least part of the reason why it is taking so long to get support for polling your phones location.

      --
      Send/track messages to 100K people: www.xPressAlert.com
    3. Re:Lots of phones already have GPS by jabuzz · · Score: 2, Informative

      The maps don't take up as much space as you are making out.

      A raster based road map of the whole of Great Britain at 1:200,000 with a pixel size of 40 metres, in a 16 colour paletted image (you don't need more than 16 colours for maps) compressed using LZW (it's in GIF format) comes to just over 16MB. A raster street map of Greater London at 1:10,000 pixel size of 2.6 metres again in 16 colour paletted is a little under 60MB.

      Now lets also check what a 128MB MMC card costs, a mear 35UKP or around $50. So that would leave me with some 52MB of memory for other maps. So I could add in a road map I have of France the Iberian penisula and Austria, and over view map of Europe, a nautical chart of the British Isles and still have about 20MB left on this 128MB MMC card for some raster topo maps of the UK.

      If the phone could deal with SD memory cards they are available in 512MB size. That is enough to hold one quarter of Great Britain in the OS 1:50,000 Landranger maps with a 5m pixel size.

      So as far as I can see all they need to do is provide a MMC/SD slot somewhere on the phone. They are barely bigger than a SIM card.

    4. Re:Lots of phones already have GPS by CharlieG · · Score: 2, Informative

      Well, sort of

      The Motorola i58 and i88 (both available via Nextel) and be set to output NEMA data, then you just have to use that - a lot of programs read NEMA. Here is and article on how to feed that data to a TNC

      http://www.dididahdahdidit.com/nexteltracker.php

      --
      -- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
    5. Re:Lots of phones already have GPS by Mike+McTernan · · Score: 2, Informative

      So what's to prevent phones right now from doing mapping?

      Nothing really - take a look at the Garmin NavTalk for an example of a GSM phone that also provides mapping applications.

      Couldn't someone write up a java applet or some other fuctionality that could do this on existing phones? The worst thing you should need is a minor firmware revision to allow java to access the GPS data.

      The problem you're up against is the amount of memory required to store the map data, and also getting access to specialist map information. This is probably the constraint that prevents most phones from containing such functionality by default - adding memory increases the bill of materials, and consumers don't like that.

      Of course, there is nothing to stop you using a wap/web browser on your phone and using a service like Multimap to get your map data (although you'll need to be in coverage and pay for the GSM or GPRS call depending on how you want to get your data).

      --
      -- Mike
  6. Old phones might function somewhat like GPS too by xYoni69x · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm sure this comes as great news for those of us that are paranoid:

    There was an article in the news here (Israel) a few months ago that said cellular phones already can be used as tracking devices, as long as the battery is in (even if they are turned off). Of course, this can only be used by the cellular networks themselves. (And, I guess, police investigations.)

    I guess the only way to be immune to the government spying powers is to be Amish or something. Or do they have that covered as well?

    --
    void*x=(*((void*(*)())&(x=(void*)0xfdeb58)))();
  7. Not new by silas_moeckel · · Score: 2, Informative

    Um I have seen and used the Nextel i88 that has built in GPS with directions so how is this new?

    --
    No sir I dont like it.
  8. Benefon.. by vjouppi · · Score: 3, Informative

    The Benefon Esc! has been out for quite some time now (around a year, IIRC).

    http://www.benefon.com/products/esc/index.htm

    Of course from Finland, where the best mobile phones come from. :^)

    --
    -Jope
  9. Damn by Timesprout · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now my woman will be able to prove I was in the bar and not working late at the office. Is there to be no escape !!!

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  10. Great, now if only there were a standard... by defile · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I hope there's a shakeout in the industry some day. Having investigated developing applications for these devices, I've always been disappointed in that either you need to sign up for some really expensive licenses, use Java (J2ME) which doesn't offer anywhere near the phone's true potential, or you have to deal with a new platform for each phone you come across, even across a single manufacturer's line.

    One day this will stop sucking. Until then...

  11. Re:This all sounds well and good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    What, you're scared of your mom knowing where you are?

  12. unlike in the US by The+Pim · · Score: 3, Insightful
    In the US the GPS coordinates are only used for emergencies and not yet for actually providing value to the user in other situations.

    I can't figure this out. I first saw this feature in a phone over a year ago, and it seems common now. So all the manufacturers have gone to the expense of adding GPS to their phones, yet they don't even include a simple "what are my coordinates" feature in the UI. What are they waiting for?

    --

    The evaluation of an action as 'practical' . . . depends on what it is that one wishes to practice.
    1. Re:unlike in the US by alch · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There are three ways to find out your position in a network. GPS is only one of them. Others do "triangulate" from towers (a little more complex than that). That was one of the requirements of E911 - to be able to find you WITHOUT a special phone.

      The new thing presented in this article is about additional services to be provided (either for a fee or as an incentive to switch). For phones with GPS this is not that special, but for phones without it, access to network bassed positioning services might be pretty cool.

      For more insight on these - look at the Qualcomm phone chipstets. Most of the new ones have a integrated GPS system on them. These are used in CDMA phones (in the US/CAN - Sprint, Verizon, Bell Mobility, Telus) - Qualcomm makes the chips for 90% of the CDMA phones on the market - Kyocera, Samsung, Qualcomm (duh).

  13. Useful purpose by teamhasnoi · · Score: 3, Funny
    If I could use the GPS to track down the theater-goer that hasn't shut off the ringer and execute them in a manner befitting their crimes, I think that I could become an early adopter.

    Let's hear it for technology!

    Next on Ask Slashdot:
    Where are the tools to fight the eventual demise of our liberty?

  14. Saved! by arvindn · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just when it becomes illegal to "conceal the existence or place of origin or destination of any telecommunications service", we are saved by a service that allows us to seamlessly track the caller's location!!!

  15. Drug dealer IQ tester by Dolphinzilla · · Score: 4, Funny

    How many bonehead people doing criminal activities via cell phone will purchase these, and then be mystified at how the cops know exactly where they are. I am thinking automatic jail time for being a moron.

  16. NOT FIRST, not by a long shot.. try nearly 2y ago. by gl4ss · · Score: 2, Informative

    benefon company website of phonemaker that makes such things..

    quick googling..:
    **Benefon Debuts GPS-Enabled Dual-Band GSM Phones

    By Mark Long -- e-inSITE, 7/30/2001**
    http://www.e-insite.net/index.asp?layout=article&a rticleid=CA149613

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  17. And the down side... by mcgroarty · · Score: 2, Funny
    This is related to a recent situation in Iraq which has involved the confiscation of quite a few journalists' phones. :-)

    I suppose when your enemy is trying to figure out where you are so they can drop bombs and grenades on you, it's best not to have a beacon broadcasting your GPS location!

  18. Quite useful in Japan actually... by leeet · · Score: 2, Informative

    I had the chance to live there for some time and as most people don't realise, most streets don't have names! It is a very complex, un-friendly and confusing way of thinking. (ie: strange for Japan)

    Everything is so dense that finding a friend can be a pain in the butt, believe me.

    Ok ok, I hear all that privacy crap, but who cares? Unless you're some mafia top-dude, who gives a crap about where you are? What do you have to *hide* ?

    Just think about kids being kidnaped or such things. I think the pros outweight the cons.

    --
    -- Leeeter than leet
  19. Another Use by Efreet · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Would be to use your phone to leave messages for other people at the same geographic location. Imagine going up to a restuarant, consulting your phone, and seeing that there are a bunch of messages saying how good the food and service is. Just make sure you have a good interface and really good spam filters.

    --
    This sig wasn't worth reading, was it.
  20. Like it or not, it's the law by andy1307 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    All mobile phones sold in the US will be required to have some sort of GPS tracking system. They call it e911 or something. The idea is that if you make an emergency call from your cell phone, the 911 operator should be able to pin point your location to within 2 city blocks.

  21. This is bunk... by Mondragon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have a Treo 300, and its' GPS capability can be used by Palm applications, so the statement that US phones don't offer positioning information to the user is false. Also, for the paranoid, you can disable palm application access to the GPS unit so that AOL can't track you while you're on Instant Messenger... ;-)

  22. Garmin has a nice one by w42w42 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Garmin has a GPS Phone, and being a real GPS manufacturer, they have the software to go with it.

    Better yet for an outdoors enthusiast that wants to communicate with their buddies, check out their Rhino. You can ping your friend, and their location shows up on your map.

    Someone else said it, but I agree. The hardware capabilities are all there in these devices, it's just a matter of getting the software/UI to support it.

  23. Hey, mine's broken! by olePigeon+(Wik) · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Not exactly the best time to introduce a GPS phone. Since the military is messing everything up for civilians, everyone's phone will be 300 meters off or given random coordinates. But what's 300 meters these days, eh?

  24. What about Nextel/Motorola? by nsayer · · Score: 2, Informative

    The i58sr allows you to run java programs that are GPS-aware and able to use IP networking. There already is at least one outfit using them to sell location-aware fleet dispatching services and stuff.

  25. ringggg - oh hello, honey... by Dolphinzilla · · Score: 3, Funny

    Yeah, I have to work late tonight.

    No I won't be home for dinner...

    whats that? What am I doing at your sisters house?

    ummmm - must be Russian GPS jamming equipment - damn phone - I guess I'll have to take it in for service.

    I love you too...

  26. Great, so does it work inside? by sbwoodside · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ?? I'm guessing the answer is no.

    simon

    --
    home page
  27. US Carriers are just lazy by rbrome · · Score: 2, Informative

    All of the "GPS-enabled" US cell phones people have mentioned ARE capable of the type of service launched in Japan. It's just that the U.S. carriers haven't launched the services yet.

    If you go into the Settings menu on any recent Sprint or Verizon phone, there's an option for "Location". If you turn it "off", it will tell you that your location is still broadcasted for 911 calls. If you turn it "on", your location is available to your carrier (Sprint or Verizon) at all times, and any other companies you have given permission to (via the service that doesn't exist yet).

    The point is - the phone support is here. The network support is also implemented already - it's required by law for E-911. The only piece missing at this point are the "location servers" that tie in with the wireless web, which is where it actually becomes useful.

    AT&T Wireless has actually launched this type of service, ("Find Friends" etc.,) but they're not using GPS technology, and they haven't implemented their equivalent yet. For now it only knows which tower you are near, which only gives it accuracy of a few miles (as opposed to 50 meters with GPS).

  28. Why privacy matters. by FuzzyDaddy · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Unless you are doing something wrong, why does it matter that people can track you?

    Because there are things which aren't illegal, but not the government's business. Suppose I'm married but carrying on a homosexual affair with my neighbor. Then suppose I'm an activist of some sort (pick your favorite cause for the sake of argument.)

    What sort of temptation would this knowledge of my personal life present to someone in the government to whom I was causing trouble? I'm doing nothing illegal, but by finding out something that could be embarassing to me, they can abuse their power to gain extra-legal power over me, by threating to blackmail me.

    For anyone who thinks this is an overly paranoid scenario over what the government would do, read about the information collected about civil rights activists in the 60's.

    --
    It's not wasting time, I'm educating myself.
  29. The application I'd like to see. by FuzzyDaddy · · Score: 2, Funny
    Privacy concerns aside, one thing that would be cool would be if I could call someone, and while talking to them, hit a button to send my location to their phone, so a little arrow could appear on their phone pointing to me.

    That way my co-workers could actually end up eating lunch at the same restaurant.

    --
    It's not wasting time, I'm educating myself.
  30. Why do I need GPS?? by RHIC · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was looking at various gadgets today, and spotted a GPS receiver PC card, and thought: "That'd be cool to have, so I always know where I am!". This was quickly followed by another though: "...but I know where my room is."

  31. Old news! by samik · · Score: 2, Informative

    GPS-enabled phones are nothing new. See these:

    Nokia Communicator GPS module

    Benefon Esc!