ADAS

Advanced driver assistance systems are car systems designed to help the driver whilst driving and are intended to increase car safety and more generally road safety.

Adoption rate

Referring to in-car navigation, the adoption rate of navigation is measured as the percentage of cars sold that offer a factory-installed navigation system either as a standard or as an option. See also take-rate.

Aftermarket

An embedded navigation solution which is installed by a car dealer rather than the car manufacturer but typically has a lower level of integration with the car's systems.

ASN

Assisted satellite navigation This is a software feature in a navigation system that simulates and calculates the car movement in case the satellite signal is lost. In more advanced systems, a gyroscope is providing input data for ASN (see GyroGPS). Also known as dead-reckoning feature.

Dynamic navigation

Dynamic navigation is the result of combining a navigation system with a real time traffic information service. This enables the navigation system to recalculate and adjust its route planning taking into account real time traffic flow, including accident and roadwork alerts. As a result, the route planning becomes dynamic and calculates the fastest route of that instance, not only the shortest (see also HD Traffic).

E911

E911 stands for Enhanced 911 and is a US mandate to ensure that mobile handsets can be located in an emergency situation. This mandatory situation is also expected to drive development of commercial location based services. By 2006, 95% of all US mobile subscribers must own a handset with automatic location identification (ALI). The European counterpart is E112, which however is not mandatory, but is based on a "best efforts" recommendation.

Embedded navigation

See in-dash navigation

Galileo

Galileo is the name of a satellite positioning system currently under development by the European Union. The principle is exactly the same as with the current GPS (see GPS), apart from the fact that it will be operated by Europe and not by the USA.

GIS

Geographic information systems capture, store, analyse, manage, and present data that are linked to location. GIS is the merger of cartography, statistical analysis, and database technology.

GyroGPS

Hardware component based on a gyroscope that senses motion changes of the vehicle, such as acceleration, braking, and sharp turns. Information gathered with the gyroscope enhances the accuracy of the GPS locator and can help temporarily replacing the GPS receiver's signal in case reception is subdued by tunnels or tall buildings ("urban canyons").

GPS

Global Positioning System. The Navstar GPS system has been operating since 1973 and is a global system that uses a constellation of 24 satellites operating in 6 orbits at approx. 18,000km above the earth. A navigation device receives the GPS signals (via a GPS chip) and can calculate the exact location of the receiver. The GPS receiver does this by computing the distance of at least four individual satellites by measuring the time it takes for each signal to arrive. This results in latitude, longitude and a height position. The distance is calculated by multiplying the signal duration by the speed of light, and the position is determined by signals from three or more satellites used to perform triangulation calculations. Typical GPS receivers use the signal of up to 12 satellites. Since May 2000, the US government stopped scrambling the satellite signals (previously for military reasons) and as a result the signal became much more accurate (locating is possible on sub-five meter accuracy).

HD Traffic

HD Traffic technology uses raw, anonymous GSM signaling data, showing the movement of mobile phones in cars. This data is merged with existing traffic sources and that of pther PNDs and sent to the users in real time. Using the service, the drivers are able to avoid traffic jams and receive more accurate travel and arrival times.

In-dash navigation

A navigation solution that is built into the car dashboard by the car manufacturer. Levels of integration with the car systems vary.

IQ Routes

TomTom's IQ Routes technology is based on actual average speeds on roads, rather than the sign-posted speed limits. The technology is based on anonymous historical speed profiles of more than 10 billion kilometers of driven roads, gathered over the years by millions of TomTom users. It takes into account all the factors that may influence the time it takes drivers to get to their destination, including traffic lights, roundabouts, steep slopes and speed bumps.

LBS

Location based services, describing basically all services that include location as the common denominator. For example, a traffic information service is a location based service. But also emergency locators (E911), stolen vehicle tracking services, operator-based route assistance, or a service that brings a user to the nearest restaurant or other point of interest. All location based services require a digital roadmap and a navigation device in order to operate.

Map Share™

TomTom Map Share™ is a proprietary map improvement technology unique to TomTom, which enables users to easily and instantly improve maps. TomTom users can respond in real time to changes in the road network and correct the maps on their TomTom devices accordingly. Thanks to the smart user interface, it is easy to make improvements, such as blocked or unblocked streets, reversed one way traffic or new street names, which will instantly take effect.

MultiNet

MultiNet is TomTom's digital map database.

OEM

Original equipment manufacturer.

Penetration rate

We define the penetration rate of car navigation as the percentage of cars that actually have a navigation system installed. The penetration rate is normally measure based on factory-installed systems, but also can be measured based on all navigation systems divided by the total car park.

PND

Portable navigation device. Term used by navigation industry players to describe a portable electronics device that integrates all hardware and software components necessary for turn-by-turn navigation. A PND is handheld and/or is removable if it is put on a socket in a car, bicycle or motorcycle. An example of a PND is the TomTom GO LIVE.

POI

Points of interest, i.e. information included in the roadmap not being the roads and streets themselves but additional information such as petrol stations, restaurants, hotels etc.

Satellite navigation system

A satellite navigation system is defined as the hardware device that is used for navigation (usually car navigation and routing), and that is using a satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver as a locator. Apart from the hardware, a highly accurate digital roadmap is required, for which there are two main suppliers for Western Europe and North America, NavTeq and TomTom. The hardware device and the map together are operated by a navigation software application. This software goes with a user interface (e.g. a three-dimensional picture of the roadmap and an arrow of your current location) and with an engine calculating e.g. the shortest route.

Take rate

Referring to in-car navigation, the take rate is measured as the percentage of car buyers that actually select a navigation system as an option along with buying the car (see also adoption rate).

TMC

Traffic Message Channel is an application of the widely known Radio Data System (RDS). With TMC, a navigation system can receive traffic information through RDS-encoded radio signals. The information broadcasted mainly consists of traffic information (congestions, road work), weather information etc. TMC is a technology used for enabling dynamic traffic services.

Turn-by-turn navigation

Turn-by-turn navigation is a term originally meant to describe a car navigation device that is capable of displaying required turns (e.g. displayed by arrows) to guide the driver along the correct route. Turn-by-turn also means that the navigation system and its map have to be accurate enough to allow providing precise routing instructions. For example, lane information is among the content required within the map data to enable accurate turn-by-turn navigation.