Flexible Software Toolbox for Telematics and Navigation: Always Ahead with the New PTV RoadRunner
25 January 2007
For the first time, the Karlsruhe-based software provider PTV presents the latest product development from its mobility business field at CeBIT 2007 (hall 11, stand B11). Professional solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of the telematics and navigation industry can easily be created with the flexible, low-cost PTV RoadRunner software toolbox. Revolutionary map technology supports incremental updates and will therefore open up new application areas.
Always Up-to-Date with Selective Map Data
Current, highly detailed map data is the heart of each telematics or navigation application. The PTV RoadRunner revolutionises map updating by offering incremental updates. It stores the map data in the form of small single tiles. They are updated dynamically and selectively, which means only the tiles that have been changed since the last update will be exchanged. As a result, small amounts of data are transmitted, enabling low-cost, easy and fast map updates which can be loaded over the air, for example via GPRS or UMTS.
In addition, users can confine the required map data to freely definable regions. Frank Felten, director of product management mobility at PTV AG, describes the future of navigation: "Every morning drivers will instantly update their maps by just pressing a button. The map update is limited to the regions the travellers actually need." If further map data is required, for instance for a holiday trip to Northern Italy, it is possible to add exactly the map data for this area.
Toll calculation via satellite
Up-to-date map data is a prerequisite not only for navigation systems, but also for satellite-based road toll applications. An in-vehicle system measures and records the route driven by using GPS and then calculates the corresponding toll. Even if toll road charges are changed, the toll calculation must be absolutely correct. Continuously updated map data is an essential ingredient in achieving this goal. Compared to present update methods no time or money is required for incremental map updates over the air. Car insurers can use similar telematics applications for the implementation of customer-friendly pay-as-you-drive insurances.
Insurance Premium in Pay-as-you-Drive Mode
Auto insurance companies offer more and more pay-as-you-drive pricing so that customers pay less for driving less and being at much less risk of an accident. For the pay-per-use method the GPS vehicle tracking data is regularly recorded and matched with the digital map. The insurance premium will be based on information about the speed limits to be kept, type and quality of streets and roads used by the motorist or time of day the car owner travels by car.
A Toolbox Leaving Plenty of Leeway
PTV's modular software toolbox allows car insurers and toll road operators as well as telematics providers, system integrators or vehicle fleet operators to create and implement individual solutions. Users will receive exactly what they need for their specific applications. The PTV RoadRunner also leaves plenty of leeway for creativity, such as individual Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) design or map display. Applications can therefore be adapted to the corporate design or a specific hardware. Since the platform-independent system runs on Windows, Windows CE, Linux and QNX, it offers a wide range of applications. It can therefore be used on different devices, from smartphones and PNDs to CarPCs.
The PTV RoadRunner enables users to develop comprehensive solutions for the telematics and navigation industry, and thus opens new market opportunities.
Telematics and navigation is one of the topics with top billing at CeBIT in Hanover (March 15 - 21). Located in Hall 11, this interest area will include a track of presentations and panel discussions. Visitors will have the opportunity to find out more about PTV's RoadRunner solution in a live presentation at stand B11, hall 11. Another highlight will be the "CeBIT in Motion" forum (Mar 15-16) including several presentations from PTV experts.
