At the International Wireless Communications Exposition in Orlando FL this week, a new location services solution that derives location data from Standards based Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems is unveiled. InterLoc™ from Catalyst Communications Technologies, obtains location and other meta data from standards based LMR networks, providing location and personal identification information from portable and mobile radios. What’s especially unique is that InterLoc™ is not an AVL (automatic vehicle location) service – it’s a Personal Location Service. By capturing this information from standards based LMR systems, a dispatcher can track the location of an individual even when they are outside a vehicle.
InterLoc™ – Personal Location Services from Standards Based LMR Systems
Many Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems rely on proprietary devices that are mounted in a vehicle and use commercial cellular networks to retrieve location. The InterLoc™ system from Catalyst is also unique because it does not use expensive map licensing or cellular data charges, making the system very cost effective compared to typical AVL solutions. InterLoc™ is intimately tied to Catalyst’s Dispatch and Interoperability solutions, and Dispatchers can initiate text and voice communications directly from the map. Maps can display subscriber status (such as Emergency, Unit ID, Talk Group, etc.) and Dispatchers can center the map on any resource with the click of a mouse. Multiple maps, and multiple types of maps, can be simultaneously displayed, and a robust map toolkit helps Dispatchers customize maps to help manage their unique and immediate needs.
The user interface of InterLoc™ is intuitive and integrated into Catalyst’s IP|Console™ and Propulsion™ Dispatch solutions. When a radio user declares an emergency, the icon of the radio that declared the Emergency turns red and stays red until the Emergency is acknowledged by one of the Consoles. The Dispatcher can select an individual or group and initiate a text message or voice call from the map screen.
The map interface is infinitely flexible. Multiple maps, and multiple map types, may be inserted anywhere within the Catalyst console user interface including behind a tab or on a separate monitor and can be any size, including full screen. The Dispatcher can simultaneously view the big picture and zoom in to see precise movements. The system administrator can customize maps, adding buildings, towers, and other assets, and can temporarily add “push pins” to indicate fixed, event-based locations. No internet connection is required for map services, and maps can be downloaded and cache- saved.
A Subscriber List view augments the map, showing radio users that are communicating and locatable on the map. Clicking on a user in the Subscriber List centers the map on the subscriber. This list can be sorted in various ways to aid the Dispatcher while communicating with subscribers through the map or through the console.
InterLoc™ is available from Catalyst today for integration with radio systems using DMR Tier III and Simoco radios, or DMR Tier II or NXDN using Kenwood radios. Other Standard based radios and radio systems will be included in the InterLoc™ product suite.
