Indoor GPS Tracking: Coming Soon

30 Apr 2012

Lots of us rely on GPS navigation technology for directions around unfamiliar towns and cities. And fleet managers, law enforcement, parents, pet owners, and many others rely on GPS tracker devices for monitoring and tracking pets, loved ones, children, criminals, and employees. But GPS tracking has largely been confined to outdoors, where global satellites can work.

But a new service could soon be giving you direction inside, as well as tracking your footsteps indoors. It’s referred to as IPS, or indoor positioning service, and you’ll soon be hearing more buzz about it.

IPS is a broad term used to describe the network of devices used to wireless locate people or objects inside a building.

The budding technology works off of a IPS chip. Broadcomm Inc, who is the biggest supplier to cell-phone manufacturers of Global Positioning System chips, manufactured and has begun shipping the new smart-phone GPS-tracking like microchip. The chip is designed to pinpoint a person’s location right down to within a few centimeters — including indoors.

Not only is the BCM4752 chip capable of tracking your horizontal position, but it can track your vertical position as well. In other words, it can tell what floor you are located in when inside a building.

For indoor tracking, the chip uses a myriad of sensor technology, including Wi-Fi (including 5G), Near Field Communication, Bluetooth, and radio. Additionally, magnetometers, step counters, altimeters, accelerometers, and gyroscopes are used to hone in on more precise location measurements. Broadcomm’s technology goes beyond Google’s 2D and Wi-Fi and Nokia’s 3D and Bluetooth uses.

Since Broadcomm has just released and begun shipping the chip, we can expect to see smart phones built with this technology within a year, experts say.

While knowing exactly where you are in an airport could be helpful, guided tours of parks, museums, and the like are potential uses of IPS. Still, marketers can likely envision the use of IPS in targeted advertisement.

The range of uses for indoor positioning systems extends only to innovators’ imaginations.

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About George Karonis

George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.