Recently a GPS System by AT&T helped the police in St Martin Parish find Charles Lodrigue, a 29 year old who got disorientated when his car struck a utility pole and got lost in the woods. (Source: KATC.com).
It’s a simple story of how important a GPS chip in a cell phone helped save someone’s life. But exactly how do the authorities locate you in an emergency using your GPS system? It’s not as simple as it sounds, and surprisingly the technology is fairly new.
We all know about Onstar by GM, a two way communicator that allows you to basically get roadside assistance anywhere and anytime with a push of a button. Combine that technology with a GPS system and you have Dash Express, the first car navigation device that can send data back to a server. The key phrase here is “send data back to a server”. GPS systems didn’t used to do this until very recently; all they could do was receive data from one end because communicating a location to a tracking center requires more money and a separate service.
In the past GPS tracking systems, cell phones with GPS chips, and personal navigation systems existed, but none of these services and technologies were put into one because customers just cared about getting from the house to the cheapest gas station, or finding that new theatre. However, thanks to crime and theft, consumers now want more when it comes to their GPS systems.
The Dash Express, “the only internet connected automotive GPS” finally gave consumers an option by incorporating Wi-Fi and a cellular modem into a GPS system. However, due to privacy issues and other concerns, we still can’t directly tell where a GPS device is.. but the technology is getting closer and help is still on the way.