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12-22-2010
GPS and it's use in cars
It's no secret that GPS devices have been used in
cars for quite a while now. In recent years manufactures have now
started incorporating them into the cars systems as well. These
units come as factory installed units and cannot be removed from the
car. The benefits of a factory installed unit are many.
First, obviously, the unit is always in the car and ready to go. No
more dead batteries, no more waiting for the unit to "find" itself
if it was turned off on a previous trip or use. Being installed,
it's also much less likely to get stolen. A factory unit is
difficult to remove and most times can't be easily used in another
car if it's removed. Another benefit is it's ability to interface
with the car. One problem in the past with GPS units was there loss
of signal around tall buildings, tunnels, gray areas or mountains.
Manufactures now incorporate a system called Dead Reckoning (DR). DR
is a system that uses the vehicles speed, direction, turning and
driving reactions to calculate vehicle position in an area with a
weak GPS signal. By incorporating the GPS's system with the vehicles
own electronic systems the GPS becomes much more useful. Things like
theft recovery, remote door unlock and accident notification become
very easy.
d.k.
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