GiSTEQ Guardian Real-time GPS Tracker – Part 4

The last part of the Real-time tracker project involves building a website (actually 2 – one mobile phone browser version, one desktop browser version) for user to track their device without installing any client software.

After I coded the native PHP interface for accessing the central database (user login, location history…) and the PHP communication API for the trackers, we hired two additional programmers to code the website from my design.

Screenshots

Technical Features

  • Developed a native PHP interface to communicate with the Webservice API via HTTP sockets
  • Created a PHP interface to communication directly with the GPS tracker hardware via HTTP sockets.  It abstracts the complex native hardware commands and turns it into simple function calls for other programmers
  • Coded a PHP implementation of the Douglas-Peucker recursive line simplification algorithm for location history retrieval,  reduces web server loading and traffic, while maintaining the over-all representation of the GPS route

GiSTEQ Guardian Real-time GPS Tracker – Part 2

Part 2 of Real-time tracker project is to build a PC tracking client application and a central Web Server application to handle user login credential and location histories.

Due to schedule concerns, after I have designed the Web Service interface and functional requirement, we have outsourced the web server application part to an outside programmer.  Meanwhile, I was designing and coding the PC tracking application.

Screenshots

Technical Features

  • Created a step-by-step setup wizard to help user create their online accounts, setup the tracker, and start using the applications
  • PC clients is capable of communicating with the GPS tracker via either GPRS or USB connection
  • Designed a synchronization mechanism to synchronize tracker location history between the location server and local databases
  • Integrated Google Map API for tracker location display

GiSTEQ Guardian Real-time GPS Tracker – Part 1

GiSTEQ Guardian is a real time location tracking solution.  It contains several components:

  • A GSM-enabled GPS tracker
  • A location storage and communication gateway server
  • A tracking website for desktop browsers
  • A tracking website for mobile phones
  • A set of text message (SMS) commands to control the GPS tracker
  • A Windows Mobile Phone tracking client
  • A desktop tracking client application.

The first part of the project is to build the API for accessing and setup the GPS tracker hardware via USB port

Screen Shots

Application Settings

PC Setup Wizard Features

  • Supports multiple GPS tracking device; auto detects which device is being setup and starts the appropriate process
  • Converts hardware settings commands into easy-navigate user interfaces
  • Flexible construction by using reflection, polymorphism, and inheritance techniques

Phototrackr Pro Upgrade Project

Due to popular demand by professional photographers, the Phototrackr software needs to support RAW image formats.  Because of the additional licensing requirement, the RAW image format support is packaged as an upgrade purchase for Phototrackr customers.

Technical Features

  • Receives notifications via Paypal’s Instant Payment Notification (IPN)
  • If the payment status is verified, an activation code is generated and emailed to the customer
  • Email notification will be sent to company administrator when a new purchase has been made
  • Customer will be able to use the activation code to activate the RAW image support features via the product activation application (coded in C# with ASP.Net WebService backend)