Navigation and digital maps interface for fleet management and driver information systems

Companies developing navigation and map technologies are faced with the problem of providing products that can be utilized in the wide range of emerging market applications. The author explores one company's approach in developing products with layered interfaces to meet this challenge. Examples are given of fleet management and driver guidance systems utilizing command layer interfaces. The simplicity of the interface allows the applications developer to integrate navigation into a larger system with little up-front cost. Because the application does not reside in the navigation device, the applications developer has complete control over this project. This minimizes the complexity of interface and the interactions necessary to get his application published on the navigation device's storage media.<<ETX>>