A generic framework for developing map-based mobile application

The development of location based services (LBS) applications specifically on mobile devices requires research into various fields of studies which include cartography, map visualization techniques, mobile graphic engine and wireless network support. Mobile devices however pose limitations such as small screen size, low resolution, limited memory and processing power for map display and navigation. In this study, a generic framework which serves as a guide for developing map-based mobile applications has been proposed. It takes into consideration the constraints of mobile devices and discusses methods to overcome the problems which include visualization techniques, Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) and TinyLine SVG, mobile cartography concepts. A prototype application for finding point of interest in a university campus was developed using the framework as a guide. This application is intended for use on mobile devices equipped with Java and Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) supports. Generalisation technique has been adapted in map display to avoid cluttering, while the concept of mobile cartography such as colour, symbol, and context was applied in map generation. This study explores the potential of SVG and TinyLine SVG for image display in mobile devices. The application prototype was developed using Java 2 Mobile Edition (J2ME) package, TinyLine SVG software development kit, Servlet technology and MySQL database management system.