gMap

What is the gMap?

The gMap is a Tracking System that incorporates GIS, GPS, GPRS and Google Maps technologies, to provide the live locations of the tracked persons or vehicle; graphically over a map.

Practical Scenario

At the Head Quarters (HQ), the Fleet Manager is using gMap’s main screen, and the Spatials’ Tree (on the right) to put the spatial data, and fill out properties.By doing so, he is filling the system with data, and graphically assigning the location of a Grocery shop, as seen in picture 1:

Picture 1

The map he’s using is an offline map, downloaded from an elevation of 1000 meters, up to 120KM.Not only he can put locations on the map, but he can also draw lines (Polylines), and shapes (Polygons), and control the various format of the shapes, which in this case, represents a marketing zone, as in picture 2:

Picture 2

To organize the data, the marketing team will establish a database for their targeted customers. This will include custom data fields (Attributes) that are designed and assigned for each and every group of customers. As shown in the Picture 3 example, the team has categorized 4 attributes in the "Property Page" of the "Groceries Folder":

Picture 3

The next step would be for the marketing team to detail the data of each and every client (grocery shop) in the "Groceries Folder", as shown in picture 4.

Picture 4

(Please notice the grocery shop in Picture 4, and compare it to the “Groceries Folder” present in the tree in Picture 1)Any data relating to the grocery shop should be attached to the shop's record. For example:- Pictures taken for the shop and products stands by the field marketers.- agreements with the owner plotting marketing strategies and targets.See Picture 5:

Picture 5

Now the marketing manager will start to specify plans for his team. These plans involve places they have to visit and time schedules they have to meet, as seen in picture 6 and 7.So he will go to the “Plans Root” in the tree (Bottom right of image 6), and create the plan:

Picture 6

And he’ll specify the time schedule for that plan (Picture 7):

Picture 7

Now, for the GPS Devices:Starting with a fact that each marketer (individual to be tracked) will be holding a mobile device that contains a GPS receiver, this is what the Fleet Manager will do to track down his men:First of all, he’ll start creating devices entries from the “GPS Devices Root”, as seen in picture 8:

Picture 8

Starting with his first marketer, he goes to the “Technical Data” page to enter the specifications of the GPS Device held by the marketer, as seen in picture 9:

Picture 9

Then back to the Tree, so that he’ll assign the designated plan to the marketer, as seen in picture 10:

Picture 10

Now, back again to the GPS Device, where the Manager will start specifying how will the GPS Device, and the GPS Device Holder (the marketer) will act, and how will he be monitored, and when should the Alert System; alerts the manager. So, the manager will start putting rules, as in picture 11:

Picture 11

The final phase will imply connecting the GPS Device to the Managers’ PC, and programming (uploading) it with the assigned tasks, and alerts, as in picture 12:

Picture 12

The GPS Device has launched off with its holder (the marketer in our case), now we need to track it!As the system goes live, the Manager at the HQ will focus on the GPS Device of his target, and opens the Control Panel of the live GPS Device, as in picture 13. So he will see current Speed, Battery level, GSM Network coverage, a Compass showing the Bearings, GPS Satellites coverage, and other low-level GPS information.

Picture 13

And as the live GPS device travels, it collects GPS data, and sends it to the HQ at the specified pace. A track is plotted on the map, as seen in picture 14:

Picture 14

Statics are available for the track, as in picture 15:

Picture 15

In the HQ, they start needing more and more control, so they start to set up an Operation Room, starting with a print out of the map. But at what sizes, and what zoom levels, and on what paper size should it be printed? No problem… Any paper size will do, and any map size will fit!The manager will start on the “Print Surfaces Root”, and draw a frame from the zoom level of comfort, then opens the properties to specify the Printer and Paper Size, to have the number of rows and columns of paper he needs to generate the Paper Matrix required for printing the Print Surface, as seen in picture 16:

Picture 16

And on the paper size of his choice, the Print Surface will be printed with a dead margin on the right and bottom on each paper in the matrix, so that it can be glued together to form the whole picture, in picture 17:

Picture 17

Why not integrate spatial data with the Back Office suite of your choice?Why not be able to see your customers on the map according to their debits? Or their withdrawal of a certain stock material?Or see those two neighboring customers, with less than 200 meters apart, and more than 60% sale differences?This is all done using a built-in capability in the gMap, that renders the spatial data connected to their Back-Office counter parts: Accounting and Stock Management Packages.The gMap has a XML Driver layer that enables it to link to virtually any MS-SQLServer based databases, and collect data to be reflected, and queried, on the map.(Currently: an XML Driver is available to link with Al-Ameen System). Shown in picture 18 is the “Financial Systems Root”:

Picture 18

Immediately after a link with your back office application is established, you can import directly accounts from the accounting system, to the gMap.And with a drag drop from the tree to the map, you’ll have your accounts situated on the map at their locations. Open an account property page, and witness some financial statistics driven from your back office right into the gMap, as seen in picture 19:

Picture 19

Or dictate your query parameters, and let the gMap query your back office for data, and plot it on the map, as seen in picture 20:

Picture 20

What else?

A. Seeds of a Navigational System:

Picture 21

B. “Public Root” contents dynamically downloaded from a web site:

Picture 22

C. Import & Export of Shape Files (ESRI), KML and KMZ (Google)System Layout?GPS Satellites -> PDAs -> GPRS Network -> gMap Web-Service -> gMap

Picture 23

Implementations

· Marketing & Sales Planning Systems
· Fleet Management Systems
· Security Systems
· Community Development
· Real Estate Planning and Development
· Transportation and Traffic Planning
· Operation Theaters: Internal Affairs, Defense, VIP Security…

Future

· Navigational System
· Dedicated Add-On Tools: Electricity, Water, Oil, Traffic (Railroads), Demography …
· Coherency with International Standards of GIS and CAD: Import/Export
· Multi-Lingual User Interface
· Deep GIS Capabilities

Technical Specifications

· Programming Language: C#
· Database Engine: MS-SQLServer
· OS: Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003
· GPS Devices: NMEA Compliant, Windows Mobile or above
· Full Arabic User Interface.


Developed and Owned By EYAD AL AKHRAS, Damascus, Syria.