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Automatic Vehicle Location
An Introduction


Prof. David Bernstein
James Madison University

Computer Science Department
bernstdh@jmu.edu

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History
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  • Traditional techniques for location determination (sometimes called "navigation", though it is clearly only part of the process of navigation) required human involvement
  • Recent advances in communications and computing technologies have made it possible to automate the process
Dead Reckoning Systems
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  • Defined:
    • Measure the speed and the heading (or the velocity vector) and "integrate" from a known location
  • Requirements:
    • Speedometer (in the vehicle)
    • Compass (in the vehicle)
Beacon (or Sign Post) Systems
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  • Defined:
    • Transmit the location from a sign post with known location
  • Requirements:
    • Sign posts (at intersections) each with its own transmitter
    • Receiver (in the vehicle)
    • An optional range-finder (in the vehicle) can be used to improve the accuracy
Terrestrial Triangulation Systems
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  • Defined:
    • Use signals broadcast from several locations on the ground to determine the location using triangulation
  • Requirements:
    • Transmitters (spaced-out on the ground)
    • Receiver (in the vehicle)
Celestial Triangulation Systems
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  • Defined:
    • Use signals broadcast from satellites to determine the location using triangulation
  • Requirements:
    • Transmitters (in satellites)
    • Receiver (in the vehicle)
    • A ground station at a known location equipped with a receiver and transmitter can be used to improve the accuracy
  • Examples:
    • The US's Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), China's BeiDou System (BDS), EU's Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
There's Always More to Learn
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