Geographic Computing with Salutation-Lite

While touring Washington DC on vacation, Bill emerges from the subway onto the Capital Mall. He tracks down a street vendor and purchases a tourist map. He unfolds it, reviews it, and flips it over, scanning for points of interest. "Lets see, where's the Smithsonian?" he mumbles to himself. After several minutes, he finds the Smithsonian on the map. Then he stares at the map from just about every possible angle before he finally figures out how to get there from his current location. He makes numerous attempts to fold the map back together, tearing it in two places before giving up and stuffing the wad of paper into his backpack. Now certain of his destination, he wanders off in the wrong direction.

After several blocks he finally realizes that he's going nowhere near the Smithsonian. So, he opens his backpack, searching for the map. Not until he takes out his camera, sunscreen, extra socks, and who knows what else does he exclaim, "Oh there it is, under my sandwich." He pulls out the map, wipes off the catsup, unfolds it, tearing it this time along the middle crease, and once again tries to figure out how to find the Smithsonian.

Meanwhile, Jane, the high-tech tourist, surfaces from the same subway station. Like Bill, she is also vacationing and anxious to see the sights, but she doesn't waste her time on old-fashioned maps. Jane immediately heads for a public phone, knowing that the Washington DC Tourist Information Office has installed infrared ports near all public phones along the Mall. Once at the phone, Jane takes from her purse a hand-held computer (HPC) equipped with its own Infrared port. She turns on her HPC and aims it at the public infrared port. Instantly and automatically, information about buildings and monuments along the Mall is downloaded into her computer.

When the download is completed, a map appears on her HPC screen. It shows her current location and indicates the location of many points of interest, including the Smithsonian. She clicks on the Smithsonian, and immediately the view zooms in on the map to show her the quickest rout to this historic site. She heads off in the direction specified, and in no time she is in front of the building. Now, she clicks an information button on her HPC screen, which in turn displays a description of the Smithsonian building along with its historical background.

"Interesting stuff," she says to her self as she reads. As she passes through the front door, she spots another infrared port. She aims her HPC at the port and in a matter of seconds her computer contains highlights of all the exhibits in the Smithsonian, including maps, detailed descriptions, and pictures. She heads off to the exhibits of interest.

When she is done, she exits to the Mall and begins the process again. "Let's see, next stop the National Air Museum."

Jane's HPC is equipped with Salutation-Lite. It allows the Tourist Information Office and the Smithsonian to determine the characteristics of her hand-held device, providing a means to target the format of the tourist information to the device at hand. Using this technique, a broad segment of hand held devices can be supported. It does not matter who the manufacturer is, which operating system is controlling it, or the size and color characteristics of the display. All this can be determined via the Salutation Technology and the appropriate information downloaded. This technology works with Palm and Windows CE devices. It even works with some high-end pagers.

One of the nicest features in this scenario is the ability to constantly keep information current. For example, as exhibits change at the Smithsonian, information can be updated automatically and electronically. This does away with the costly tradition of printing new information brochures as old ones become out-dated.