Nearby GPS tracking and notifications

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Introduction

This page describes how to setup the SDK to send a notification when a user enters a new GPS point even when the application is in the background. Notifications are sent only the first time the user enters the GPS point.

The documentation is first presented for the Android platform, we show then the iOS equivalent.

Nearby GPS Tracking

The nearby GPS Tracking is a foreground service showing notifications when the user enters a new GPS point. Since it is a foreground service it will continue to run when the application is in the brackground. To start the GPS tracking call:

VDARSDKController.getInstance().startGPSNotifications();
VDARSDKController.getInstance().startNearbyGPSDetection();

When the application is not in the background you may want to disable the notifications. In order to disable the notifications call:

VDARSDKController.getInstance().stopGPSNotifications();

When the notifications are disabled the service will no longer send notifications. You can at anytime re-enable the notifications by calling:

VDARSDKController.getInstance().startGPSNotifications();

Checking the user position in the background may have an impact on the battery. You can stop the GPS tracking at any time by calling:

VDARSDKController.getInstance().stopNearbyGPSDetection();

Custom parameters

The SDK provides a way to start the nearby GPS tracking with custom parameters:

startNearbyGPSDetection(long minGPSIntervalMS, float minGPSDistance, int detectionInterval, float maxDetectionRadius)

where minGPSIntervalMS is the minimal time interval before a new user position is fetched
where minGPSDistance is the minimal distance the user has to move before it is considered as a new position
where detectionInterval is after how long a gps point is reconsidered as new
where maxDetectionRadius is the maximal detection radius

Reset the visited points list

It is possible to reset the visited points list. After that every point already visited will be considered new again and will send a notification if they are enabled.

import com.vidinoti.android.vdarsdk.geopoint.GeoPointManager;

...

GeoPointManager.resetNewNearbyGPSPoints();

Register listener

if you want to access the new GPS points received by the SDK you can register a VDARNearbyGPSManagerEventReceiver. To do so you need a class that implements VDARNearbyGPSManagerEventReceiver and to register the event receiver.

public class ScanFragment extends Fragment implements VDARNearbyGPSManagerEventReceiver {

...

@Override
public void onResume() {
    ...
    VDARSDKController.getInstance().getNearbyGPSManager().registerEventReceiver(this);
}

@Override
public void onPause() {
    ...
    VDARSDKController.getInstance().getNearbyGPSManager().unregisterEventReceiver(this);
}

@Override
public void onNewNearbyGPSPoints(List<VDARGPSPoint> newNearbyGPSPoints, float longitude, float latitude) {
    // You have now access to a list of newNearbyPoints and the longitude/latitude of the user
}

iOS

The GPS detection and notification mechanism is presented above. We list here the involved methods for iOS.

// Start/Stop the detection of nearby GPS points
[[VDARSDKController sharedInstance] startNearbyGPSDetection];
[[VDARSDKController sharedInstance] startNearbyGPSDetectionWithMinDistance:(double) detectionInterval:(long) maxDetectionRadius:(float)];
[[VDARSDKController sharedInstance] stopNearbyGPSDetection];

// Enable/disable the local notifications when the user enters a new GPS area
[[VDARSDKController sharedInstance] startGPSNotifications];
[[VDARSDKController sharedInstance] stopGPSNotifications];
// You must call the following method from you AppDelegate to correctly handle the opening of the local notifications
[[VDARSDKController sharedInstance] enableGPSNotifications];

// Register a delegate of type VDARNearbyGPSControllerDelegate to receive the GPS detections
[VDARNearbyGPSController sharedInstance].delegate = self;