Location-based Services: Fundamentals and Applications

In nine comprehensive chapters this volume guides its audience through the fundamental areas of LBSs and provides detailed coverage of the scientific challenges facing their development. It also deals with underlying service platforms and interfaces, which will be invaluable for developers who faced with having to realize LBSs. It commences with an introduction to wireless transmissions and mobile networks, proceeds with; location management and positioning methods, and concludes with the challenges faced, geographic location formats, protocols, service platforms, and finally examples of LBSs.* Examines LBSs thought to provide important 'killer attributes' in the context of new business models for network operators - they are not only of importance in cellular networks like GSM or UMTS but will also gain momentum in WLAN environments.* Details the importance and popularity of LBSs, covers their underlying technologies, infrastructure and architectures.* It provides a thorough introduction to the different methods available to obtain the geographic position of the user. It does not assume advanced knowledge of the subject and guides the reader through the fundamentals.* Focuses in some depth upon existing and forthcoming approaches in LBSs, comparing their pros and cons.