How Do Mobile Maps Work
Many people are mesmerised by the technology behind mobile maps. The advancements that have been made in this industry are certainly impressive and with that, many people have been quick to ask just exactly how these mobile maps work. This article will aim to address these queries and highlight exactly how the applications function.
Featured Application: Google Maps
All explanations made will focus on the Google Maps application. With this piece of software being the market leader, it will be no surprise to hear that many other pieces of mobile map software utilise similar technology. The following gives a basic outline of the functionality that Google Maps provides:
- The application allows users to plot their current location with the touch of a button.
- Users can discover directions from one address to another.
- Users can tap into Google’s database of business reviews to gather information on establishments before visiting.
Of course, Google Maps provides many more features but for the purposes of this article, these three functions will be explained in detail.
The Main Functions Of Mobile Maps
As the previous section highlighted, three functions will be analysed through this article. The first is the mobile map’s ability to plot the location that a user is currently based in. The technology around this feature is quite interesting, with the mobile map application measuring the signal strength of various satellites that the phone is receiving data from and thus returning an approximate location. Depending on the type of device that is being used, signals such as WiFi, GSM and 3G satellites around the user can be measured. Using the data collected from these satellites, the application will pit it against records in a database to find the most accurate location.
The main technology used by mobile maps is the map data though. This is usually acquired from a third party source, with the application developer then able to create different features using the maps that have been provided. In the case of Google Maps, Tele Atlas are the company that supply their data.
In relation to the third feature discussed above, this is very easy to implement for a company such as Google. Using the map data they have available, it is very easy to plot local businesses using simply their co-ordinates and addresses. From this point the possibilities are endless, with Google for example allowing their users to search their user review database that has taken many years to compile. This perhaps shows just how strong Google are in the mobile map field, with the company being able to utilise other areas of their business to benefit this service.
Summary Of How Mobile Maps Work
This article has hopefully provided a basic outline of how mobile maps function. It has now become very easy for developers to acquire map data and this is the reason why more and more mobile map applications are hitting the market. With large companies such as Google involved in the industry, it is no surprise at how advanced mobile maps have become.
