Implementation of an Android Application for Location Tracking
and Conferencing
1
Prajakta.N.Pande,
2Prof.Amit Welekar
2Head of the Department, Information Technology, TGPCET, Maharashtra, India
ABSTRACT
Android applications are increasingly gaining popularity these days because of the simplicity of its use. An Android application can be used for both personal use or in the business. This paper introduces an Android based application for location tracking and conferencing which can be used by employees working on site, outside office. A discussion on how location tracking can be useful in a variety of ways is made. A comparison of proposed system is made with present system, also the actual implementation of this application is discussed. Lastly a discussion on how this app can be enhanced further is made.
Index Terms: Android, Location Tracking, Conferencing.
1. INTRODUCTION
A Smart Phone is the one that has a vast range of applications (built-in) and supports plenty more from the external apps markets. These apps allow the user to do almost everything that previously required a Desktop PC or a laptop. People can now, with the use of a Smart Phone, stay connected all the time, communicate and collaborate over work in real-time without any lag, conduct meetings, prepare reports and share them with anyone anywhere in the world, and also stay connected with friends, family and communities on various social networks. And all this can be done without being confined in front of your PC; it doesn’t really matter where you are.
A mobile app is a software application developed specifically for use on small, wireless computing devices, such as smartphones and tablets, rather than desktop or laptop computers.
Android is a Linux-based operating system for smartphones and tablets. Android includes a touch screen user interface with other features that enable a cell phone to be called a smartphone. This is a platform that supports various applications, available through the Android Stores. This platform allows end users to develop their own apps, can install and use their own applications on top of the Android framework.
Android mobile phones are easily available now at a reasonable cost and can be used for a wide variety of purpose.
This paper aims to propose an Android based application that can be used for location tracking and communicating. This application will be used to track current location of employees. The location of all the other employees will be known to each employee which will help him in case of emergency. This application aims to provide services to employee such as location tracking as stated above along with communication. The communication takes place with the help of video co
Location tracking refers to finding the location of an object either stationary or moving. Some of tracking systems require special hardware devices to be installed for example in some of vehicle tracking and asset tracking systems, but however this can also be achieved by mobile positioning. Mobile positioning, which is a Location-based service that can provide with the actual coordinates of a mobile phone user. This is a technology used by telecommunication companies to find the location of a mobile phone user.
A video conferencing is a technology that allows users in different locations to hold face-to-face communication without having to move to a single location.
Video conferencing's main advantage over teleconferencing is that users can see each other, which allows them to develop stronger relationships & solve problems. When a video conference is held for informal purposes, it is called a video call or video chat.
2. A REVIEW OF EXISTING SYSTEM
Location tracking system can be used in a variety of situations. The location tracking can be used to track a child or aged. It can be used to locate family or friends, to find nearby places, to control mobile workforce etc. Public transport networks (PTNs) are difficult to use when the user is unfamiliar with the area they are traveling to. In these situations, adequate on-trip navigation information can substantially ease the use of public transportation and be the driving factor in motivating travelers to prefer it over other modes of transportation. However, estimating the localization of a user is critical for providing relevant information. Relevant design issues for a modular cost-efficient user friendly on-trip Navigation service that uses position sensors are accessed [1]. By helping travelers move from single-occupancy vehicles to public transportation systems, communities can reduce traffic congestion as well as its environmental impact. This will increase the satisfaction of current public transportation users and help motivate more people to ride. In the tracking
system developed by [2] the location tracking is used to find location of vehicle that has been stolen and using a remote some signals can be sent to inbuilt hardware within the system to automatically stop the car. Vehicle tracking and locking system is installed in the vehicle, to track the place and locking engine motor. The place of the vehicle is identified using Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global system mobile communication (GSM). These systems constantly watch a moving Vehicle and report the status on demand. When the theft is identified, the responsible person send SMS to the microcontroller, the microcontroller issue the control signals to stop the engine mot or. Authorized person need to send the password to controller to restart the vehicle. In the system proposed in Android location based services [3] the implementation of location based services through Google Web Services and Walk Score Transit APIs on Android Phones to give multiple services to the user based on their location.
There have been various location tracking and business usage apps but very few focus upon the benefit to employees. These application provide facility to employers to track their employees but very few provide feature of employees tracking each other. Although in some cases employee can track each other they can do only textual conversation. The proposed system will allow employees to know each other’s location along with a video chat. Visual aids are obviously better means of conveying information as compared to textual data. So an employee can use video conferencing with another. Employee to take help on his project.
For example there are certain apps such that if somebody needs help on a project he may send a message to his team and attach a picture or any location if needed. Looking for help while away from the office an employee may see who’s available and located closest to his worksite to get the required help.
This application allow sharing of location amongst the employees and communication using text messages. This has no facility for an administrator to track his employee’s.
Also there are application which allows employers to easily track employees, drivers, sales force, etc. from any web enabled device. It provides a way to stay connected with his team and see where they are in real time. Every employee to be tracked will install the app on their mobile, register and accept the Terms and Conditions. An access to web portal will be provided where admin will be able to check the current location of their work force. The app also has a SEND LOCATION button that allows the user to check in at their current location. Simple and easy way to confirm a pickup or delivery.
Consider an example of iSpot4u. iSpot4u platform is designed & developed by AppBell Technologies Pvt
improving Efficiency & Effectiveness of various business processes in addition to improve security aspects by Timely Communication.
Location Tracking: Gives real time location information Image Tracking: Captures pictures using front & back camera and makes it available on portal in real time manner
Speed Tracking: Tracks speed
Distance Tracking: Tracks distance covered for a trip Inquiry Capture & Reporting: Captures inquiries from field and reports it in real time manner
Communication: Business chat application to
communicate with various business participants
Visit Reporting: Captures and reports visits by employee to customer location
SOS/Emergency: Reports emergency situation with location information & photos
Transportation Logistics: Rich Android application to handle pickup/drop. Many such examples can be cited.
3. PROPOSED SYSTEM
The proposed system is an android based application that will provide a location based service of location tracking. Location tracking refers to attaining of the current position of a object stationary or moving. This application will allow employees working on field to locate and track the other employee located nearby so that they can take help of each other when in problem. The location of the employee will also be known to the administrator. The employee be able to find location of nearby employee.
The employee will also be allowed to do a video chat with the other employee or with the administrator directly.
The video chat is a fantastic tool under the right circumstances. Communication through a visual medium is often clearer than communication only through text or audio. The server will maintain relevant data of employee and video chat will happen using the internet. The following figure shows the sequence of steps carried out while using this application and the kind of request and response provided. This deals with the users employee and admin respectively.
Figure 1: Overview of the system.
4. IMPLEMENTATION
The proposed system is implemented using Eclipse IDE. This is a client server system where the server is implemented in NetBeans.The data from client mobile to the server goes in JSON format.
This application uses various classes and methods from Location Manager class which was used to implement location tracking system. The video conferencing here is based on Web RTC.Here follow the screen shots showing the actual implementation.
Here follow the screen shots showing the actual implementation.
Step 1: A screen with two buttons labeled employee and admin. Here each individual will have a unique id and password. The Admin as well as all the employee will only be able to log in with their unique id which will already be registered in the system. If an employee tries to login as a admin he will not be given access.
Figure 2: Select designation
Step 2: If Admin is chosen he will login with his id and password or an employee will login with his id and password respectively.
Consider for example that two employee login into the system both at different locations.
Figure 3: Login Screen
Step 3: The person who logged in will be shown his address at the current location, this will help him see his exact location. After this the person click next button.
Figure 4:Address of user
Step 4:The logged in user click on GET MY LOCATION which will capture his actual latitude and longitude and send it to server. This will also be an intimation that he has reached destination and this location will also be seen by others upon clicking on online user.
Here two users have currently logged in therefore user 1 will see user2 and user 2 will see user 1 in the list of online users.
Figure 5: Screen for user 1(eg: Rahul)
The following figure shows screen for user2 .This is because we are assuming that only two employees have currently logged in.
Figure 6:Screen for User 2(eg:Ramesh)
Location Manager class provides access to the system location services. These services allow applications to obtain periodic updates of the device's geographical location, or to fire an application-specified Intent when the device enters the proximity of a given geographical location.
This class is not instantiated directly; instead, retrieve through
Context.getSystemService (Context.LOCATION_SERVICE) The Location object represents a geographic location which can consist of a latitude, longitude. The functions getlatitude ( ) and getlongitude ( ) are used to find the latitude and the longitude.
Once we have Location object, we can
use Geocoder.getFromLocation () method to get an address for a given latitude and longitude.
Step 5: Now if admin login he will be assured that his employee has reached destination where here was asked to go .This is because he has also logged in into system. Since he has also logged in he will be seen in the list of online users by rest of the employees. If an employee faces a difficulty in his project he may choose to setup a video call with either the admin or some other employee.
Step 6: A receiver has a option to either receive a call in which case the caller will be informed that receiver is online or else the call can be aborted by the receiver. In this case employee may call another employee.
The following screens show both the situations.
Figure 7 : Can receiver receive call If he answers no call is aborted.
Figure 7:Call aborted
Step 7: A video call is set up between the employee and another employee. By default the front camera of the mobile will be on. The employee facing difficulty may directly show his hardware or machine parts to another
employee for which he may choose to switch to back camera. Now because another employee can directly see the object on which the employee need help it will be easy for him to solve the problem or help. Also because chatting is happening simultaneously the employee in difficulty will also be able to better understand the solution.
Figure 8:Video Conferencing
5. CONCLUSION
This proposed system is an attempt to help the employee facing difficulty in his work by integrating video conferencing which allow communication between two people at distant locations. Because the location of employee is known by all other employees the employee in need sometimes may choose to interact with person nearest to him. The location information is also useful for the admin.In future a feature can be added to this application that will allow the employee to search for nearby places.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my research supervisor, Prof.Mr.Amit. Welekar, Head, Department of Information Technology , Tulsiramji Gaikwad Patil College of Engineering and Technology, for his invaluable guidance throughout this research. His dynamism, vision, sincerity and motivation have deeply inspired me. He has taught me the methodology to carry out the research and to present the research works as clearly as possible. It was a great privilege and honor to work and study under his guidance. I am extremely grateful for what he has offered me.
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Ms.Prajakta.Pande has completed MCA from Nagpur University. She has published 5 papers in international journal and presented 2 papers in International Conference.
Prof.Mr.Amit Welekar is Head of Department Information Technology in TGPCET, Nagpur. He has completed M.Tech in Wireless Communication and currently pursuing Ph.D. He has attended 11 International Conference and his 6 papers are published in International Journals.