Location-Based Services
(Updated on March 29,  2002 - Incorporating Content Provided By Mike Flom of Portable Internet)

How It Works

Position of the user is generally determined using a number of methods.  These methods include GPS (Global Positioning System, a network of satellites operated by the U.S. Department of Defense), cell site triangulation, network assisted GPS, manual determination (find an address, place, point of interest or position on a map), or combination approaches. These methods have been described later.

In wireless location-based service applications, position of the user is transmitted with some additional identifying information (Vehicle ID, handset ID, user ID) to an application in a server that may reside inside or outside of the carrier's network. Position information, usually in terms of a latitude/longitude pair (or sometimes, a postal code for a cell site), is sent to the application in a server or back in the client device, sometimes through middleware which manages the security and quality of a wireless determined position. The application typically presents the position information in terms of a current or historical position on a map or route.

The location information may be further tied to a database of services - restaurants, hotels or stores that may want to send an advertising message or a coupon to the consumer.  From this point on, range of applications is only up to the imagination of technology and business developers.