Trimble and Rosum today announced that they have signed a technology development and licensing agreement to combine Trimble’s Global Positioning System technology and Rosum’s television-based positioning technology (RPT). The combination is expected to provide a universal solution for indoor and outdoor positioning
Rosum technology uses high-power, high-bandwidth signals broadcast by analog or digital television stations instead of signals from the GPS satellites to determine position. Not only do these television signals already cover urban areas, they also penetrate deep into buildings and structures. These characteristics, combined with the global coverage of GPS, are expected to provide a truly universal and reliable method of determining location.
“In terms of overall coverage, broadcast television is an ideal complement to GPS,” said William Dussell, director of integrated products for Trimble’s Component Technologies Division. “For instance, broadcast television signals are concentrated in urban areas and can easily penetrate buildings. Conversely, the global coverage of GPS becomes critical when broadcast television signals become less dense and weaker beyond metropolitan areas. The technologies are an ideal combination for reliable positioning.”
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