"Copenhagen Airport Upgrades GPS Capability"

Monday, November 15, 2004

Copenhagen Airport Upgrades GPS Capability
Satellite News


The ever-growing need to track assets for safety and security reasons has
led the Copenhagen Airport in Denmark to upgrade the Global Positioning
System (GPS) technology it uses. 

Copenhagen Airport is among the large number of organizations around the
world that have been reviewing internal processes and procedures to reduce
risks that could lead to costly insurance claims. A project was initiated in
2003 to track assets within the Copenhagen Airport's perimeter. These assets
include general maintenance vehicles, tractor units and snow-clearance
convoys that need to be tracked 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The moving
vehicles need to be monitored in all areas of the airport to prevent
accidents, theft and security breaches. 

Copenhagen Airport already had a mobile communication system operating
within its perimeter but it had trouble with the tracking accuracy in areas
of the airport the GPS signal could not reach. Examples of the gaps in
coverage included underground parking lots and roadways adjacent to
buildings that had fixed pedestrian bridges. The airport needed a system
that would fit existing infrastructure and provide tracking accuracy in
clear skies of five meters, and better than 25 meters in areas where the
ability to receive GPS signals was greatly impaired. 

The beneficiary of the contract to assist the airport is U.K.-based Chronos
Technology Ltd., a GPS-technology company based in Lydbrook,
Gloucestershire. Chronos, in conjunction with a partner, is providing the
enhanced technology to the airport that will feature what its officials
describe as a "revolutionary" new GPS service capable of tracking assets at
extremely low signal strengths. 

"Most major airports use GPS technology to help track vehicular and other
assets," said Chris Roberts, European business development manager at
Chronos. 

Airport officials tested commercially available GPS solutions but none of
them had the tracking accuracy required for the project, Chronos said.
However, Chronos demonstrated a new high sensitivity GPS receiver that
proved to be the answer. The Chronos technology also monitors the status of
other devices found on airport vehicles. For example, the system provides
information about when a runway has been cleared, and not just whether the
vehicles performing that task followed their pre-planned cleaning route. 

The Chronos GPS sensor uses receiver architecture that facilitates
communication of information with GPS satellites at extremely low signal
strengths. As a result, service can be used in harsh urban canyon
environments that include dense foliage or buildings. As a result, the GPS
sensor reportedly is able to provide continuous asset- tracking when a
vehicle moves to a garage or another location that lacks a clear view of the
sky. 

(Chris Roberts, Chronos Technology Ltd., 011 44 1594 862238) 

Chronos At A Glance: 

Strategic Focus: The Chronos Technology Group is a provider of and system
integrator of technical solutions for telecommunications networks, satellite
communications, remote-monitoring applications, line-of-site radio, wireless
components for RF equipment designers, and Wi-Fi hotspot hardware and
networks. 

Address: Stowfield House, Upper Stowfield, Lydbrook, Gloucestershire GL17
9PD UK

Telephone: 011 44 (0) 1594 862 227 

Fax: 011 44 (0) 1594 862211 

Web site: www.chronos-group.com


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