GPS and GIS: Enhanced Accuracy in Map Matching through Effective Filtering of Autonomous GPS Points

The development of the Global Positioning System (GPS), along with ever more powerful geographic information systems (GIS), has spawned the development of public safety applications. One of the most noteworthy of these applications is the Mayday system in which a motorist can call for roadside assistance at any time, day or night, without knowing his location, so that a service center can send assistance to the site of the call. Some of today's Mayday systems provide national coverage which, while impressive in scope, can cause problems in assuring the reliability required to enlist the loyalty of customers and the cooperation of local emergency personnel. Customers whose calls for assistance are not answered promptly, or frequent calls that result in long searches by emergency personnel taking them away from their posts and endangering others who need them, are potential pitfalls of Mayday systems. This paper looks at the effects of filtering autonomous GPS points to enhance the reliability of positions ...