“Ovidius” University Annals, Economic Sciences Series Volume XIV, Issue 1 /2014
Fundamentals of Smart Geolocation Solutions for Business
Petac Eugen Computer Science, “Ovidius” University of Constanța, Romania [email protected] Alzoubaidi Abdel Rahman Computer Eng Dept. Faculty of Engineering Al Balqa Applied University, Salt, king Dom of Jordan [email protected] Prodan-Palade Doina Economics and Business Administration ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Romania [email protected]
Abstract techniques and geolocation solutions, and also their development directions. These The applications related to geolocation aspects are addressed in the next two parts of went from belonging to a niche software the paper. The information presented is based solutions, specific applications of users on tested solutions, presented in the fourth specialized in Geographic Information part that allows developers to choose an System (GIS), to the category of essential adequate geolocation solution, personalized software used in any computing system. The by the adopted business model. business sector understands the potential that Considerations regarding the tendencies of is represented by linking information about addressing geolocation in an integrated the location to actual and potential clients, solutions system, both current and for example, information that enables prospective, for the general interest and for directing the marketing strategies at precise the business sector, are presented in the last geographic areas. We consider that the part of the paper. current development of the Business Models Based Geolocation has become a necessity 2. GNSS Overview for every economic entity. The Geolocation enables finding the Keywords: Business applications, GNSS, geographic location (latitude and longitude) GPS, IP Location, Location Based Services. of an entity that can be a person, building J.E.L. Classification: L8, M1, M3. object, or anything else. In the Information Technology field this localization is referred to the devices for storage, processing and 1. Introduction transmission of data: computers, routers, tablets, smart-phones or devices equipped There are distinct areas that can vary in with satellite navigation also known as the use of specific geolocation functions. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Some of these are: Geomarketing, In order to determine a location, the GNSS Crowdsourcing, Geosocial, Geotagging, Geo- receiver has to receive signals from the four Applications for M-Commerce (Mobile satellites simultaneously, needed to calculate Commerce), POIs (Points of Interests) the position (longitude, latitude and altitude) Search, Augmented Reality. We consider that and for the current local time to high the current development of the Business precision, which allows time synchronization Models Based Geolocation has become a [1]. Current operational GNSSs [2] are the necessity for every economic entity. This is American GPS (Global Positioning System) the reason our paper presents fundamental also used in Europe and the Russian system elements regarding the current methods, GLObal NAvigation Satellite System
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(GLONASS). Opportunity) [12]. This uses almost any Geolocation oriented toward its Internet signal source or interface to determine its linked applications is defined as a position. The signal sources can be radio/TV technological solution that determines, with stations, cellular triangulation or even GPS somewhat precision, the position of an object jamming devices, and many more can be in the physical (geographic) or virtual added. NAVSOP does not need details about (Internet) space. The geolocation services use the type of the signal used as the source of by the economic agents, private or public, by information and is recommended as a perfect governmental or non-governmental solution for the zones where there is no GPS institutions, by physical persons and the signal. The new SBAS and NAVSOP Machine to Machine (M2M) systems join the GPS in a tendency to offer communications. There are situations where localization solutions more and more the referred object is a person that uses efficient, of great interest for both the Internet services based on localization and, at military and the civil sectors. Both the same time, wishes to hide their identity. development and the administration of the Utilization of systems with graphical business sector are some of the main aspects information (for example, maps) allows that targeted by geolocation. by geolocation to be determined locations with signification for the user (for instance, 3. Basic characteristics of geolocation street names) and not just a set of geographical coordinates. Geolocation of a The position of a point on a map is device connected to the Internet can be done represented by using two components, called by associating a geographical location with coordinates, latitude and longitude, values the IP (Internet Protocol) address [3], the obtained easily and precisely currently with MAC (Media Access Control) address [4], the help of the GPS system. After this RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) [5], position is determined, the coordinates can be the production serial number of the used by specialized software applications for embedded hardware, the integrated software the purpose of offering additional serial number, for example: UUID information such as economical, touristic or (Universally Unique Identifier) [6], IPTC medical points of interest, determining the (The International Press Telecommunications location of traffic problems or even Council – information) or XMP (Extensible information about the addresses of nearby Metadata Platform) [7], the Wi-Fi location people. Geocoding is the process through or GPS coordinates. Many times, geolocation which the position of an object defined uses the IP address determined with the help indirectly (by using the postal address, by of a WHOIS service [8]. naming the administrative unit or of a known The precision of the GPS system grew designation) is transformed in geographic from 100 meters to distances less than 10 coordinates, and therefore can be localized meters [9], [10]. The Satellite-Based on a map. In short, information about an Augmentation Systems (SBAS) [11] uses objective is introduced and the result is its geostationary platforms that improve geographic coordinates. Reverse Geocoding precision, integrity and availability of the is the techniques through which a geographic base GNSS signals. The precision is location is associated in public databases improved by using a couple of large area information about that specific location, for corrections for the satellite orbits and example information about economic ionospheric errors. The information integrity activities that take place at that location, etc. is improved by the SBAS network by rapid The information about the position is not detection of satellite signal errors and their necessarily obtained using the GPS system, transmission to the receivers. The availability and the way this information is obtained, how is increased by using an additional it is processed and presented to the user localization signal (pseudo-distance) depend on the details of each specific device associated to each geostationary satellite in used. The following remarks are useful for part. understanding what kind of information is A new localization technology is named transferred between the geolocation specific NAVSOP (Navigation via Signal of APIs (Application Specific Interface) and to
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control and obtain information that is useful direction of motion, by comparing the for the application that is being designed. distance travelled by an object to the time The position of a geographic point is interval elapsed between the two successive represented using the bidimensional or positions. tridimensional carthesian coordinate system, The performance of a positioning system the polar coordinate system or the geographic is characterized by four parameters: the coordinate system [1]. For this last system accuracy or precision, the integrity, the the coordinates are expressed by latitude, availability and the continuity. The accuracy longitude and altitude or elevation. The most refers to the difference between the measured frequent methods of expressing the position and the real position, speed or time of the of a point are: degrees, minutes, seconds and receiver. The resulting values for the latitude, second divisions (dd° mm' ss.s''); degrees and longitude, altitude, speed, direction of minutes and minute divisions (dd° motion, can have lesser or greater errors, mm.mmm'); degrees and degree divisions depending of the used technology, the (dd.ddddd°). Every program that uses such conditions on the spot and many other data has functions for conversion between the variables involved in the system different display formats, that are absolutely [13],[14],[15]. A statement such as “the necessary because they're currently point has a precision of 10 meters”, means standardized and accepted various formats of that the real position is somewhere within a expressing a geographic location. The sphere with a 10 meters radius from the geodesic system ensures the correspondence indicated position. The main factor that between the geometric and the real position determines the precision value is given by the on the surface of the Earth on the bases of method by which the location is obtained. references, generically named Datum. These The least precise method is obtaining the define the real form of the Earth. location by using the IP address, that is, There are various different notation and usually, the declared location of the closest representation system used for Datum. The router or firewall in the connection chain. currently most used are: World Geodetic The next method in the precision System (WGS 84), North American Datum classification is to obtain the location from (NAD 83), European Datum (ED 50). These the ID of the GSM/CDMA cell, and the most can be supplemented by Ordinance Survey precise method is considered to be the of Great Britain (OSGB 36), Swiss Datum position obtained from a GPS receiver. The (CH 1903), Japanese Datum (TOKYO), equipment errors and its eventual Pulkovo Datum (S-42) etc. Between the malfunctions, the radio interferences, the information offered by the geolocation weather conditions but other phenomena also systems, the most important are, obviously, can lead to a decrease in precision. Integrity the latitude and longitude, plus the altitude, represents the probability that an alert is sent or its alternative names, elevation or height. to the user, in a given time interval, in event These can be joined by other parameters of of any element of the system malfunctions. the point, offering the user many more Availability is characterized by the options. The most used additional probability that the system provides a service parameters, especially for a moving object, according to its requirements, regarding are the direction and the speed. The direction integrity and accuracy. Continuity represents of motion is represented by the angle usually the probability that the system is available in measured between the geographic North and the near future. the direction of motion of that specific object, usually expressed in hexadecimal from 0 to 4. Research approach 360clockwise, so that 0actually expresses the North direction, 90 represents East, 180 The geolocation based on HTML5 South and 270, West. Obviously, the functions relatively precisely în dense urban direction of motion makes sense only for a zones, especially if the location is static. In moving object, the direction being obtained this case, the precision is good enough by the difference between its positions in two because these zones contain many WiFi different locations. The motion speed routers, the mobile phone network antennas parameter is obtained in a similar way to the are numerous and close to each other, and
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HTML5 uses these methods to determine the obtained through the W3C Geolocation API location. The mechanism by which the is satisfactory, especially if the system location is determined is: the API for possesses GPS receivers, the obtained values geolocation approximates the location based should not be considered as absolute validity on a number of factors, discussed previously, and, if possible, it is recommended to be the IP address, the WiFi access points, the verified using alternative methods. Currently, signal strength, the WiFi and Bluetooth the W3C Geolocation API is known and interfaces' MAC address. The approximated usable by most modern browsers, both the value is transmitted to a localization service, desktop versions and also the mobile usually by using a HTTPS request, and the communication equipment. localization service tries to correlate the sent The HTML5-Geolocation API is used to location to several databases that include get the geographical position of a user. Since known positions for the WiFi access points, this can compromise user privacy, the locations known for the GSM antennas and position is not available unless the user the IP addresses' location. After the database approves it [18]. The geolocation object query, an answer is formulated and sent as a gives Web content access to the location of reply to the JavaScript call. Not all the the device and has three methods: geolocation services function in the same getCurrentPosition (retrieves the current way, the search algorithms differ, the geographic location of the user), databases that are used to determine the watchPosition (begins listening for updates to location also differ. The location the current geographical location of the determination depends on the used browser device running the client), clearWatch (stops type and the used geolocation service. We listening for updates to the current recommend that the used integrated solution geographical location). In the Geolocation supplements the above mentioned API, location is defined in terms of Position technologies with information geolocation and Coordinate objects. The Position object database providers, GPS, together with those is simply a Coordinate coupled with a offered by the non-GPS technologies. timestamp. A Coordinate has the following properties: latitude, longitude, altitude, 4.1. Working with HTML5-Geolocation accuracy (for the latitude and longitude API (Application Programming Interface) values), altitudeAccuracy (optional, for the altitude value), heading (optional, the current The HTML5-Geolocation API (W3C) direction of travel of the device, in degrees document [16] defines the specifications for between 0 and 360, clockwise from North), accessing the location information with the speed (optional, the current speed of the help of JavaScript. The API is designed as a device, in meters per second), timestamp high level interface, therefore the developers (specifies the time when the location don't need to concern with detail problems, information was retrieved and the Position such as the methods of retrieving the object created), enableHighAccuracy information regarding the location. The (indicates that the web application would like process of application development is highest accuracy possible, default value irrelevant if the computing system uses a false), timeout (the length of time to wait GPS receiver, the IP address, the MAC before receiving user's location, default value address for Bluetooth, WiFi or RFID, or the infinity) and maximumAge (indicates that GSM/CDMA cell address. The application cached location information should be no user must be noticed if the location data can older than this number of milliseconds, originate from less precise sources, default value 0). The geolocations methods containing errors. There are situations such getCurrentPosition() and watchPosition() as despite the location information being make use of an error handler callback method from usually precise devices, like the GPS which gives PositionError object. This object system, it is not precise nonetheless: the GPS has following two properties: code (contains signal is received from an insufficient a numeric code for the error) and message number of satellites or it is targeted by a (contains a human-readable description , spoofing attack [17]. In conclusion, although string format, of the error). in most cases the precision of the data
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4.1. Working with Google Maps by the large transnational companies and JavaScript API v.3 corporations that realized the potential that is represented by linking location information Google offers the API called Google for the actual and potential clients, Maps JavaScript API v.3 freely, which is information that allow, for example, directing specialized for geolocation, with access to its the marketing strategies on precise private maps and offering detailed geographical zones, and creation of a service information for software developers. distributed exactly to a certain zone or According to some published statistics [19], location. Currently every firm or organization most of applications that use online maps are uses geolocation services. The applications built using this API. It is possible to combine that use geolocation are used almost APIs from various sources, thus creating the obligatory from any modern mobile device, so-called mashup applications [20]. regardless of the user category of that Although at first sight the application specific equipment. There are different areas seem to have a complex structure, actually, that can differentiate in the use of the specific each is created using common technologies: geolocation services. Some of these are: HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The maps are Geomarketing, Crowdsourcing, GeoSocial, nothing but images that are loaded by using a Geotagging, Geo and Social Travel, Geo- number of Ajax calls and are inserted in Fencing and Keeping Track , Health & HTML pages with the
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developed inclusively for the business sector. Analysis Report”, July 31,2012, retrieved from http://www . nstb.tc.faa.gov/REPORTS/ 6. References PAN78_0712.pdf, 2014. [16] W3C Recommendation, “Geolocation API [1] Xu, G., GPS – Theory, Algorithms and Specification”, 24 October 2013, retrieved Applications, SpringerHeidelberg, 2007. from http://www.w3.org/TR/geolocation- [2] Bernhard, H.W., Herbert, L., Elmar, W., API/, 2014. GNSS – Global Navigation Satellite Systems: [17] Tippenhauer, N.O., Pöpper, C., Rasmussen, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and more, Springer K.B., Capkun, S., “On the requirements for successful GPS spoofing attacks”, In Wien New York, 2008. Proceedings of the 18th ACM conference on [3] Taylor, J., Devlin, J., Curran, K., “Bringing Computer and communications security location to IP Addresses withIP (CCS '11),ACM, New York, NY, USA, Geolocation”, Journal of Emerging pp.75-86. , 2011. Technologies in Web Intelligence, Vol. 4, No [18] Anthony,T., Holdener, A., HTML5 3, 273-277, Academy Publisher, UK, Aug Geolocation, O’Reilly Media, Inc., 2012. Sebastopol, CA, 2011. [4] Gondree, M., Peterson, Z.N.J., “Geolocation [19] API published statistics, 2014, retrieved from of Data in the Cloud”, CODASPY’13, San www.programmableweb.com/apis Antonio, Texas, USA, February 18–20, 2013. [5] Amendament in IEEE 802.11af™ enables [20] Mashup applications, retrieved from geolocation database access to RF spectrum http://mashupguide .net/1.0/ white spaces, 2014, retrieved from [21] Bettini, Claudio, Sushil Jajodia, and https://standards.ieee.org/news/2014/ieee Pierangela Samarati, eds. Privacy in location- 802. 11 af_amendment.html, 2014. based applications: research issues and [6] Haephrati, M., “Searching for a reliable emerging trends. Vol. 5599. Springer, 2009. hardware ID”, retrieved from http://www. [22] Xue, Mingqiang, Panos Kalnis, and Hung codeproject.com/Articles/319181, 2014. Keng Pung. “Location diversity: Enhanced [7] Kakar, P., Sudha, N., “Authenticating Image privacy protection in location based Metadata Elements Using Geolocation services”, Location and Context Awareness. Information and Sun Direction Estimation”, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 70-87, 2009. Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE International [23] Robert, K., Golling, M., Rodosek, G.D., Conference on Multimedia and Expo, ICME “Geolocation and Verification of IP- 2012, Melbourne, Australia, July 9-13, 2012. Addresses with Specific Focus on IPv6”, [8] UltraTools,“WHOIS+”, retrieved from https: Cyberspace Safety and Security, Springer //www.ultratools.com/whois/home, 2014. International Publishing, pp.151-170, 2013. [9] GPS.GOV, “Selective Availability”, retrieved [24] Huffaker, B., Fomenkov, M., Claffy, K., from http://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/ “Geocompare: A Comparison of Public and modernization/sa/, 2014. Commercial Geolocation Databases”, in [10] “GPS Accuracy and Limitations”, retrieved Cooperative Association for Internet Data from http://earthmeasurement.com/articles Analysis (CAIDA) Technical Report, 2011. [11] Diggelen, F., A-GPS: Assisted GPS, GNSS, [25] Neustar, retrieved from http://www. and SBAS, ArthecHouse, London, 2009. neustar.biz/services/ip-intelligence, 2014. [12] Merry, L., Faragher, R, Scheding, S., [26] MaxMind’s GeoIP, retrieved from “Comparison of opportunistic signals for http://www.maxmind. Com, 2014 localisation”, 7th IFAC Symposium on [27] Hatami, A., Pahlavan, K., Heidari, M., Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles, volume 7, Akgul, F., “On RSS and TOA based indoor 2010. geolocation-a comparative performance [13] Glasby, L., Yarnell, R., “Evaluation of the evaluation”, In Proceedings of WCNC, IEEE performance and accuracy of Global , Vol. 4, pp. 2267-2272, 2006. Positioning System bug transmitters [28] Banks, E.K., Bartock, M., Fiftal, K., . . . deployed on a small mammal”, European Raghuram Yeluri, R., “Trusted Geolocation Journal of Wildlife Research, Vol. 59, Issue in the Cloud: Proof of Concept 6, pp 915-919, December 2013. Implementation”, NIST Interagency Report [14] Do, J.Y., Rabinowitz, M., Enge, P., 7904 (Draft), December 2012, retrieved from “Performance of Hybrid Positioning System http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts/ir7904/ Combining GPS and Television Signals”, draft_nistir_7904.pdf, 2014. Proceedings of IEEE/ION PLANS 2006, San Diego, CA, April 2006, pp. 556-564. [15] William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlanta City, NJ, USA, “FAA GPS Performance
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