Tracking multiple GPS units on one map...?

John W. Vinson

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Jul 10, 2008, 12:29:40 PM7/10/08

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I've got a client who has a dispatching system, with a central dispatcher
controlling multiple vehicles (it's an animal shelter/animal control agency).
They have a big Access database tracking all the calls, where the field
officers are being sent, etc.

For safety reasons, they'd like for the central dispatcher to be able to bring
up a map showing the current location of all the field officers. Each officer
has a laptop with a GPS, and they are (or will be) running MapPoint on each
laptop.

What would be involved in having the dispatcher's computer "poll" the laptops,
or in having each laptop "call home"? They aren't on a network, but each
laptop has a cellphone modem and can log on to the central system. This will
obviously require some programming, but does it sound like something that can
be done within MapPoint, or will it require some other programming
environment?
--

John W. Vinson JVinson *at* Wysard Of Info *dot* com

Dick Grier

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Jul 12, 2008, 12:41:05 PM7/12/08

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Hi John,

This is fairly simple, if the client initiates the communications. A common
way to handle this is for the client program to send it Lat/Lon (and any
other statistics needed for identification and other data) via a SMS
message. Naturally, there are other ways, too, such as a web service call.
And, you could use a proprietary mechanisim, too. However, I think the SMS
message might be easiest.

IMO, you would need to do the programming outside of MapPoint, and use the
MapPoint ActiveX control to display the data.

Dick

--
Richard Grier, MVP
Hard & Software
Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, Fourth
Edition,
ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages, includes CD-ROM). July 2004, Revised March
2006.
See www.hardandsoftware.net for details and contact information.

John W. Vinson

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Jul 13, 2008, 4:06:32 AM7/13/08

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On Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:41:05 -0600, "Dick Grier" <dick_grierNOSPAM@.msn.com>
wrote:

>Hi John,
>
>This is fairly simple, if the client initiates the communications. A common
>way to handle this is for the client program to send it Lat/Lon (and any
>other statistics needed for identification and other data) via a SMS
>message. Naturally, there are other ways, too, such as a web service call.
>And, you could use a proprietary mechanisim, too. However, I think the SMS
>message might be easiest.
>
>IMO, you would need to do the programming outside of MapPoint, and use the
>MapPoint ActiveX control to display the data.
>
>Dick

Thanks, Dick. I'll need to do some digging about SMS. I presume this could be
done in Visual Studio? Would I need to program in C++ or could I do it in my
more familiar VB?

Dick Grier

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Jul 14, 2008, 12:53:14 PM7/14/08

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Well, since 90% of my work is VB (by design), that's what I'd choose. <g>
This isn't Visio, but...

There are components that (should) make this fairly easy. For example,
http://www.logixmobile.com/products/mcore/index.asp - send and receive
ActiveX,

And, CodeProject has an interesting article:
http://www.codeproject.com/KB/IP/PDUEncoder.aspx

Also, there are services for sending and receiving SMS.

If you can provide an internet connection, instead, then the web service
might be the way to go.

My advise is based on what I "think" I know, not by what I've actually done.
I've used SMS messaging only on Compact Framework devices. I do know of
several folks who have use simple VB code to send SMS messages using GSM
modems (I have an example in my book, from one of my readers), and I've
actually done similar to send messages to Alphanumeric pagers, years ago
(SMS is devrived from TAP, the Telelocator Alphanumeric Protocol).

zeeone

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Nov 19, 2009, 12:02:35 AM11/19/09

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I am looking for a application which will display the Multiple GPS positions on the map.

thanks in advance,

g1

John W. Vinson wrote:

Tracking multiple GPS units on one map...?
10-Jul-08

Previous Posts In This Thread:

On Thursday, July 10, 2008 12:29 PM
John W. Vinson wrote:

Tracking multiple GPS units on one map...?

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Marvin Hlavac

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Nov 19, 2009, 7:52:49 AM11/19/09

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I've seen an application done that displayed GPS locations of a fleet of
trucks in MapPoint. So this should be doable.

MapPoint 2010 review:
http://www.laptopgpsworld.com/microsoft-streets-trips/2736-review-microsoft-mappoint.html

--
Marvin Hlavac
Laptop GPS World
www.laptopgpsworld.com