LocViewer Pro

Download
Installation
Usage

LocViewer Pro offers the following capabilities beyond the function range of LocViewer:

a direction arrow in the map display, whose length changes speed-dependently,
storage of waypoints,
import of waypoints from and export into GPX files,
sending of the current position by SMS,
logging of the raw NMEA data into a file,
sending of the current position to an server in the Internet,
Position monitoring and generation of an alarm when a radius has been left.

For file access the mobile phone must support additionally JSR 75 or the proprietary Siemens way. For the sending of the position by SMS JSR 120 is required.

GPX files (GPS Exchange format) have become a pseudo standard for the exchange of waypoints. GPX files can be converted into many other formats (e.g. see GPSBabel). Currently LocViewer Pro supports the GPX 1.1 Schema. If files are stored in GPX 1.0 Schema, GPSBabel can be used for the conversion too.

GPX files can contain several waypoints, routes, or tracks. A route is an ordered list of waypoints, which represents intermediate stops to a final destination. A track is in contrast an ordered list of points, which describe a path. Tracks usually contain a lot of points. Thats why they might exceed the processor power of the mobile phone. Internally in LocViewer Pro waypoints are administered generally in routes.

LocViewer Pro is Shareware. The Download version is fully functional and runs 3 days. That should be enough, in order to test the additional functions of the Pro version. The basic functions can be tested with the free LocViewer. Afterwards the input of a license key is required, which can be purchased online on the download page or be requested via the feedback form. The license key is valid also for all subsequent versions with comparable function range and costs 9.99 EUR.

Download

LocViewer Pro 2.1.2 (general) or
LocViewer Pro 2.1.2 (Motorola V3i et al.) or
Select http://wap.wayviewer.de on the mobile phone and download and install LocViewer Pro directly.

Installation

Unzip the file LocViewerPro.zip on a PC and install the application according to the type of your mobile phone. Further references you can find in the FAQ.
Make sure that Internet access is configured correctly (GPRS or UMTS preferred). Any Internet sites must be accessible, not only those of your provider.
For file storage LocViewer Pro requires a folder Data inbox. This folder normally already exists on Siemens phones. On other mobile phones this folder must be created at a suitable location. LocViewer Pro looks for it in the roots of the file systems, i.e. also on a possibly existing memory card, as well as in the standard folders for pictures, tones, videos, and others. If it cannot be found, it will be created automatically in one of these folders.

The file system access is extremely restrictively implemented in the operating systems of the mobile phones for security reasons. On non Siemens phones the file system access might be refused by default without further inquiry to the user. Therefore please make sure to setup your security settings in such a way that the user is asked before file system access.

Usage

Please pay also attention to the Usage instructions of the basic version!

The Pro functions can be selected in the main menu, in "Maps", and in "GPS data". The speed-dependent direction arrow is available in the map display automatically.

Menu Map

Administration of routes

Copy the GPX files to be imported into the folder Data inbox.
Call menu item "Waypoints". Acknowledge later security questions with "For session".
In the list appear the already imported routes. With "Options" one can select the desired action.
Selecting a route one can display its detailed information.
Selecting the option "Import" one comes to the listing of the files existing in the folder Data inbox. With the selection of a file the import starts. The import can be stopped at any time. After successful import the file can be deleted optionally. Since a GPX file can contain more than one route, also more than one route can be created during the import procedure. "Free ones" of waypoints, which are not bound to a route in the GPX file, are combined in LocViewer Pro into a route.
New routes can be created with "New". A name for the route must be entered. A description is optional.
With "Export" the selected route is exported into a GPX file. The file is created in the folder Data inbox. If the target file already exists, the user is requested for confirmation.
With "Delete" the selected route and with "Delete all" all routes can be deleted from the internal storage.

Additional functions in "Map"

Under "Options" the option "Waypoints" is available with the functions described above. When the map display is called for the first time, it is not linked with a route. If one selects a route and confirms the detail display with OK, this route is selected as the current route. Also newly created routes become the current.

Indication of the waypoints in the map display. If the actualization of the GPS data is switched on, the map section remains and only the waypoints are indicated, that are located in this map section. If the GPS data actualization was switched off before route selection, the map section is selected in such a way that all waypoints can be indicated. In this way a summary presentation of the route is possible.
With the option "Save" the current position can be added as a waypoint to the current route. For that the current GPS position must be valid. A name for the waypoint must be entered. A description is optional.
The current position can be sent by SMS with the option "Send". The format of the SMS can be specified in the menu "Options". The '%' sign will be replaced by the current latitude and longitude and put into the lower text field. Additionally the text can be edited, e.g. a call for help can be added. In the upper text field the telephone number of the receiver has to be entered.

Additional functions in "GPS data"

Storage of the current position as a waypoint as described above.
Sending of the current position by SMS as described above.

Logging of GPS raw data

The NMEA raw data can be logged into a file. This function can be switched on in the main menu with "NMEA log on" and switched off with "NMEA log off". The file is being created in the folder Data inbox. The file name can be specified in the menu item "Options". Default is nmea.log.

There is nearly no limit for the further processing of the NMEA log files. E.g. a conversion into other formats is possible using GPSBabel.

With an internal GPS receiver logging is possible only if the mobile phone supports the access to the NMEA raw data.

Sending of the current position to an server in the Internet

The current position can be sent to an server in the Internet in a cyclic manner. The period in seconds can be configured in menu "Options" in the input field "Period". If the default value of 0 is set, the position is not being sent. Such a server must be provided by the user. The URL of the server has to be configured in the input field "URL format". The URL can contain the following format specifiers. These will be replaced by the current values.

URL Format Specifiers
Format Specifiers	Description
%ts	Timestamp
%la	Latitude as signed decimal number in degrees
%lo	Longitude as signed decimal number in degrees
%qu	GPS quality indicator (0=invalid, 1=GPS, 2=Differential GPS)
%ns	Number of satellites in use
%hd	Horizontal dilution of position
%al	Altitude in m
%tt	Direction in degrees
%gs	Speed in km/h or kn

In the journal c't 2009, Nr. 11, p. 156-160 a software project has been published which uses this funtionality.

Position monitoring

When position alarm is switched on, the current position is stored. In the "Options" menu an alarm radius can be set. When deviation between the current position and the original position exceeds the confirgured radius, an acoustic alarm will be triggered. This happens after 60 s too if the connection to the GPS receiver or to the satellites has been lost. Afterwards the position monitoring will be switched off in order to not nerve. This functionality could be very useful for yachtsmen.