GSM Based Bus Positioning System

Hey guys,
I am planning a final year project on a bus positioning system using GSM.

The goal is to develop an information system, which will provide specific information to people who use the public means of transportation, like bus proximity estimation.
Every bus will have a positioning unit (RFID based or manual) which will generate a time stamp as soon as it reaches it a bus stop. This time stamp will be sent as an SMS via a GSM module to the Central Repository (CR, a GSM module connected to a PC), which will maintain a database of all the buses’ location.
At the client side, any user can request the location of the bus through an SMS. The CRR will be responsible for generating the reply message, which will contain information about the location estimation.

I am very new to handling GSM modems or using AT commands as such. I just want to know whether the project is feasible. For the demo, i plan to use a 2 GSM modems one on a bus, and other on the CR. As the CR has to make a database of all the buses' location, and send the appropriate bus location when asked for by a client, it must have a searching/sorting technique to do so. Will this be possible?

You've got to think about the cost aspect. Rather than detecting when a bus reaches a stop via RFID, why not just use GPS? Then you don't need to modify any bus stops, which will cost the bus company.

I just want to know whether the project is feasible.

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Many organizations track trucks/vans, so of course it is feasible.

it must have a searching/sorting technique to do so. Will this be possible?

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Yes it is possible, computers are very good at searching/sorting.

RFID tags are costly but they are really feasible to install and other aspects can easily be sorted out by the computer program

But cost and modification of the existing system is hard and time consuming

We will need GPS devices on every bus right, to monitor their locations? Also, I do not have any idea how a GPS module can be used and location information extracted from it, but have a look at this idea.
Let us dismiss the RFID idea. What alternative i thought was just install a GSM module on each bus, and make the bus driver manually, after every bus stop, via press of a button or something else, send a message to the CR. The mobile number will be specific to each bus, and will help the CR to identify the bus number. The message number ('n'th message) will help the CR determine which bus stop it has reached.
How does this idea seem?
And what will be the cost comparisons of both the methods (GPS vs non GPS)?

Yes, it is feasible. I agree with sky_123 that you can use GPS for detecting when a bus reaches a station. You can use a lot of available modems such as Telit GE864-GPS, GE863-GPS, GM862-GPS (I think this one is obsolete), Simcom SIM908, etc. You should know that some modems has scripts that can be configured for your task, so you don't have to use MCU. But have to work with AT commands. Visit this link to find out more about AT commands and modems.

**broken link removed**
http://www.electronics-base.com/ind...communication/162-introduction-to-gprs-modems

You don't need modem for CR, use some server, it is much easier and you save one modem.
Try to make instead of Bus Positioning system for gas monitoring, it is very popular topic and there i a lot of literature and papers.
For example: http://www.aloul.net/Papers/faloul_sensors10.pdf

A button-based system is probably even more expensive - now you need to wire up a button in buses in a convenient position for the driver, and possibly a cancel button if the bus driver accidentally presses twice, and by the way now the bus driver needs to be trained on what to do.
You're reinventing the wheel, when the tried and tested way is just a GPS module. And agree, no GSM module is needed at the server.

Yes, i realise that a button based system does sound very crude now. We thought of this because buses in our locality had some system through which it informed the passengers what the next stop is going to be. We assumed that a GPS system is too advanced and costly for local buses to implement, and some button based system must exist. Hence the idea.

Could you guys be a little specific?(sorry if it is asking a lot!) What devices/ modems exactly do you guys suggest for the bus and the server? and how do you suggest the system work?
Thanks again!

In principle, the GPS data stream needs to arrive at a server somewhere which can compare the location with a table which contains co-ordinates of all the bus-stops. You'd need to calculate the current distance from the GPS device to each bus-stop and the minimum value would tell you which bus-stop the bus was closest to.
That's a basic implementation but more advanced possibilities exist - like predicting arrival time (maybe based on historical data) and plotting the data on a map. You'd need to learn how to get data from the GPS module over the internet
(via your GSM module) to a web server. You'd need to implement the server and possibly a database of bus-stops. All these
are things you'd need to read up on.

Thanks a lot. yes there is a lot to work up on.
1.)It is true that GPS will be more cost effective for the bus company, but it does seem a tad complex.
I got this system which is basically a vehicle tracking system. ( https://www.8051projects.info/content/projects/7-vehicle-tracking-system-using-gps-gsm-modem.html )This module is kept in a vehicle and the module sends a reply with co ordinates of the vehicle when asked.
We can use this, but then we will also have to design the server to take co ordinate info from all buses, sort it out, and send only required bus no. to client. What is your opinion on this and its complexity?
2.) Is there any alternative to this that you may know of? For eg, a modem which has inbuilt GPS and GSM which can be installed directly on a bus? That would help a lot. Or any other way this can be done.
Again, thanks a lot for replying.

harishankar.v said:

2.) Is there any alternative to this that you may know of? For eg, a modem which has inbuilt GPS and GSM which can be installed directly on a bus? That would help a lot. Or any other way this can be done.
Again, thanks a lot for replying.

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I already mention few modems with GPS and GSM in one "chip".
I have that privilege to open few tracker solutions, and all of them has separate GPS and GSM parts, probably that is cheaper.

About cost of GPS for bus company. There are companies that already build that system. You doing project, right...if you make working prototype that is expensive, that is still good project.

1.)You said that no modem is required at server side. Is it because you mean that the bus and server will communicate via GPRS?
2.)If so, where will the data be sent, so that it can be received at the server? And can the GSM/GPRS with MCU at the bus be configured to send such location data?
3.) Also Since we need the user to send a message to the server, asking for info, we will need a modem to receive that message right? So a modem is required at the server, dont you think so?

Yes, modem and server communicate via GPRS. Data are send to server and you can perform data processing. After processing data are avaiable to users via client application (for egsample android app). If you want to send SMS than you need some kind of modem for that.
Try to understand that server is one PC with static IP adress.