How Location Tracking Works

­ Location tracking is not one, single technology. Rather, it is the convergence of several technologies that can be merged to create systems that track inventory, livestock or ­vehicle fleets. Similar systems can be created to deliver location-based services to wireless devices.

Current technologies being used to create location-tracking and location-based systems include:

­ Any location tracking or location-based service system will use one or a combination of these technologies. The system requires that a node or tag be placed on the object, animal or person being tracked. For example, the GPS receiver in a cell phone or an RFID tag on a DVD can be used to track those devices with a detection system such as GPS satellites or RFID receivers.

In the next section, we'll take a look at how location tracking can be used to streamline supply chains and track fleets of trucks, ships and planes.

­Companies are finding location-tracking technologies ideal for better managing inventories or fleets of vehicles. Knowing the exact location of each piece of inventory helps to control the supply chain and saves money by not losing those assets that are in transit. Companies, such as retailers, must consider how to track inventory across a wide area, either country or state, and in a smaller area, such as the warehouse or store.

Wide-Area Tracking

On a large scale, companies must track their vehicle fleets across the country or the world. GPS is the ideal tracking technology for tracking over large areas. To do this, every vehicle needs to be equipped with a GPS receiver. As the vehicle crosses the country, the GPS satellites track the truck's position. With GPS, the operator can request positioning at anytime. However, GPS is limited in smaller areas or indoors.

Local-Area and Indoor Tracking

A good example of where GPS would not be suitable for tracking items is in a warehouse or hospitals. The accuracy provided by GPS is not sufficient for such a small scale. Consider all of the medical equipment, wheelchairs, gurneys and even patients that need to be tracked. GPS is not a practical or cost-effective solution.

­For smaller areas, companies and healthcare organizations would likely use a network of RFID tags and readers to monitor the location of assets or inventory. A wireless LAN also would be more suitable. In such a system, each asset would be tagged with an RFID tag, and readers would be placed in strategic locations to be able to accurately read those tags within a matter of inches. A hospital worker would be able to find the exact room a wheelchair is located and retailers would be able to locate an item on any given shelf.

Another example of how this technology is already being deployed is in tracking children in some amusement parks. A child can wear a wristband with an embedded RFID tag. Park staff can track that tag through location receivers positioned around the park. One system in use at Legoland in Denmark even allows for the tag identification number to be registered with the parents' mobile phone.

Location tracking isn't limited to just allowing an organization to know where its assets are, these technologies also will help retailers and marketers find you to better target their key markets. In the next section you will learn about location-based services being deployed by wireless service providers.

­ Mobile phones are becoming more than just a way to call a friend, they are now allowing us to organize our lives, connect to the Internet, shop and take photos. Soon, new lo­cation-based services will be offered as new location-aware technology is rolled out. These location-based services will offer personalized services that are connected the specific location.

Currently, the most recognized location-based service is the navigation systems found in many new cars. As these technologies advance, it will be easier to find the services you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for an ATM, you just ask for it and the system gives you the location and directions. Other services include traffic advisories and roadside assistance.

On a smaller scale, wireless LANs will be set up in malls and other areas of commerce to locate wireless devices equipped to receive messages. Here is where retailers can send coupons or other offers to your cell phone as you walk through their stores. Shoppers will likely have the choice to opt out of these services.

The success or failure of location-based services largely depends on the roll out of E911 Phase 2 deployment, which is requiring wireless service providers to more accurately locate cell phones in case of emergencies.

­ In America, we learn from an early age to call 911 when there's an emergency. When we dial 911, the ­call is automatically forwarded to a public-safety answering point (PSAP), also called a 911 call center. When the call is answered, the 911 operator is provided with automatic location information (ALI), pinpointing the exact position of the call. Today, many areas also have Enhanced 911 (E-911), which allows a PSAP to determine the general location from where the call originated, but cannot yet pinpoint the location.

According to the Cellular Telephone Industry Association (CTIA), 150,000 emergency wireless calls are made in the United States each day. The government has stepped in to ensure that E-911 capabilities are improved. New technologies being developed by wireless service providers at the demand of the Federal Communications Commission are expected to enhance the location-finding ability of E-911 to locate the exact position of a wireless emergency call.

The FCC is rolling out E-911 in phases:

Without Phase II, a caller's location can only be narrowed down to the cell from which the call originated. When Phase II is implemented, a cell-phone user's phone number, or Automatic Number Identification (ANI), and the address and location of the receiving-antenna site will be sent to the E-911 Tandem, the switch that routes 911 calls to the appropriate PSAP based on the ANI-defined geographic location. Once the caller's voice and ANI are transferred to the PSAP, the PSAP operator will be able to view a graphic display that shows the longitude and latitude of the person as accessed through GPS satellites. The operator's computer will link to the ALI database, which stores address data and other information.

The implementation of Phase II technology introduces new commercial opportunities. As mentioned in the previous section, location-based services will leverage the infrastructure of E-911 technology to deliver commercial services to phones, including advertising. These new technologies also create concerns over privacy, which we will examine in the next section.

On February 16, 1968, Alabama Senator Rankin Fite made the first 911 call in the United States in Haleyville, Alabama. The Alabama Telephone Company carried the call. A week later, Nome, Alaska, implemented a 911 system. In 1973, the White House's Office of Telecommunication issued a national statement supporting the use of 911 and pushed for the establishment of a Federal Information Center to assist government agencies in implementing the system.

­ The words location tracking can lead many to worry about privacy. Some may worry about the government knowing t­heir whereabouts, stalkers spying on them or even a spouse monitoring their movements. Although the technology could allow anyone to find you at any given moment, measures are being taken to prevent this kind of abuse.

Wireless companies are ensuring consumers that federal law prevents these scenarios from happening. In 1999, the U.S. Congress amended the Communications Act of 1934 to include a privacy provision by adding section 222, which states:

This provision is intended to protect consumers' information from being given out. However, consumers must decide how much privacy they are willing to trade for the conveniences and benefits offered by location-tracking technology.