Whether you are using the MySpot SOS system for Work Safety or Travel Safety we welcome your feedback on features to include in future releases.

In order to provide more information and detail on the MySpot SOS system we have provided here the questions and answers from users related to the various aspects of the system. These clients are primarily Australian based, and using the system for Work Safety whilst out in potentially hazardous environments, but increasingly the system is being used for Travel Safety whilst personnel are travelling overseas.

Frequently asked questions

Alerts
Tracking
GPS/AGPS
GeoFences
Travel Safety
Battery
Website
Other

Do we require additional hardware?

So long as you have a GPS enabled mobile phone with either the Symbian operating system (or more recently the Blackberry) then you can download the application without additional hardware. The software can be downloaded via cable or bluetooth. The system doesn't change any of the other mobile phone functions.

What are the main features of the MySpot SOS?

It provides last reported GPS location of the mobile phone plotted on street level mapping.

It has the ability to poll the mobile phone from the website at any time.

Regular locations reports at specified intervals from 10 to 99 minutes that appear in a HISTORY report and can be plotted on Google Earth maps.

A Geofence that sets an electronic security fence which if breached will send a notification by SMS and/or Email to a list of contacts.

A duress alarm system that will send an SMS to a dedicated SMS number and then broadcast to the contact list - which also includes a visual alarm on the website.

A duress alarm system that will call a pre-selected phone number and open a two-way communications channel.

A condition check may also be set, so that an automatic help message is sent after the lapse of a specified time (up to 24 hours).

Alerts

On the mobile phone how do I turn off an accidental SOS alert?

A series of 5 warning beeps are sounded prior to the SOS being triggered. During this time you can exit the SOS function without sending the Alert. For this to take affect this operation must be carried out prior to the sounding of the fifth warning beep.

After the SOS Alert has been sent it is necessary to acknowledge the SOS condition on the website in order to deactivate the alarm.

What happens if the primary phone number is busy or no one answers?

If the phone is not answered the call automatically goes to voicemail.

As a backup the website will trigger the SMS/Email Alerts (which can be an unlimited number of recipients).

What if the primary contacts are different on the website and on the phone?

That’s OK. The numbers in the mobile phone provide the first connection. The numbers on the website can be the same or different - this is multi-path - in order to provide redundancy and robustness to the system.

Note SMS-only systems are not a real-time and should not be solely relied on in an emergency.

The beeps for SOS are very loud; can they be turned down or off?

The sound can be turned off by using “stealth mode”; in this case the mobile phone will vibrate instead.

When SOS has been activated what happens?

A phone call is initiated to the primary phone number, an SMS is sent to the primary mobile phone contact, and SMS/Email alerts are set to those people pre-defined on the website. The GPS of the phone is switched on and a Location is obtained, the mobile phone is switched into tracking mode and a GPS Position is sent at one (1) minute intervals until the User acknowledges the SOS on the website (or the mobile phone battery is run-down).

GPS Tracking

The Continuous Tracking function is not showing in the mobile phone options sub-menu?

Ensure that you have switched "autotrack" on in the settings menu and save and restart the mobile phone for the changes to take effect. GPS Tracking cannot be activated without you confirming this.

If the user either turns tracking on or off from the website does the phone user need to confirm the request?

The website requests come to the mobile phone via SMS. The user does not need to do anything.

You enable the remote access via the Autostart feature in the Settings sub-menu.

Does sending a position manually stop the continuous tracking?

No, the tracking function will continue.

Does continuous tracking need to be turned on again after SOS has been sent?

After the SOS activation the phone will initiate 1 minute continuous tracking until acknowledged on the website, and cancelled on the mobile phone. To return to standard Continuous Tracking the settings must be returned to the preferred tracking interval.

Why do you have to turn the phone off when changing settings like continuous tracking intervals?

The mobile phone needs to be switched off and restarted to ensure that all parts of the application are updated.

Similarly you cannot access the settings option whilst in tracking mode.

What is the beep when a position is sent?

A short confirmation beep sounds when the GPS Position is sent via the GPRS network.

Can I poll the mobile phone for a location?

Yes, if the user has previously enabled the system by having Autotrack ON in the mobile phone's Setting sub-menu.

If the mobile phone is polled the User is notified via SMS of such an action.

GPS / AGPS

How long does it take to get a GPS position and send it? If you have had the phone running on continuous tracking and then go out of a GPS area, how long does it take to get a GPS fix again (i.e. in good area to get a GPS fix)? Does it automatically try and keep finding a position every x seconds until it finds one?

It can take awhile to pinpoint a location – potentially several minutes to start with, but then it’s faster once some of the parameters have been obtained.

Be aware that the mobile phone can decide that it can’t get a fix after a few minutes, and switch the GPS Receiver off until the next activation time.

On the N95 the GPS antenna is housed within the numeric keypad, so the screen can be slid up during use.

Is there a difference between the phone GPS and the GPS on MySpot SOS tracking software? Is the phone GPS with maps more accurate than MySpot SOS?

No there is no difference – both systems use the inbuilt GPS Receiver in the mobile phone to obtain the GPS Position (Location).

How accurate are the positions I will receive?

The locations are based on the GPS system which can give a sub 5 metre accuracy as well as an indicative traveling speed/direction. The accuracy will be impacted by the number of satellites visible to the mobile phone - the greater the number the better the accuracy.

What could be the problem if I am in a [good GPS] area and can’t get a GPS position?

The mobile phone may not have had time to obtain a GPS Position from the satellites. You can check the Satellite status from the GPS Data section of the mobile phone. This will show how many satellites are visible to the mobile phone – and when a GPS Position (fix) has been received.

My mobile phone shows the Cell ID information from the Telco, is this available within MySpot SOS?

The Cell ID information is not directly available to MySpot SOS users - but it does make up part of the data used with AGPS (Assisted GPS). AGPS is a triangulation algorithm specific to the Telco to find a position based on the proximity to cell towers.

Electronic Fence (Geofence) function

Can a Geofence only be set up on the website?

Yes.

What is the minimum range of the Geofence?

The Geofence is created by highlighting a point on the map that will be the centre of the GeoFence, and entering the distance out from the centre - the minimum radius at present is 300 metres.

If this system is being controlled by the phone user why is the Geofence set up via the website?

The Website is the individual’s access to the system function and features – it is password protected and therefore (also) under the user control at all times.

What happens when an electronic fence is entered or exited?

When a geofence has been entered or exited an alert (SMS or Email) will be sent to the registered recipients and it will be logged on the website.

Travel Safety

How can I provide safe travel practices for my staff?

In addition to reference to travel safety sites such as www.smartraveller.gov.au you can periodically leave a breadcrumb trail of where you are – this can be before you start out on a day trip – or before entering a building/taxi or such.

Battery

Will tracking affect my battery life?

Using GPS is battery intensive and depending on the other usage of the mobile phone, it may be best to call a spare battery or use a car charger for active tracking.

If tracking turns off because of low battery status is the user and/or monitoring company advised?

The user will see the GPS Disconnected on the MySpot SOS Status screen and the battery level is shown on the Website Status page.

How low does the battery have to go before GPS is turned off?

10%. An audible alert tells you that the battery needs charging, and the user can see that GPS has been disabled via the mobile phone screen and website.

Website

How do I refresh the map for the latest information?

The automatic system countdown refreshes the screen and data. This is not user controlled.

How can I get more accuracy with the POIs?

When adding the POI there are two ways. One is by using the map and the other is by entering the latitude and longitude in degrees, minutes and seconds. In both methods 10 metre accuracy can be achieved.

To do that click on the RESET button and then click on the map. Zoom down the map to the street level as far as possible to the + sign on the zoom slider. Now double click on the map and the map will centre on the point of the click and the coordinates will appear in the display on the left. Give the POI a name and save.

Other

As I roam around internationally and different networks come into play, are the settings for the data automatically changed?

If the mobile phone is setup for global roaming then the settings for data are respected by the host network and there should be no need to change anything manually.

If I decide to use a local SIM do I need to make any changes to my phone?

Yes, you will need to change the Internet access point to that of the local telco.

Also you will need to update the website with the new mobile number (Configure/Manage Your Device, System Settings, Edit Device Mobile Number).

How can I use the International SIM that operates in Europe?

These SIM cards are independent of the Telco - therefore you will need to manually setup the GPRS configuration.

Within the phone menu select SETTINGS > CONNECTION > ACCESS POINTS > OPTIONS > NEW ACCESS POINT

Name: type a name for a new data connection eg. TRAVEL

Data Bearer Option: select PACKET DATA

GPRS APN: type send.ee

User Name: enter your SIM 3725xxxxxxx without the +

Password: make sure this is blank

Save your settings and then choose TRAVEL as the Internet setting in the MySpot SOS application.

Should I upgrade from version 3.0 to 3.1?

If you are primarily using the tracking functions then we recommend you upgrade to the new software.

The system has been enhanced to provide the storing of positions if the GPRS network is unavailable. Up to 255 positions can now be held. These will be sent when the mobile phone returns to a coverage area. Also, the application can be exited with tracking active.

What is the main difference between the MySpot SOS software now available on the Nokia site versus MySpot SOS v3.0?

MySpot SOS V3.0 is a subscription based service that provides a more cost effective method of providing the ongoing GPS tracking service.

In addition V3.0 allows for remote switching on of the Continuous Tracking function and GSM Triangulation to poll for a mobile phone’s current location.

"Certificate Not Found" message appears when I try to load the software onto the mobile phone.

Ensure that the mobile phone has the correct data and time, and that the latest firmware is installed on the phone.

What are the minimum system requirements?

The PC must have Flash 9.0 installed.

How much data usage will there be?

MySpot SOS uses the GPRS network for communications with servers, which you then access via a browser to the website.

Data Usage for Tracking depends on the variables of Tracking Interval, Shift Duration and Days of the Week. An average message is 256 bytes. As an example 15 minute tracking for 8 hours per day, 5 days per week would consume around 160 Kbs per month.

One (1) SOS Alert that remains on for 10 minutes will consume approximately 2.5 Kbs.

I'm having trouble with the new version of the software?

It is necessary to remove (uninstall) the old version before installing the new version.

What do I need to do when I install a new version of the software?

You need to reload the Private Key into the MySpot and SOS applications, confirm your Internet settings, switch on Autotrack if you wish to use Continuous Tracking, reload your Emergency numbers in the mobile phone and then restart your phone.

What happens if I buy a new mobile phone but want to keep my existing SIM?

Change the mobile number on the Website to another (unrelated) number, this releases the SIM/phone number for that device and then you can begin the process of creating a new device in conjunction with your Reseller.

And if I change phone numbers?

Simply change to the new number on the website (Configure/Manage Your Device, System Settings, Edit Device Mobile Number).

What does the law say about GPS tracking of our staff? Is it allowed?

Yes, it is legal to track employees but it is your duty to inform them that this is part of your company policy. MySpot SOS is not a covert system.

“MySpot SOS turns your mobile phone into a GPS tracking and duress alarm system”

Whether you are using the MySpot SOS system for Work Safety or Travel Safety we welcome your feedback on features to include in future releases.