Sarantel Antenna Helps Add GPS to Ericsson Wireless Phone

Sarantel has announced a significant design win for its advanced GeoHelix GPS (global positioning system) antenna which is to feature in the new GPS add-on for the Ericsson T60c cellular 'phone.

The Smartback GPS add-on has been developed by US-based Chapman Technologies, and provides GPS positioning information to ensure compliance with the United States' emergency call E911 mandate. It will benefit from the ability of the GeoHelix antenna to operate alongside the mobile phone antenna without interference. The enhanced mobile phone will also provide personal security, Telematics and location specific information to subscribers in the US, Canada and Latin America.

The Chapman Safeguard Companion GPS enhancer is a detachable device that replaces the standard battery on an Ericsson T60c phone. Operating on CDMA, TDMA and GSM networks, GPS positioning information is relayed from the Smartback device back to the Chapman Command Centre (C3) as a standard data call. This is then used to provide subscribers to the service with constant 911-trained emergency monitoring, roadside assistance and location-based information services.

"GPS positioning is the most effective and reliable manner of ascertaining the location of a cellular phone user." Barrie Foley, CEO of Sarantel remarked, "Unlike base station dependent technology it requires no network upgrade nor replacement of handsets. The first wave of GPS enabled cellular 'phones that are hitting the market now will rely upon accessories such as the Smartback. However if the market takes off as we expect I'm sure we'll see closer and closer integration between GPS and phone, something the Sarantel antenna is ideally suited to."

Sarantel's range of advanced PowerHelix antennas are particularly suited to incorporation into complex and compact electronic devices because they may be mounted side by side and used in combined applications, such as GPS and cellular phones, or even Bluetooth and WLAN. The PowerHelix range uses Sarantel's patented design in which copper tracks, deposited onto a small ceramic cylinder, are individually and automatically laser trimmed for optimum frequency response. They require no ground plane and operate effectively even when in close proximity to the body.
"Sarantel's GeoHelix antenna was ideal for our purpose. From a design perspective there is no more difficult environment for a GPS system than tucked into someone's breast pocket or held in the hand," Laurence Sack, president of Chapman said. "Our Smartback system will be used for critical emergency calls, there was no question of accepting a solution that worked 90% of the time, we had to have a perfect solution first time."

The release of the GPS range of antennas from Sarantel is timely because of a ruling from the US Federal Communications Commission on the 1996 Telecom act. This obliges US cellular network carriers to ensure 95% of mobile emergency calls can be located to within 150 metres by 2005 . This has been the subject of much debate within the mobile communications industry as to how feasible such positioning is on a commercial network. Sarantel's antenna and Chapman's Smartback prove that it is possible.