TomTom Announces an Open Source GPS Technology

TuringTest writes "According to OStatic, European company TomTom (which recently settled a patent agreement with Microsoft) has announced a new open source format OpenLR for sharing routing data (relevant points, traffic information...) in digital maps of different vendors, to be used in GPS devices. The LR stands for Location Referencing. They aim is to push it as an open standard to build a cooperative information base, presumably to operate in a similar fashion as its current TomTom Map Share technology, in which end users provide map corrections on the fly. The technology to support the format will be released as GPLv2. Does that make OpenLR a GPL GPS?"

Patent card waiting to be played?

[Anonymous Coward]

GPLv3 provides for explicit patent protection of the users from the program's contributors and redistributors. With GPLv2, users rely on an implicit patent license to make sure that the company which provided them a copy won't sue them, or the people they redistribute copies to, for patent infringement.

Handheld GPS and Linux

[improfane]

I was looking up GPS and Linux recently as I would love a handheld GPS system. (not for driving) TomTom seems to be a very popular one and this would be awesome for me.

Here's an interesting Slashdot article, Hackable Car GPS [slashdot.org]. There's a list of Linux software here [slashdot.org]. (gpsDrive, qpeGPS, RoadMap, GPS3d, pygps)

Can anyone recommend an affordable handheld GPS devices? Any of them suited for on-foot, rambling or bicyclying? Or is it better to get a PDA or a phone with GPS?

Re:Handheld GPS and Linux

[YrWrstNtmr]

...or a phone with GPS?

A dedicated GPS is far, far better (IMHO) than a phone based GPS.
Recently, on a cross country drive, I relied on my daughters GPS enabled phone, having loaned my GPS to the ex. Every time she got a call or text, she had to reset the GPS, because the phone/text function took over. And on a 5 hour drive, that was many, many times. Annoying, to say the least.

Of course, there may be GPS enabled phones that do not do this. But a dedicated GPS is so cheap now, why bother? Get a phone for the phone, and a GPS for the GPS.

Re:Handheld GPS and Linux

[Hai-Etlik]

I have a Garmin GPSmap 76CSx. Qlandkarte GT is able to talk to it in Linux with no trouble. I can upload maps (Generated from OpenStreetMap and the SRTM topological data) and download tracks and waypoints just fine. Installing proprietary maps requires the Windows software. Anything in the Etrex or GPSmap lines by Garmin are probably safe. Both are widely available and supported by official and third party mounts and accessories including bicycle mounts. Note that the black and white and colour versions have slightly different shapes and need different mounts.

Re:Does it make OpenLR a GPL GPS?

[Anonymous Coward]

System code, released under GPL.

http://www.tomtom.com/page.php?Page=gpl [tomtom.com]

Re:Patent card waiting to be played?

[TheRaven64]

Which idiot modded this informative? Clause 7 of the GPLv2 provides you with a license to any patents owned by the upstream distributor that are implemented by the code.

Re:GPL?

[infinitelink]

The FSF's explanation is 'you can sell GPL, so it can be commerical!', that's likely not what TomTom is referring to, which I could explain it to you hermeneutically (of the GPL), but it's a dirty little secret that those who like the collaboration to continue want to keep dark: so carry on, wonder nothing, just accept what you believe, carry on...

Re:Excellent

[russotto]

I'm, frankly, shocked that at least one of the vendors pushing GPS modules for "fleet" use hasn't started offering that yet.

Of course they have. There's no need to use aerial photos for measuring feature heights; location of anything below 13'6" on the National Network is available from the state DOT. I know of several products which do routing according to truck restrictions -- PC*Miler, Map&Guide (Europe, mostly), and Rand McNally's Intelliroute. All have GPS tie in software.

Re:Patent card waiting to be played?

[HiThere]

Not precisely. It provides you with a license to use any of their patents that they used in the code in any derivative code that your produce. That's a bit more restricted then what you implied.

Note that if you make code which is not derivative, you don't have the license to use the patents in that code.

What OpenLR is about

[martimo]

Many posts above miss the point of OpenLR. OpenLR is not in any way comparable to KML, GPX, GML and other standards for geodata. Its purpose is to allow dynamic linear referencing across multiple different base maps. It is therefore in direct competition to the (currently only viable dynamic location referencing method) AGORA-C ( http://www.ertico.com/en/themes/completed_projects/websites/agora_website.htm [ertico.com] ), which by the way is not open and has a pretty big price tag ( http://www.vialicensing.com/licensing/AgoraC_index.cfm [vialicensing.com] ). Let me give you an example of where to use these dynamic location referencing methods: Say a service provider calculates the current traffic state or traffic forecast for a certain region from detector data, traffic incident messages and maybe a comprehensive traffic model. The provider now has data on existing traffic jams and might even have information on optimal strategies to circumvent jams. This data was calculated and is available now for one specific base map, say a certain release of NavTeq street data or a Tele Atlas map or maybe even OpenStreetMap data (unlikely). Now in order to get this information out to the people on the road, the accurate location of the jams/routes have to be transferred to different devices, all of which rely on various map data formats, versions, accuracies and so forth. The process of describing (encoding) a location an a road network so that the exact same location can be decoded on the receiver's side regardless of its inherent map is called dynamic location referencing. OpenLR tries (just like AGORA-C) to accomplish this feat. So, don't worry about another standard for geodata. This is not the point of OpenLR.

Re:Excellent

[richlv]

well, openstreetmap has ability to record maxheight limits. it's right here - http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:access#Size_and_statutory_restrictions [openstreetmap.org].

now all you need is a routing application, supporting this key as a routing parameter.
and this limitation correctly tagged everywhere. and all roads drawn ;)

but in general, infrastructure is pretty much there, road coverage is quite good in many areas... maybe it works for you :)

Re:Excellent

[Richard_at_work]

There is a growing problem in the UK from truck drivers using domestic GPS units and not units meant for the haulage industry, which are more expensive. The industry specific units avoid small lanes and villages, as well as height clearances, but the domestic ones do not. I shall leave the thought of what occurs up to your imaginations.

Re:Excellent

[Richard_at_work]

The newer GPS III satellites (due to take over in 2014 onward) do not have Selective Availability capability. To deny an enemy use of GPS, the US military now relies on jamming and localised signal degredation.

Re:Better than GPX *how*?

[Anonymous Coward]

NMEA is a standard format used by GPS receivers to describe your current position. It works in the complete absence of road maps. This new format describes routes (a series of roads) and can be used without a GPS receiver; it merely needs a digital road map.