GeoSMS is a specification for geotagging SMS messages.[1][2] It works by embedding locations in the message text, where the locations are formatted as 'geo' URIs as defined in RFC 5870.[3]
It was developed in 2010 by Matthew Kwan, a PhD Candidate at the RMIT School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences and should not be confused with the Open GeoSMS standard.
Examples
edit
A simple geotagged SMS might look like:
I'm at the pub geo:-37.801631,144.980294;u=10
which would contain the message I'm at the pub and a location with latitude 37.801631 degrees south, longitude 144.980294 degrees east, and an uncertainty of (+ or -) 10 metres.
Messages using GeoSMS can also contain multiple locations, for example:
I'll be at the pub geo:-37.801631,144.980294;u=10 until midnight, then heading to a gig geo:-37.864225,144.97294
which contains two locations.
Applications
editGeoSMS is used by the free Android application I Am Here (available through the Google Play) to send and receive geotagged SMS messages. It displays received messages using either a compass or map view. The GeoSMS specification is also being used to allow ships and cruising vessels to send position updates from an SMS-capable satellite phone, such as one of the recent models marketed by Iridium Communications or Globalstar.[4]
Open GeoSMS
editThe Open Geospatial Consortium also has an approved Open GeoSMS standard, published in 2011. This standard has been broadly implemented in Asia.[citation needed] The OGC Open GeoSMS standard was originally developed in Taiwan by ITRI in 2008 and submitted into the OGC in 2009.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Now, geotag SMS to help friends locate you". Times of India. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ "Researchers Develop Location-Enabled SMS Standard, Launch Android App". New York Times. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ Mayrhofer, A.; Spanring, C. (2010-06-08). "RFC 5870 - A Uniform Resource Identifier for Geographic Locations ('geo' URI)". Internet Engineering Task Force. doi:10.17487/RFC5870. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Sending GeoSMS position updates from offshore through a satellite phone