International IT Conferences in Toronto on October 14-16, 2003 NAC Geographic Products Inc. A...

International IT Conferences in Toronto on October 14-16, 2003 NAC Geographic Products Inc.

A Revolution in Location Based Services

Xinhang Shen

NAC Geographic Products Inc.

www.nacgeo.com


NAC: 8KDC PGFC


CURRENT PROBLEMS


Geographic Coordinates

Current geographic coordinates such as longitude/latitude and UTM

They require long character strings to represent locations that are nearly useless to consumers

They are defined on different geodetic datums that introduces huge amount of work in datum conversion

They have many writing conventions and units such as decimal degrees, degrees/minutes/seconds, kilometers, meters, feet, etc that add more complexities in parsing and converting the coordinates


Geographic Area Codes

Currently, there are no universal area codes for all areas in the world. People have to use various non-standard and inefficient ways to specify areas such as:

Names of places: countries, provinces/states, cities, etc that are language dependent and incomplete

Postal codes and telephone service area codes that have different formats and do not cover all areas

Map sheet numbers such as Canadian National Topographic System (NTS) map sheet numbers that are defined only in some countries.


Addresses

Current addresses in the world are

Language dependent: written in hundreds of different languages

Defined differently: different elements and different writing conventions

Inefficient: consisting of long strings of characters of different languages

Irrelevant to geographic coordinates


Postal Codes

Current postal codes used in the world have many problems too.

They are different in different countries

They are facing shortages in assigning new codes

They are getting chaotic in spatial distribution

They are not assigned to individual addresses

They need to be maintained


Map Grids

Current maps use many different map grids: longitude/latitude, UTM and locally defined grids.

The grid coordinates of these grids are difficult to be connected

Locally defined grids on many street maps generate grid coordinates meaningless outside of their maps.

Consumers can’t directly pinpoint addresses on these grids


GPS ReceiversGPS receivers can instantly tell its accurate location anywhere in the world. However, the representation of the location is a big problem

Using street addresses to represent locations needs a huge address database which is always outdated and incomplete, and street addresses are not available in most locations and also very long language dependent character strings.

Although geographic coordinates cover all locations, they are always too long to read, remember and communicate

Using maps to display locations makes GPS receivers large, heavy, short battery life, expensive and complicated. It is still difficult to communicate the location information.


GIS and Mapping

Because of the lack of efficient universal area codes, GIS and mapping software have to use geographic coordinates to specify an area and retrieve its map for a randomly given area, which needs four long decimal geographic coordinates that:

Take long time to input

Are very difficult to remember and communicate


Huge Gaps

The most serious problem is that there are huge gaps between location representations such as:

Street addresses and geographic coordinates

Street addresses and map grids

Place names and geographic coordinates

Postal codes and geographic coordinates

Street address and postal codes


THE NATURAL AREA CODING SYSTEM


Objective

The objective of the new geodetic system is to standardize, optimize and unify

Geodetic datums

Geographic coordinates

Geographic area codes

Map grids

Addresses

Postal codes


Approaches

To reach the objective, the following approaches are taken:

Unifying the concepts of geographic areas and geographic locations because any point can be represented by a small area

Using more characters (the 30 most popular characters in the world) instead of digits to compress the representation

0123456789BCDFGHJKLMNPQRSTVWXZ

Introducing a standard, highly efficient, flexible and unified representation for both an area and a location


DefinitionThe Natural Area Coding System is defined by a series of grids called NAC Grids to divide the world:

Level 1 Grid: divide the world into 30 divisions in both longitude and latitude directions.

Level 2 Grid: divide each cell on Level 1 Grid into 30 divisions in both directions.

Level n Grid: divide each cell on Level n-1 Grid into 30 divisions in both directions, where n = 2, 3, ....

Each division is assigned a NAC character accordingly.


Representation – Simple NAC

A Natural Area Code (NAC) is written in a strict format that starts with: “NAC: ” followed by two character strings representing longitude and latitude respectively separated by a blank space, e.g.

NAC: 8CNB Q7Z4

Where:

8 and Q represent Level 1 NAC Grid coordinatesC and 7 represent Level 2 NAC Grid coordinatesN and Z represent Level 3 NAC Grid coordinatesB and 4 represent Level 4 NAC Grid coordinates


Representation – Complex NAC

A series of neighboring NACs forming a rectangular area on a NAC Grid can be written as a complex NAC.

NAC: 8CNB Q7Z4 8CNB Q7Z4 8CNC Q7Z4 + NAC: 8CNC Q7Z4 + NAC: 8CNB Q7Z5 8CNB Q7Z5 8CNC Q7Z5 + NAC: 8CNC Q7Z5 = NAC: 8CNB-C Q7Z4-5 8CNB-C Q7Z4-5

With complex NACs, any randomly given area can be represented by a NAC


NAC Cell Sizes

Each simple NAC represents a NAC cell in the world with an area approximately equal to:

LEVEL Sample NAC AREA

1 NAC: 8 Q 1000x700 km

2 NAC: 8C Q8 33x23 km

3 NAC: 8CN Q8Z 1.1x0.8 km

4 NAC: 8CNB Q8Z4 35x25 m

5 NAC: 8CNBD Q8Z4H 1.2x0.8 m


Efficiency in Representing Points

A NAC can be used to represent any point location on the earth to save about 50% of characters compared with other geographic coordinates, and tells not only the location but also the resolution of the representation.

The following represent the same location with the same resolution:

NAC: 02CK7 7SPJJ

Latitude South 43.05632, Longitude West 179.04567


Efficiency in Representing Areas

A NAC can be used to represent any area on the earth to save about 90% of characters compared with other geographic coordinates.

The following represent the same area:

NAC: 8G PW

An area centered at Longitude West 78.2 degrees and Latitude North 41.5 degrees with a span of 24 minutes in easting and 12 minutes in northing


APPLICATIONS


Universal AddressAn eight or ten character NAC representing an area about 25x35 meters or 0.8x1.2 meters anywhere in the world is called a Universal Address that can specify uniquely in the world:

Each buildingEach house Our addressEach gate/doorEach parking meter 1608-45 Huntingdale Blvd.Each fire hydrant Toronto, ON M1W 2N8Each sewage exit CanadaEach tree NAC: 8CNB Q8Z4Each street lightEach bus stop Our Universal Address


Universal Address (cont’d)

Compared with traditional addresses, the Universal Address has many advantages:

Standard in the entire worldLanguage independentDefined everywhereEasy to display, read, remember and communicateFit small spaces of business cards, yellow pages, etcPinpointed on all maps with Universal Map GridsNavigated with GPS receiversMake emergency services faster and more reliableAs Global Postal Code to sort both domestic and international mail to final mailboxes automatically


Business Cards

The Universal Address can perfectly fit the limited space of a business card as part of an address to help people to reach the location more efficiently:

Get direction and distance from street signsPinpoint the location on mapsNavigate to the location with GPS receiversSpecify the location on location based services quickly

NAC Geographic Products Inc.http://www.nacgeo.com

Xinhang Shen, Ph.D.President & CEO

1608-45 Hintingdale Blvd. Tel: (416) 496 6110Toronto, ON M1W 2N8 Fax: (416) 496 9241Canada NAC: 8CNB Q8Z4 [email protected]

Universal Address


GPS Watch

Displaying Universal Addresses instead of geographic coordinates on a GPS watch can eliminate the need of maps and retain the real advantages of a watch: small, light, long battery life, low cost and easy to use.

Widely using GPS watches will start a new era for using accurate spatial information just like accurate time.

People will use Universal Addresses to record the accurate locations of accidents, crimes, discoveries, events, emergency needs, campsites, fishing spots, etc.


GPS Watch (cont’d)


GPS Cellphone

Manufacturers are shy to display geographic coordinates on a cellphone even if it has a GPS inside because they are useless to consumers.

This will be changed by Universal Address because they are directly related to addresses, postal codes, street signs, maps, yellow pages, etc.

Displaying Universal Addresses on cellphones will turn cellphones into powerful navigation tools.


Universal Map GridsStreet maps use locally defined grids because accurate geographic grids based on UTM or longitude/latitude will produce long coordinates that are difficult for consumers to use.

NAC Grids called Universal Map Grids has solved the problem. They can be applied on all kinds of maps and the grid coordinates are short Natural Area Codes.

Universal Addresses can be directly pinpointed on all maps with NAC Grids. The location information on these maps are directly connected.






Phone Books

Universal Addresses can be easily listed with telephone numbers on telephone books so that people can:

Directly pinpoint the locations on all mapsNavigate to the locations with GPS receiversEfficiently use all location based servicesConveniently use all other GIS applications


Driving Directions Services

Using Universal Addresses instead of street addresses to specify locations can

Reduce 80% of input keys

Avoid inputting foreign characters

Eliminate errors of address databases

Extend the services to all locations

It can also make a multi-page interface for driving directions on a cellphone fit into a single page.


Retrieving Maps

Using Natural Area Codes instead of longitude/latitude coordinates to retrieve maps on GIS and map servers can save 80% of input keys and also make the map codes much easier to remember and communicate.

Bottom left corner longitude -79.6417 degrees

Bottom left corner latitude 43.5167 degrees

Top right corner longitude -79.1917 degrees

Top right corner latitude 43.8167 degrees

Get Map

NAC: 8C Q8

Get Map


Location Based Search Using Natural Area Codes instead of street addresses to specify a searching area can save 90% of input keys and make the searching available on all areas no matter whether there are addresses or not.

Type Restaurant

Street 45 Huntingdale Blvd.

City Toronto

State Ontario

ZIP M1W 2N8

Country Canada

Range 1 KM

Search

Type Restaurant

NAC: 8CB Q8Z

Search


Global Postal Codes

Universal Addresses can be used as Global Postal Codes for all countries to sort both domestic and international mail to final mailboxes automatically with many advantages:

Defined at all addresses and locations in the worldNever used upNo need to be assigned and maintainedSelf-error detectionPolitical neutralMultiple uses


Global Postal Code on Mail

Global Postal Code


Street SignsUniversal Addresses can be marked on all street signs and highway sections so that people can

Directly estimate the distance and direction from the current street sign to any destination by comparing the two Universal Addresses

Record accurate locations for accidents, events, parking locations, etc


Universal Property Identifier

Universal Addresses can be used as Universal Property Identifiers with many advantages such as:

Valid in the entire worldNever used up and always well alignedRepresenting accurate locationSaving space in storing geographic coordinatesEfficient for communication


Emergency ServicesUsing Universal Addresses instead of street addresses in dispatching and communicating location information can significantly enhance emergency services and make them faster and more reliable because they:

Can be directly pinpointed on all maps.Can be efficiently input and displayed on all devicesAre easy to remember and communicate


SUMMARY


Accomplishments

The Natural Area Coding System has unified

geographic coordinates

geographic area codes

map grids

Addresses

postal codes

property identifiers

It makes all location related products, services and technologies highly efficient and closely related.


A Universal Address is a highly efficient and unified representation of an address, postal code, area code, map grid coordinates and geographic coordinates.

As Global Postal Codes to sort all mail from world level to final mailboxes

Listed on telephone books to enhance location information

As Universal Property Identifiers to unify identifiers and coordinates

As part of an address perfectly fit a business card

Displayed instead of meaningless longitude and latitude on GPS watches and cellphones to turn them into time-spatial clocks and navigation tools

They can be directly pinpointed on all kinds of maps in any scales and projections

To specify locations on any LBS to reduce 80% input keys, avoid inputting foreign characters, eliminate errors from address databases and extend services to all locations with and without addresses.

Marked on street signs to help travelers determine the distance and direction of any destination


Profundities

The Natural Area Coding System

Has first made accurate geographic coordinates to be useful information for consumers

Connects and simplifies the information on mail, business cards, yellow pages, maps, GPS, GIS, location based services and street signs

Starts a new era for using accurate universal digital addresses in the world


Industry ReadinessThe Natural Area Coding System has been deployed and implemented in:

Somaliland as property identifiers, addresses and postal codes

Online Universal Address lookup (www.TravelGIS.com/geocode/) providing Universal Addresses for 18 countries

Online driving directions (www.TravelGIS.com/directions/) providing turn-by-turn driving directions for 26 countries

Wireless LBS (http://mlbs.net/) providing driving directions, maps and location based business searching for 26 countries

Online map service (www.TravelGIS.com/webgis/)


Quotations from the Globe and Mail“The Holy Grail in terms of addresses is a simple system that will work in all countries.” – Tim Evangelatos, Strategic Technologies and Policy Advisor for GeoConnections at Natural Resources Canada

“This is an elegant solution that seems to supply something that is becoming necessary as the world becomes more globalized,” – Matt Ball, Editor of GwoWorld magazine. “It’s only a matter of time before something like this will be implemented.”


Thank you!

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