When I was reading the current happening on computer network, I have heard several terms about cloud computing, mesh network, etc.

Cloud computing is basically the possibility where a bunch of computer do the job in a 'similar' manner. As for the mesh network, it is basically the possibility to provide 'wireless' network in a more 'mobile' and robust yet reliable point-to-point network connectivity (or should I say point-through-point?).

So here is another idea related with GPS enhancements:

• the current car manufacturer starts putting GPS as part of the vehicle navigation system
• the current GPS manufacturer also gained several market share for customer's demand in having their vehicle equipped with GPS for their navigation need

I also noticed that today, GPS unit available in the market can cater the following user:

• Pedestrian (very slow mobility)
• Bicycle or any non-motor vehicle (slow to moderate mobility)
• Motorbike (open vehicle with moderate to high mobility)
• Cars, trucks or busses (closed vehicle with moderate to high mobility)

Those GPS user 'class'-es are available for both on-road and off-road (more on this in a separate article).

If each GPS manufacturer could provide a mesh network protocol that talks openly between one GPS unit to another, it could be useful for several purposes:

• Provide emergency distress signal to nearby GPS unit
• Provide incoming traffic updates based on the GPS travel direction
• Law enforcement use of ensuring road is safe and flowing smooth, even with any road block that might/could happen

For emergency distress signal

This is only feasible with the hookup of GPS unit with other parts of the vehicle. i.e.: speed sensor, motion sensor, alerting sensor, etc. However, if putting the current wiring is trouble some, we might be able to use bluetooth or any close-range wireless circuitry.

The method for emergency goes as follow:

• GPS unit is polling status of speed. If the speed drop beyond the acceptable range, then it will analyze based on several conditions:
  •  If the speed 'drop' happened, then GPS will try to poll further for several seconds (or maybe up to 1 minute). If the drop is very significant (or maybe stays at 0 and somehow lost the poller signal from the speed), that could be the sign of 'accident'. This can be validated with distance alerting sensor
  • If the speed 'spike' for a short period and then 'drop' near 0 for the next several seconds (and maybe sensed that the none of the brake or accelerator is being pressed), then it could be the sign of rear-bump hit from another vehicle.
  • If the speed pick up in an acceptable motion while the engine is detected as inactive, then the GPS could send a distress signal that the car is being moved involuntarily. i.e.: being towed, hit while parking, etc.
• If a GPS unit is sending out emergency distress signal, this can be propagated through the GPS mesh network on the other GPS unit passing 'near by' the emergency point. Thus the passers by will be alerted that there is an emergency in the next x miles (or maybe there was an emergency x miles back). This emergency distress signal can then be sent out and hopping from one GPS 'point' to another GPS 'point' that could be the emergency response team (road authority, police, ambulance or fire brigade)
• The same method could also be used in case of a dark road situation. A car that had accidentally 'thrown' out of the road could send emergency signal to the passers by, telling them that there is accident not in the road path, but x feet away from where the GPS unit is located.
• The use of GPS mesh network for locating accident could also being enhanced a little bit by polling the strong signal. Maybe this kind of GPS poller is the one designed for the emergency response team. i.e.: in their GPS unit, it can read how 'strong' is the GPS polling results and thus can pin point more precise location and traffic situation.

Provide incoming traffic updates based on the GPS travel direction

With this method, each GPS unit is being informed on the incoming traffic situation.

The current traffic antenna is still made optionally available for GPS unit, and for the road authority, it will be troublesome to keep providing additional transmitter antenna for sending out traffic updates.

Why don't we use GPS mesh network mechanism as well?

So the illustrated mechanism goes as follow:

• If a vehicle is travelling from point A to point B, they will received (and send) signal based on the vehicle travelling from point B to point A. This can be 'sensed' by the poller frequency received from GPS units travelling in the opposite direction. Note: a poller 'loop' should be avoided, otherwise each GPS unit will keep sending cumulative results based on their 'received' information
• If the speed of a vehicle 'slows down', the information will be passed to the other GPS unit that travels in the same direction. Then each vehicle behind them can also send update to the other vehicles behind them about the slow down. The 'smart' GPs could start doing alternative route recalculation as needed. The 'trustworthyness' of a slow down is the analysis result of received signal from the same direction vs opposite direction of travel.
• if the speed of a vehicle 'speeds up', then the information could also be provided to the other vehicles

Law enforcement use of ensuring road is safe and flowing smooth

This is the dedicated use not just for law enforcement, but also road traffic authority, emergency services, etc.

By having GPS mesh network, each emergency services could send a signal 'forward' asking for road clearance. This will make sure that the road is sfe to proceed ahead, knowing that the incoming (or the vehicle in front) has been 'signaled' to 'make a way' for the emergency services.

This will reduce time to travel for emergency services to arrive on their destination. An ambulance could save more lifes, fire brigade could arrive earlier to put out fire, police could arrive earlier in the crime scene, etc.

i.e.: the bicycle and pedestrian GPS information of 'slow down' will not be processed with the cars, busses or even trucks.

Otherwise, the medium to high speed road user will wonder, why on earth the traffic in front of me say 'slow down' while the drive could see that there is not a single vehicle on the road (which turned out that there is a large group of joggers on the road side using pedestrian GPS for their jogging route)

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