geocommoverview.pdf

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General Overview

eocommeocomm


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GEOCOMM General Overview Page 1 05/11/99

This document discloses subject matter in which Telespazio S.p.A. has proprietary rights. Recipients of this document shall not duplicate, use or disclosed, in whole or in part, information disclosed hereon except for or on behalf of

Telespazio S.p.A. to fulfil the purpose for which the document was delivered to him

GEOCOMM service infrastructure has been developed by Telespazio to fulfilthe main goal to set up a complete hardware and software standard platformto ensure easily and with a unique interface remote mobile satellite terminalswith their respective Users Control Centre.

GEOCOMM basic concept is to enable customers (in transportation,monitoring and personal communication market segments) to accessdifferent mobile communication networks (EUTELTRACS, ORBCOMM,EMSAT, INMARSAT satellite networks and the GSM terrestrial network)through a single user application interface, using electronic mail features toexchange messages, geographic data, reports and commands with the remoteterminals.

The main difference and improvement for GEOCOMM with respect to otherexisting products can be depicted as in the following scenario.

At present a final user can acquire a fleet management system based on asingle communication technology. These services are usually proprietarysystem based on a closed architecture. User can manage only MobileTerminals (MT) of the same type. But if he has the needs in using different

MTs, i.e. a GSM terminal for data transmission, he is obliged to use additionalsoftware, to be placed side by side with the already existing one, to handle it.

Meanwhile, GEOCOMM Service enables the user in managing differenttechnologies Mobile Terminals through the same user application platform.This means that user can add to his fleet Mobile Terminals of differenttechnologies without affecting his application software.

Through the GEOCOMM the remote user is able to:

1. Integrate his already existing different MTs (for examples EUTELTRACSand GSM) and manage them through the same user application platform.

2. Add new MTs choosing the most appropriate technologies to better fulfilhis requirements without any needs in changing his user applicationplatform: for example by choosing EUTELTRACS and GSM MTs on thetrucks for free messages communication; ORBCOMM, which offers

smaller and battery supplied MTs, on trailers and containers for


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monitoring and control applications (on board sensors status, remotecommand activation) etc.

This approach is the most suitable and flexible and it gives the final user thepossibility to work in a standardized environment using the most recenthardware and software technologies (Internet, E-mail, Windows).

GEOCOMM overall architecture is simply described in fig. 1.

In this figure it is well indicated that the GEOCOMM service operates assmart interface between final users and different mobile communicationnetworks.

It could act as special mail server inside the final user local area network orwithin an external application. The selected solution depends on final userinformation system structure and on the target network infrastructureaccessibility.

The GEOCOMM infrastructure can be implemented in differentconfigurations, depending on the operational context.

It could be used by the customer for remote monitoring & control operationsin a single stand alone configuration (small companies), in a local areanetworks (small/medium-sized companies) or distributed along wide areanetworks for (large-sized companies).

It could also be installed directly to the target network control centres(GEOCOMM Engine Service Centre - Telespazio Lario Ground Station forItaly) as well as service provider centres (National, Regional or Localproviders of transport tailored services).


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GeoComm or User Defined Prot.ORBCOMM Gateway AccessSMTP/POP3/HTTPTCP/IpPPP/PPTPPSTN/ISDNInternet

WebBrowser

(Explorer,Netscape)

LAN /WANCustomer Site

WebCustomer Site

Application Center Site(e.g. Security Control)

GeoCommclient

GEOCOMM EngineService Center

User Data Terminals

AlarmMailbox

Custom.Mail

boxes

WebPages

NetworkParser

ConnectionManager

Monitor

&

GSM

ORBCOMM

Euteltracs

EMSAT

INMARSAT

Control

Comm.modules

GeoCommclient

Stand aloneCustomer Site

GeoComm clients andCustomer Information System clients

GeoCommserver

Customer Information

System server

LAN / WAN

DBMS

Fig. 1 GEOCOMM Overall Architecture

The interconnection between GEOCOMM Engine services and GEOCOMMend-users application software at the Customer site can be made by Internet

or through direct connections over digital and analog lines usinginternetworking protocol, mail protocols for data and message transfer orspecific application protocols.

Referring to fig.1, the GEOCOMM Engine Service Center is mainly in chargeof:

- allowing the bi-directional communication between remote user usingstandard POP3/SMTP clients and the remote mobile terminals belongingto the specific TLC networks;

- allowing to manage the authorised user to log into the system and to useits services;

While the GEOCOMM end-users application software at the Customer Site ismainly in charge of:

- sending and receiving communications to remote terminals through

GEOCOMM Engine using standard POP3/SMTP E-mail protocols;


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- managing, typically in a LAN environment, the authorised user handlingand configuration;

- displaying the geographical positions contained in the receivedcommunications onto a digital user predefined map.

Telespazio has followed the following standard in developing theGEOCOMM service infrastructure:

Software development: Object oriented and visual programming languages (C++, Java, Visual

Basic...)

Hardware (minimum configuration): Intel processor-based Servers and Personal Computers

Operating systems: Microsoft Windows NT Microsoft Windows 95/98

Internetworking protocols and mechanisms: TCP/IP POP3/SMTP for mailing HTTP for web accessibility Sockets Client-server architecture

Cartographic data management: ESRI MapObjects

Database Management System Microsoft Access Microsoft SQL Server

Communication Modules EUTELTRACS ORBCOMM EMSAT INMARSAT-C


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GSM (at the moment only the VIASAT system is supported; VIASAT is aservice offered through a Telespazio partecipated company for cars/truckslocation mainly for anti-theft purposes using GSM/GPS technology).

In the following figures, some relevant features of GEOCOMM v. 2application at the Customer site are shown.

Fig. 2 GEOCOMM Position Displaying

In fig. 2 some geographic positions received from a mobile terminal areshown. In this GEOCOMM operator view, vector road and main places mapsfrom AND Data B.V. are used.


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Fig. 3 GEOCOMM Cartographic Database Configuration DeAgostini Italian RoadAtlas

In fig. 3 and 4 some examples of additional raster maps, respectively fromDeAgostini Italian Road Atlas and Hamburg Map, are shown. Through thisGEOCOMM administrator view, is possible to configure all cartographicdatabase, specifically related to the scope or the geographic area of interest ofthe services operated by the Customer.


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Fig. 4 GEOCOMM Cartographic Database Configuration Hamburg Harbour Map

The following figures 5 and 6 show how to compose and readcommunications exchanged between the Customer Control Center and theMobile Terminals. Criteria used to design and implement these features arebased on the conventional electronic mailing. As described, every MobileTerminal is addressable as a simple e-mail recipient, minimizing cost of thetraining to the operators and virtually extending the Customer InformationSystem also to the remote assets.


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Fig. 5 GEOCOMM Message Composing

Fig. 6 GEOCOMM Message Reading


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For more information on GEOCOMM:

TELESPA Z I O SpAM obi l e Sat el l i t e Serv i ces 71, Vi a St ani sl ao Canni zzaro I -00156 Rome (I t al y ) Phone: +39-06-4079-3641

+39-06-4079-3365 +39-0344-93-243

Fax: +39-06-4079- 3894 E-mai l : sem @ t el espazi o.i t Web: w w w.t el espazi o.i t

GEOCOMM and GEOCOMM logos are registered trade marksof Telespazio in the European Union.

Tel espazi o SpA 2000 - A l l Ri ght s Reserved

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