Qualcomm is working closely with China's internet giant, Baidu to enable location based services in China via IZat Integrated Hardware Location Platform. IZat will be made available in the latest generation of Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets across all tiers.
The IZat Location Platform uses a combination of signals from various location sources, including GNSS and sensors. This integration at a hardware level is designed to result in accurate location information, fast time-to-first-fix, improved robustness and seamless transition for both outdoor and indoor environments, and lower power for users of location-based applications and services across smartphones, said Qualcomm.
The IZat Integrated Hardware Location Platform also integrates conventional GNSS(global navigation satellite system) positioning and sensor based positioning with terrestrial positioning techniques using cellular network and WiFi positioning available from Baidu.
According to Qualcomm, this fused position information, when combined with user motion and contextual information obtained from sensors (such as accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer), is designed to improve positioning accuracy and coverage, reduce power consumption of mobile phones, and bring optimal user experiences to smartphone users.
The IZat Integrated Hardware Location Platform will also support optimized features and capabilities such as low-power location tracking, low-power geo-fencing, and sensor based pedestrian navigation particularly in challenging outdoor or indoor environments.
Both companies are currently working with multiple handset OEMs in China to commercialize this advanced location capability on upcoming smartphones using Snapdragon chipsets starting in the third quarter of 2016.
Dr. Cormac Conroy, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies
Qualcomm Technologies’ IZat location solution on Snapdragon platforms enables users to enjoy location-based applications, such as Baidu maps, with long battery-life and an excellent user experience.
Li Zhitang, general manager of open platform at Baidu Map
Our location service supports almost ten thousand applications with location information every day-and serves hundreds of millions of end users. We believe that by working with QTI, users will be able to enjoy higher location service quality and a better experience.
