Automatic vehicle location
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Automatic vehicle location is a means for determining the location of a vehicle and transmitting this information to a point where it can be used.
Most commonly, the location is determined using GPS, and the transmission mechanism is a radio or cellular connection from the vehicle to a receiver or nearby cell tower. Some other possibilities for determining location, for example in environments where GPS is not usable, are dead reckoning, inertial navigation, or RFID readers; sometimes a combination of these methods can be used. The tracking data is then transmitted using any one of a variety of telemetry systems; GSM is one of the commonest technologies used for telemetry, because of the low data rate needed for AVL, and the low cost and near-ubiquitous nature of GSM networks.
Automatic vehicle location is a powerful tool for managing fleets of vehicles, from service vehicles, emergency vehicles, and construction equipment, to public transport vehicles (buses and trains).
External links
- AVL explained (http://www.vehiclelocationsystem.com/AVL%20Explained.htm)
- Real-time AVL (http://www.intuicom.com/www/company/press/Fremont_08.13.02.htm)
- GSM and GPS AVL (http://www.unicompl.com/gpssol.htm)
- Silicon.com report: London's bus-tracking system gets £116m update (http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024665,39130438,00.htm)