Send GPS coordinates periodically

Question

I am a windows application programmer and recently started learning android. I am planning to make an app that will send GPS coordinates periodically say after every 30 seconds after clicking "start" button and stop doing so by clicking "stop" button (I have already developed a web service accepting the data) . In windows I would use a timer and on every "tick" will find the GPS coordinates and send it. Please help in understanding how a similar thing can be done in android.

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 18 '16 at 13:58

Please check how i'm using in my app and its working perfect.I'm using fused api for update location please follow few steps.

Step 1. Make this class GoogleLocationService.java

public class GoogleLocationService {
private GoogleServicesCallbacks callbacks = new GoogleServicesCallbacks();
LocationUpdateListener locationUpdateListener;
Context activity;
protected GoogleApiClient mGoogleApiClient;
protected LocationRequest mLocationRequest;

public static final long UPDATE_INTERVAL_IN_MILLISECONDS = 30000;


public GoogleLocationService(Context activity, LocationUpdateListener locationUpdateListener) {
    this.locationUpdateListener = locationUpdateListener;
    this.activity = activity;
    buildGoogleApiClient();
}

protected synchronized void buildGoogleApiClient() {
    //Log.i(TAG, "Building GoogleApiClient");
    mGoogleApiClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(activity)
            .addConnectionCallbacks(callbacks)
            .addOnConnectionFailedListener(callbacks)
            .addApi(LocationServices.API)
            .build();
    createLocationRequest();
    mGoogleApiClient.connect();
}

protected void createLocationRequest() {
    mLocationRequest = new LocationRequest();
    mLocationRequest.setInterval(UPDATE_INTERVAL_IN_MILLISECONDS);
    mLocationRequest.setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY);

}

private class GoogleServicesCallbacks implements GoogleApiClient.ConnectionCallbacks, GoogleApiClient.OnConnectionFailedListener, LocationListener {

    @Override
    public void onConnected(Bundle bundle) {
        startLocationUpdates();
    }

    @Override
    public void onConnectionSuspended(int i) {
        mGoogleApiClient.connect();
    }

    @Override
    public void onConnectionFailed(@NonNull ConnectionResult connectionResult) {

        if (connectionResult.getErrorCode() == ConnectionResult.SERVICE_VERSION_UPDATE_REQUIRED) {
            Toast.makeText(activity, "Google play service not updated", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();

        }
        locationUpdateListener.cannotReceiveLocationUpdates();
    }

    @Override
    public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
        if (location.hasAccuracy()) {
            if (location.getAccuracy() < 30) {
                locationUpdateListener.updateLocation(location);
            }
        }
    }
}

private static boolean locationEnabled(Context context) {
    boolean gps_enabled = false;
    LocationManager lm = (LocationManager) context.getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
    try {
        gps_enabled = lm.isProviderEnabled(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER);
    } catch (Exception ex) {
        ex.printStackTrace();
    }
    return gps_enabled;
}

private boolean servicesConnected(Context context) {
    return isPackageInstalled(GooglePlayServicesUtil.GOOGLE_PLAY_STORE_PACKAGE, context);
}

private boolean isPackageInstalled(String packagename, Context context) {
    PackageManager pm = context.getPackageManager();
    try {
        pm.getPackageInfo(packagename, PackageManager.GET_ACTIVITIES);
        return true;
    } catch (PackageManager.NameNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
        return false;
    }
}


public void startUpdates() {
    /*
     * Connect the client. Don't re-start any requests here; instead, wait
     * for onResume()
     */
    if (servicesConnected(activity)) {
        if (locationEnabled(activity)) {
            locationUpdateListener.canReceiveLocationUpdates();
            startLocationUpdates();
        } else {
            locationUpdateListener.cannotReceiveLocationUpdates();
            Toast.makeText(activity, "Unable to get your location.Please turn on your device Gps", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }
    } else {
        locationUpdateListener.cannotReceiveLocationUpdates();
        Toast.makeText(activity, "Google play service not available", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }
}

//stop location updates
public void stopUpdates() {
    stopLocationUpdates();
}

//start location updates
private void startLocationUpdates() {

    if (checkSelfPermission(activity, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED && checkSelfPermission(activity, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) != PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
        return;
    }
    if (mGoogleApiClient.isConnected()) {
        LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.requestLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, mLocationRequest, callbacks);
    }
}

public void stopLocationUpdates() {
    if (mGoogleApiClient.isConnected()) {
        LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.removeLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, callbacks);
    }
}

public void startGoogleApi() {
    mGoogleApiClient.connect();
}

public void closeGoogleApi() {
    mGoogleApiClient.disconnect();
}

 }

Step2. Make this interface LocationUpdateListener.java

 public interface LocationUpdateListener {

/**
 * Called immediately the service starts if the service can obtain location
 */
void canReceiveLocationUpdates();

/**
 * Called immediately the service tries to start if it cannot obtain location - eg the user has disabled wireless and
 */
void cannotReceiveLocationUpdates();

/**
 * Called whenever the location has changed (at least non-trivially)
 * @param location
 */
void updateLocation(Location location);

/**
 * Called when GoogleLocationServices detects that the device has moved to a new location.
 * @param localityName The name of the locality (somewhere below street but above area).
 */
void updateLocationName(String localityName, Location location);
}

Step 3. Call this on your oncreate

private GoogleLocationService googleLocationService;

 googleLocationService = new GoogleLocationService(context, new LocationUpdateListener() {
    @Override
    public void canReceiveLocationUpdates() {
    }

    @Override
    public void cannotReceiveLocationUpdates() {
    }

    //update location to our servers for tracking purpose
    @Override
    public void updateLocation(Location location) {
        if (location != null ) {
            Timber.e("updated location %1$s %2$s", location.getLatitude(), location.getLongitude());

        }
    }

    @Override
    public void updateLocationName(String localityName, Location location) {

        googleLocationService.stopLocationUpdates();
    }
});
googleLocationService.startUpdates();


and call this onDestroy 
if (googleLocationService != null) {
    googleLocationService.stopLocationUpdates();
}

Hope this will help you to solve your problem.

In windows XNA work on timing but in android you have to use alarm manager for it. check it . — D.J, Sep 19 '16 at 05:20
if you want get location after killed the app then use service — Saveen, Sep 19 '16 at 05:26

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 28 '16 at 08:35

Take a look to RxGpsService (An Android service to retrieve GPS locations and route stats using RxJava). It retrieves a RouteStats object which contains the current speed, distance, time elapsed and waypoints. Also you can play/stop the chrono in order to discard locations when chrono is stopped.

Send GPS coordinates periodically

2 Answers2