University of Hargeisa

GIS For Location Based

Services
Khadar Daahir

Lecture 12
 Outline

 What is LBS?
 What is GIS?
 Desktop GIS
 Web GIS
 Mobile GIS
 Summary

GIS for Location Based Services

 What is LBS ?
 Provide personalized services to mobile users based on
their current location
 Where am I?
 What is the nearest restaurant, cinema ect.

Operator Tracking Assistance

services

Range of applications

Monitoring Information

GIS for Location Based Services

 What is LBS ?
Mobile Devices

http://www.geo.unizh.ch/ GIS for Location Based Services

What is LBS ? …

Definition 1 (Virrantaus et al. 2001)

• LBSs are information services accessible with
mobile devices through the mobile network and
utilizing the ability to make use of the location of
the mobile device.

GIS for Location Based Services

What is LBS ? …

 LBS as an intersection of three technologies

http://www.geo.unizh.ch/publications/cartouche/
lbs_lecturenotes_steinigeretal2006.pdf
 LBS need to deal with GIS …
GIS for Location Based Services
 What is GIS ?

“A Geographic Information System (GIS) is an organized

collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data,
methods, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store,
update, manipulate, analyze and display all forms of geographically
referenced information” [ESRI,1996].

GIS services (OpenGIS Guide [Buehler & McKee, 1998])

 Geodata Services
 Geoprocessing Services

GIS for Location Based Services

Key Features of GIS

 Information from different sources

Computer databases
 Digital maps
 GPS receiver
 Satellite image

 Data integration

http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/

GIS for Location Based Services

Key Features of GIS …

 Projection
 Information retrieval
 Data output
Overlay
 Topological modeling

http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/

GIS for Location Based Services

Data Representation

 Raster Data
 Represent images as a collection of pixels
 A grid of cells covering an image / area
 Higher data volume
 Example of raster formats
 GeoTiff
 ARC/INFO ASCII Grid
 ARC/INFO GRID
 ECW
 IMG
GIS for Location Based Services
Data Representation…

 Vector Data
 Use geometrical shapes (Lines, Points, Polygons)
 Low data volume
 Example of vector formats
 Shape files
 MapInfo TAB
 NTF
 TIGER

GIS for Location Based Services

Types of GIS

GIS

Desktop GIS Web GIS Mobile GIS

 GIS is moving from Desktop systems to Distributed system

OpenGIS concept
 Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) [http://www.opengeospatial.org]
Develop specifications to increase the interoperability of geospatial data and
geoprocessing software components
GIS for Location Based Services
 Desktop GIS

 Represents the real world on a computer

 Limited to the desktop Computer
 Not everyone can access the applications
 Desktop GIS Functionalities
View data on a map
 Analyze data
 Create publication quality, professional maps

GIS for Location Based Services

Desktop GIS Software

GIS Software
 Proprietary Software
- ArcGIS Desktop (ESRI)
- Envision (Autodesk)
- MapInfo Professional
 Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
- GRASS GIS
- Quantum GIS (QGIS)

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop (ESRI)

 Includes three software components.

ArcView
 ArcEditor
 ArcInfo

http://www.esri.com/products.html

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop …

 ArcView
- A full featured GIS software
- Allow users to view, analyze, manage and create
geographic data

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop …

 ArcEditor
- A powerful GIS desktop system
- Provide all the functionality of ArcView
- Provide data edit capability
- Supports single user editing OR collaborative process

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

1. ArcGIS Desktop…

 ArcInfo
- The most complete GIS
- Includes all the functionality of ArcEditor, ArcView, and
ArcReader
- Provide advanced spatial analysis, extensive data
manipulation, and high-end cartography tools

GIS for Location Based Services

Proprietary Software

2. MapInfo Professional
 A full featured Desktop geospatial solution
 Comes with easy-to-use software and a powerful
software tool
 Vertical Mapper third party add-on for raster data

GIS for Location Based Services

FOSS Software

1. GRASS GIS

 GRASS - Geographic Resources Analysis Support

System
 Supports various platforms
 Supports for both raster & vector formats

GIS for Location Based Services

FOSS Software

1. GRASS GIS…
 Functionalities
- geospatial data management and analysis
- image processing
- graphics/maps production
- spatial modeling
- visualization

GIS for Location Based Services

FOSS Software

2. Quantum GIS (QGIS)

 Support multiple platforms

- Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows

 Support multiple data formats

-vector, raster, database formats
-GRASS layers
http://qgis.org/brochure/qgis_brochure_en.pdf

 Extendable functionality using plug-ins

GIS for Location Based Services

Applicability for LBS

 Issues…
Limited to a Desktop PC
Cannot access remotely
 LBS deals with mobile users
Need remote access to GIS
Transfer information between user and the GIS

 Desktop GIS not suitable for LBS

GIS for Location Based Services

 Web GIS

“Web GIS is a Geographic Information System distributed across

a networked computer environment to integrate, disseminate,
and communicate geographic information visually on the
World Wide Web over the Internet.” [Gillavry, 2000]

Disseminate geospatial data and processing tools

 Possible to Process geo-related information with no location
restrictions.

GIS for Location Based Services

Web GIS Architecture

Web GIS

Client-Server Architecture Distributed Architecture

GIS for Location Based Services

1. Client – Server Architecture

 Geoprocessing  Server side & Client side tasks

 Typical three tier architecture
1. Presentation tier
- Contains user interface
2. Application logic tier
- Model & process GIS data
3. Storage tier
- Databases that store GIS data

GIS for Location Based Services

1. Client – Server Architecture …

 A typical client-server architecture

Client Middle Ware Server

Spatial request Internet Map

Web Web Server
Browser Internet Server (IMS)
HTML,Image,Map..

GIS
software GIS
database

GIS for Location Based Services

2. Distributed Architecture

 Both data and processing components are distributed

 The client and server do not refer to a specific machine
 “Geodata anywhere, Geoprocessing anywhere” model
 Distributed object architectures
- Microsoft's Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM)
- Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)
- Java Remote Method Invocation (Java RMI)

GIS for Location Based Services

IMS Software

 Allow users to access spatial data via a web browser interface

 Interact with web server and spatial database

Proprietary software FOSS software

- ArcView IMS (ESRI) - Minnesota Map Server
- MapObjects IMS (ESRI) - Open-GIS Multiviewer
- ArcIMS (ESRI) - GIS Viewer
- MapGuide (Autodesk)

GIS for Location Based Services

Applicability for LBS

 Key features of web GIS:

- Distribute geospatial data over the Internet or an Intranet
- Limited to hardwired networks
 Features of Mobile devices:
- Use wireless Internet (low bandwidth, low connection speed)
- Limited processing power
- Diversity nature
 Web GIS not suitable for LBS

GIS for Location Based Services

 Mobile GIS

“Mobile GIS is an integrated software/hardware framework for the

access of geospatial data and services through mobile devices via
wireline or wireless networks.” [http://map.sdsu.edu/publications/Tsou2-CaGIS-
final-short.pdf]

 Mobile GIS can be taken as a sub new research area in Web GIS
 Address issues such as….
- moving client side
- wireless internet
- limited hardware resources in moving client side
GIS for Location Based Services
Mobile GIS Architecture

Client:
- Mobile GIS receiver
- Positioning System
- Mobile GIS software
Server :
- Geospatial data
- GIS content server

http://map.sdsu.edu/publications/Tsou2-CaGIS-final-short.pdf

 Similar to the traditional client/server architecture in Web GIS

GIS for Location Based Services

Mobile GIS Applications

 Two major application areas:

1. Location Based Services
2. Field based GIS

GIS for Location Based Services

Mobile GIS Technologies for LBS
 LBS deals with cellular phones and vehicle
based computers  Very diverse in nature

 Integrate the wireless Internet with GIS

GIS for Location Based Services

Mobile GIS Technologies for Field
applications

 Need computationally intensive devices with large display

screens.
Ex : Pocket & Tablet PCs
ArcGIS Mobile (ESRI)
ArcPad (ESRI)
 Available Software :
MapInfo MapXtend
- Cross platform
IntelliWhere
- Independent of hardware devices (Intergraph )
Onsite

GIS for Location Based Services

Applicability for LBS

Mobile GIS developed for LBS !

GIS for Location Based Services

 Summary

 Introduction to LBS
 Introduction to GIS
 Different types of GIS (Desktop GIS, Web GIS, Mobile GIS)
- Overview
- Available Architectures
- Available software / technologies
- Applicability for LBS

GIS for Location Based Services

 References
 Stefan Steiniger, Moritz Neun and Alistair Edwardes, Foundations of Location Based
Services, CartouCHe1 - Lecture Notes on LBS, V. 1.0
 Geographic information system [online]. Available from:
 Wikipedia < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system>
 Geographic information system (GIS) poster. Available from :
< http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/gis_poster/ >
 Product overview [online]. Available from: < http://www.esri.com/products.html>
 Desktop GIS software for Hydrological Application [online]. Available from :
< http://www.swhydro.arizona.edu/archive/V3_N3/featurette2.pdf>
 Geographic Resources Analysis Support System [online]. Available from:< http://grass.itc.it/>
 QGIS brochure [online]. Available from : < http://qgis.org/brochure/qgis_brochure_en.pdf>
 A.A. Alesheikh, H.Helali, H.A.Behroz, Web GIS: Technologies and Its Applications,
Symposium on Geospatial Theory, Processing and Applications, Ottawa 2002
 Hussein Helali, Design and Implementation of a Web GIS for the City of Tehran, Master’s
Thesis, Department Of Geodesy And Geomatics Engineering, K.N.Toosi University Of
Technology, September 2001

GIS for Location Based Services

 References
 Internet Map Services [online]. Available from :
<http://gisweb.ciat.cgiar.org/sig/internet-map-services.htm>
 Map Object Internet Map Server version 2 brochure [online]. Available from
< http://www.esri.com>
 MapServer New Users [online]. Available from
http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/new_users
 Nimalika Fernando, Web GIS based Post -Tsunami Recovery Management tool for Sri
Lanka, Master’s Thesis, Keele University, September 2006
 Li Luqun, Li Minglu, A Research on Development of Mobile GIS Architecture,
Environmental Infomatics Archives, ISEIS 2004
 Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Integrated Mobile GIS and Wireless Internet Map Servers for
Environmental Monitoring and Management,2004
 Ye Lei, Lin Hui, Which One Should be Chosen for the Mobile Geographic Information
Service Now, WAP vs. i-mode vs. J2ME?, Springer Science, 2006
 Wang Fangxiong , Jiang Zhiyong, Research on A Distributed Architecture of Mobile
GIS Based on Wap
 Xiaoqing Zhou, Xinming Tang, Zhao Fan, Zhongping Wang, Research of LBS Based
on Java and An Application Solution
 ArcGIS Mobile brochure [online]. Available from: http://www.esri.com/arcgismobile
 ArcPad: Mobile GIS, An ESRI White Paper , September 2004
GIS for Location Based Services
QUESTIONS ???

GIS for Location Based Services

THANK YOU !!!