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AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION SYSTEMS: A TOOL FOR COMPUTER AIDED DESPATCH SYSTEMS OF THE FUTURE. IN: CONFERENCE RECORD OF PAPERS PRESENTED AT THE FIRST VEHICLE NAVIGATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONFERENCE, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 11-13, 1989

The Metropolitan Toronto Department of Ambulance Services is presently installing a Vehicle Location pilot system. This is the culmination of a number of years of observation and examination of user procedures and needs, technology assessment and definition of attributes to be tested in the pilot project. At the same time, the Department committed itself to the computerization and metrication of the previous imperial geocode - based map of Toronto in order to be compatible with the U.T.M. co-ordinates adopted by the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. This paper presents the evolution of the system design from the user perspective and examines the conditions that led to the need for vehicle location. It compares the operational expectation with the attainable technical performance of such systems. The components of the system (location equipment, data transfer equipment, the display equipment and the main processing unit) as they pertain to the Toronto system are reviewed. The various data gathering methods are described as the original attempts to find a technology compatible with the local environment in Toronto. Also discussed are the additional applications that may result from the implementation of the system, such as : vehicle status reporting, two-way data transmission, "closest ambulance" indicator and the ability to use the system to determine "shortest route" information. The prospect of integrating the Computer Aided Dispatch system (C.A.D.) with the A.V.L.S. in Dispatch Centre is discussed, as is the need to maintain, in a dynamic manner, an updated mapping data base. The error sources inherent in such systems will be analyzed and ways to minimize them, where possible, will be proposed. Some of these errors are generated by local conditions such as electromagnetic interference and some of them such as display errors and time - delay errors are a result of existing infrastructure limitations and/or over-specification of the system. A very good definition of what the system is expected to do is imperative before any attempts are made to specify its technical characteristics. In conclusion, the paper presents the integrated approach D.A.S. has put together in order to prepare itself for the next decade.

  • Availability:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • The Conference was sponsored jointly by the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society, Toronto Chapter of IEEE, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, and Transport Canada.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

    Operations Center, 445 Hoes Lane, P.O. Box 1331
    Piscataway, NJ  United States  08855-1331
  • Authors:
    • Perlstein, D
  • Publication Date: 1989-9

Media Info

  • Features: Figures; Tables;
  • Pagination: p. 186-193

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00610711
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 0-9692316-2-8
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jun 30 1991 12:00AM