This paper presents a new developed platform for the Commercialisation of Advanced Services of Geographical Information, focussed in portables devices, and that makes use of the telecommunication networks available today: Internet as the backbone and cellular networks (GSM + GPRS) as access networks. The platform implements a system for commercialising cartographic information in form of vectorial maps for different amount of time, guarantying property rights of the provided information. The problem with vectorial maps is that they have additional information, as points of interest or street names, that is very important to have them updated. So it is more interesting, for both the provider and the customer, to rent the maps for a small period of time, and also for a low fee, than selling them for ever and for a big amount of money. The client accesses to the service using a vectorial map player, that runs over PC or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) platforms, and using a GPS receiver, it has navigation facilities. Before accessing to the information the player will request authorization to the server. Mobile devices will access Internet, where the server is connected, using WLAN, circuit switched cellular network (GSM) or packet switched cellular network (GPRS). The server side will control user access and download required maps. The platform includes also a system to improve GPS localization (Differential GPS). The communication between the client and the server uses SMS messages of GSM system, one for the request and another for the answer. This operation is very sensitive to response delay and it has been optimised in order to work properly.

Peer Reviewed