Introduction to GPS and Wi-Fi technology on
BlackBerry smartphones
© 2009 Research In Motion Limited
Agenda
This course covers the following topics:
– Introduction to developing applications for mobile
devices
– Methods of application development for mobile
devices
– Introduction to GPS and Wi-Fi® technology on
BlackBerry® smartphones
© 2009 Research In Motion Limited
Agenda
– Introduction to push technology
– Data structures and memory management on mobile
devices
– User interface design for mobile devices
– BlackBerry themes and animated graphics
– Security considerations for developing applications for
mobile devices
Introduction to GPS and Wi-Fi technology on BlackBerry
smartphones
Objectives:
– Define GPS.
– Describe the functionality of GPS on BlackBerry
smartphones.
– Identify the limitations and benefits of using GPS on a
BlackBerry smartphone.
– Define Wi-Fi for BlackBerry smartphones.
– Describe the functionality of Wi-Fi on BlackBerry
smartphones.
– Identify the limitations and benefits of using Wi-Fi on a
BlackBerry smartphone.
GPS
Global Positioning System
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GPS technology
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GPS technology
– Location information comes from satellites that
continually transmit position information.
– BlackBerry smartphone applications can use GPS
location information for the following:
•
Turn-by-turn navigation
•
Share current location with others
•
Geotag photographs
•
Provide users with targeted promotions and
alerts based on their current location
© 2009 Research In Motion Limited
GPS technology
To use GPS location data in a BlackBerry application,
use the Location API for Java® ME in the
javax.microedition.location package (JSR 179).
GPS technology – JSR 179
Commonly used classes:
– LocationProvider is the engine.
– Criteria is passed to LocationProvider to define the
type of GPS fix.
– Location is the set of location data (coordinates,
direction, and speed) generated by LocationProvider.
GPS technology – JSR 179
Commonly used interfaces:
– LocationListener
• Receives updated location data from
LocationProvider at specified intervals
• Detects when GPS information is or becomes
unavailable
– ProximityListener
• Detects proximity to a specified set of coordinates
GPS technology – information sources
Three fix types:
– Cellsite
– Autonomous
– Assisted
GPS technology – cellsite fix
– Gets location information of the cell tower the mobile
device is currently using
– When possible, uses cell tower triangulation to provide
more accurate information
– Gets location information from the cellular network,
rather than from GPS satellites
GPS technology – cellsite fix
Advantages:
– Fast TTFF
– Consumes very little power
Disadvantages:
– Least accurate of the fix types (accurate to within 100
meters)
– Typically available only on CDMA and i-DEN
networks
– User can incur a cost for using the network
TTFF time to first fix
GPS technology – autonomous fix
– Location information comes directly from orbiting
GPS satellites.
GPS technology – autonomous fix
Advantages:
– Accurate to within 30 meters
– Does not require network coverage
Disadvantages:
– Highest power consumption
– Slowest TTFF (up to two minutes), because the
receiving device has to search for satellite signals
GPS technology – assisted fix
– The BlackBerry smartphone communicates with the
PDE server on the wireless network to determine GPS
satellite locations.
– Location information comes from GPS satellites.
PDE
position determining entity
GPS technology – assisted fix
Advantages:
– Very accurate (within 30 meters)
– Much shorter TTFF than autonomous GPS
Disadvantages:
– Higher power consumption than cellsite fixes (but
lower than autonomous fixes)
– Requires network coverage
– Users can incur some costs
GPS technology – BlackBerry Maps
Integrate your application with BlackBerry® Maps:
– Open BlackBerry Maps from your application.
– Place a menu item in BlackBerry Maps that
launches your application.
– Open BlackBerry Maps from the BlackBerry®
Browser.
Wi-Fi technology
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Wi-Fi technology
–Wi-Fi networks are not owned and operated by
wireless service providers.
–To set up a Wi-Fi network, connect a wireless
router to a broadband modem with Internet
access.
–The area covered by the Wi-Fi network is called
a hotspot.
Wi-Fi technology
– If the BlackBerry smartphone uses BlackBerry® Mobile
Data System or BlackBerry® Internet Service to
connect, it switches automatically to Wi-Fi when it
enters a hotspot (least cost routing).
– You can configure your application to:
• Use Wi-Fi
• Detect the Wi-Fi capabilities of the BlackBerry
smartphone
• Retrieve status information about the Wi-Fi
connection
Wi-Fi technology – advantages
Advantages:
– No wireless network fees
– Very fast
– Less susceptible to interference
Disadvantages:
– Very limited range (up to 50 meters)
– Less secure than mobile networks
Introduction to GPS and Wi-Fi technology on BlackBerry
smartphones
Objectives review:
– Define GPS.
– Describe the functionality of GPS on BlackBerry smartphones.
– Identify the limitations and benefits of using GPS on a
BlackBerry smartphone.
– Define Wi-Fi for BlackBerry smartphones.
– Describe the functionality of Wi-Fi on BlackBerry smartphones.
– Identify the limitations and benefits of using Wi-Fi on a
BlackBerry smartphone.
© 2009 Research In Motion Limited
© 2009 Research In Motion Limited