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 Patents

There have been many previous applications of pedestrian mapping and escort systems used on college campuses. One such application patented the Wireless Virtual Campus Escort System [15] was designed by Mark D. Laird and Michael Glier, uses a mobile device such as a mobile phone and a web interface to follow a set of rules and direct the user of the program to their destination. This application uses positioning systems such as the global positioning system, hereafter referred to as GPS, and the Wide Area Augmentation System, hereafter referred to as WAAS, to find the users position and direct them to the safest and quickest route from a starting point to a destination point. This application sends and receives signals to and from the mobile handset and satellites to correct the position and path of the user. This application also can detect changes that would affect the current path such as dangerous weather, attack threats and health issues by monitoring the emergency call.  Another such application patented Pedestrian Mapping System was created by Arup Banerjee [16] uses a GPS system to direct a path for pedestrians using any device with a wireless internet network. The server generates the directional path for the pedestrian to use while finding the quickest route using public transportation, biking, walking, or driving. This application also uses routes that can go through a building or landmark rather than travel around it. Both of these inventions are optimized for use on college campuses.

IV. Similar Mobile Applications

The University of Oregon [11] uses a similar app, only as an iPhone app, to help their students find their way around campus. The app is designed to help new students navigate their way through the campus during the university’s Week of Welcome Orientation. Over the last 20 years, their InfoGraphics Lab gradually built its database with geographic information about the school to help fulfill the university’s operational needs (such as showing maintenance crews where the circuit breakers are located) and populate its digital maps with features. In 2007, the lab decided to create an interactive web map of the campus to help new students and faculty members familiarize themselves with their new environment. This specific school does not use Microsoft or Google maps but customized their own map. They used their data collection, including aerial photos of the campus, from the past few decades and created their map. The free app plays a major role in the university’s Week of Welcome. The app helps the students find their dorms, bookstores, registration events, and classrooms. The developers used the iPhone GPS to give walking directions to find all the buildings on campus, which they called the “Walk Me” feature of the app. This feature displays the start/end positions on the map and estimated walking time.

The University of Colorado [13] also uses a similar app, as iPhone and Android app, but provides so much more. This school offers their entire website as an app. The CU Denver mobile app includes the following:

·      Interactive map of the campus

·      Downtown Denver weather updates

·      Campus news, events, updates and safety alerts

·      Contact directory for academic and student service offices

·      Checklists for new students, financial aid applications, graduation procedures

·      Social media such as Twitter feeds, YouTube videos, and student polls

·      Info on Admissions, campus resources, student policies, tuition and funding, and registration

·      Quick links to webmail and Blackboard

This app can be used all year and by all students. The CU Denver mobile app access fine location sources such as the Global Positioning System on the device, where available.

The University of Connecticut [12] uses a similar concept but is not an actual app. The university simply linked everything together with different websites. If you have any device that can get an internet connection you can access the campus map. The university uses Google maps for both their desktop and mobile version. The difference with this school is that you can search for buildings by the code, name, department, or category (arts/culture, food/cafes, residence halls). It also shows photos and descriptions of the building so you know exactly what you are looking for and know when you have arrived. The school also provides detailed driving directions in case you want to use your own GPS. If you are driving the website will provide details information on public parking for popular facilities.

Penn State [14] also uses the same concept as the University of Connecticut, not an actual app but a website with everything linked together. However, Penn State provides a little more information. The school uses Google maps with custom code to show icons for buildings with available computers. Using the mobile app, balloon markers for the buildings will be shown in green, yellow, and red depending on the percentage of open computers. Mobile text pages are available so you may select a campus, then building and room will show room details, and it will show who utilizes that room along with their contact information. The website will show when the room is scheduled to be used, whether it is for a class or a meeting.

             Google Maps

a.     Goal

Explore how to modify the source maps with the extra information/map objects that are required by the project. So far, Google Map Maker [10] is a Google-supplied tool that seems like the best way to add map objects."

b.     Google Map Maker

Google Map Maker allows you to add and update geographic information for Google Maps and Google Earth. Updates will be reviewed and once approved, will be incorporated into maps.google.com. For the purposes of the project, it can improve the definition of our focus map area. In essence, adding sidewalks, specifying building names and other map objects.

Map Maker's review process is based on other users approving an edit. The first time a Map Maker user makes edits to a map, the edits may require review and approval before the edits will be published. Once a Map Maker user has made a few approved edits, most of the subsequent edits will go live automatically. However, some types of edits or edits in specific regions will always require review, regardless of how experienced the mapper is. In addition, some edits may require multiple reviews before the edits appear on Google Maps.

c.     Google Base Map Partner Program

This is a map-enriching avenue that Google runs with data from organizations that have “authoritative vector data”. Vector data means GIS software modified maps (such as from ESRI GeoDatabase). This seems to be more of an option for a full-fledged mapping company that have the resources to substantially improve the “base” map that google uses. For the purposes of the project (or rather because of the limited map score), this option for incorporating the changes might be overkill.