Smartnav
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Smartnav is the satellite navigation system from Trafficmaster Plc. Smartnav uses triangular GPS to route users to a chosen location.
[edit] Overview
Users subscribe or use the system on a pay-as-you-go basis. Smartnav uses live traffic information from Trafficmaster's fixed network of over 7,500 roadside sensors to route users around delays on their journey.
Simply by pressing a button users can contact a P.A. ( a real operator) 24 hours a day, 365 days per year at Trafficmaster's head office in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Once connected via an inbuilt mobile phone sim card the user can request routes, order flowers, book hotels and check traffic information included on their current route. P.A's can also assist the user in the event of a breakdown for example giving precise location details and relaying the information to the users breakdown service. Users are not charged for contacting a P.A. and if they have the Touchscreen can receive incoming calls hands free through the Smartnav unit although they cannot make outgoing calls via this method.
[edit] Problems
Some problems experienced by users of Smartnav include a busy or unobtainable mobile network used to send journey information and connect to a P.A, loss of GPS signal and therefore guidance in some large cities and isolated remote locations around the U.K., and occasionally incorrect guidance and traffic information (sometimes guiding users INTO jams and not around them!).
The central mapping should be updated every quarter or can be done immediately if urrgent routing changes are needed, then only the route information for the required route is sent to the car Smartnav unit. Whist this means that the mapping will always as up to date, the dissadvantage is that should the driver deviate from the instructions, either by mistake or to advoid a traffic jam, then a new route needs to be downloaded from the central server.
