Automatic vehicle location systems: a tool for computer aided dispatch systems of the future

The evolution of the system design from the user perspective is presented, and the conditions that led to the need for vehicle location are examined. The operational expectation is compared with the attainable technical performance of such systems. The components of the system (location equipment, data transfer equipment, the display equipment, and the main processing unit), as they pertain to the Toronto pilot system, are reviewed. The various data-gathering methods are described, as are the original attempts to find a technology compatible with the local environment. The prospect of integrating the computer-aided dispatch system with the automatic vehicle location system to increase effectiveness of the dispatch center is discussed, with the need to maintain, in a dynamic manner, an updated mapping database. The error sources inherent in such systems are analyzed and ways to minimize them, where possible, are proposed.<>