BrailleNote BT and VoiceNote BT
(Braille Keyboard)
GPS User Guide
V3.3


Sendero Group LLC
1118 Maple Lane
Davis, CA  95616
Telephone  (530) 757-6800. Fax  (530) 757-6830
E-mail:  	gps@senderogroup.com
World Wide Web:     http://www.senderogroup.com




COPYRIGHT NOTICES

Trademarks:
All products are trademarks of their respective owners.


Copyright Notice:
Copyright (c) 2002-2005 Sendero Group, LLC and HumanWare Group, Limited
Map data copyright (c) Tele Atlas 
A limited license to reproduce this user guide is given for the purpose of providing copies to people with visual or reading disabilities (including individuals with motor or learning disabilities) for their individual use.



IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL USERS 

BrailleNote GPS is a product designed to convey most of the information displayed on commercial GPS receivers and location databases to people with visual disabilities.  However, BrailleNote 
GPS has similar limitations as commercial GPS products.  These limitations include:

*	Lack of information about the physical road characteristics such as: elevation, overpasses/underpasses, bridges, and sidewalks, 
traffic controls, construction and other hazards.

*	Detailed maps and street names.

*	Traffic and weather conditions.

*	Loss of GPS signals due to tall buildings or other interference.

Additionally, the routes that you create may not be safe or possible to follow.  The individual user is wholly responsible for all issues related to personal safety and mobility.  HumanWare Group, Sendero Group and its distributors advise all users that BrailleNote GPS is not a substitute for mobility skills with a cane or guide dog and recommends that users have good mobility skills before using GPS orientation information to travel.  HumanWare Group, Sendero Group and its distributors assume no liability for accidents or injuries that occur to users of any of our GPS products.



Table of Contents

1	Foreword.	1

1.1	Scenarios	1

2	GPS General Information.	5

2.1	Context Sensitive Help.	5

2.2	Resetting during a GPS session.	5

2.3	Copy Protection.	6

2.4	Exiting a GPS session.	6

2.5	KeySoft Version.	6

2.6	Switching Between Tasks.	6

3	BrailleNote GPS Concepts.	7

3.1	Use Good Judgment.	7

3.2	About GPS Satellites.	7

3.3	Signal Blind Spots.	8

3.4	Using GPS indoors or in a Vehicle.	8

3.5	Picking Up Satellite Signals.	9

3.6	GPS and map data accuracy.	9

4	Installing BrailleNote GPS Software.   12
	
5	About Maps.	13

5.1	Map Storage.	13

5.2	How the BrailleNote locates Map Files. 13
	
5.3	Transferring CDROM maps to the BrailleNote. 14

6	Installing GPS Receivers.	16

6.1	How to Wear the GPS.	16

6.2	General Receiver information.	17

6.3	Getting Oriented using GPS.	19

7	BrailleNote GPS Software.	20

7.1	Looking around using GPS.	20

7.2	Maps and Routes.	20

7.3	The GPS Menu.	21

7.4	GPS Options Menu.	21

7.5	Map Folder.	22

7.6	Points of Interest Folder.	22

7.7	Heading Mode, L for Left/Right or C for Clock mode.	23

7.8	Street Names.	23

7.9	Units.	23

7.10	Sounds.	24

7.11	Arrival Distance.	25

7.12	Repeat-Interval.	25

7.13	GPS Receiver Type.	26

8	Setting a Destination.	27

8.1	Selecting an address and setting it as a destination, POI or Virtual position.	27

8.2	Setting Latitude and Longitude (Lat/Lon) positions.	29

9	Recording and following Routes.	32

9.1	About Routes and Waypoints.	32

9.2	Street classifications.	32

9.3	How to Create an Automatic Route.	34

9.4	Route Commands.	34

9.5	Inserting Waypoints in Automatic Routes.	39

9.6	Tips on following a vehicular route.	40

9.7	Trigger distances.	41

9.8	Automatic Heading and Distance Announcements.	41

10	Creating a Route without maps.	43

10.1	How to Create a manual Route.	43

10.2	Entering Manual Waypoints.	43

10.3	Editing Waypoints.	44

10.4	Tips for Setting Quality Route Waypoints.	45

11	Points of Interest (POIs).	46

11.1	Finding Points of Interest.	46

11.2	Creating User Points of Interest.	48

12	Looking Around.	51

12.1	Automatic Look Around Mode	51

12.2	Multiple Repeat Mode.	52

12.3	Manual Look Around Mode	52

13	Virtual Mode.	55

13.1	Virtual Explore Mode	55

14	Miscellaneous Functions.	58

14.1	The Pedometer.	58

14.2	Speed Announcement.	58

14.3	Compass Heading.	58

14.4	Setting GPS Time.	59

14.5	Altitude.	59




1	Foreword.
Welcome to the world of location literacy, the power to know your location and surroundings when you are finding your way. Before we get into the details of how the many features work, we will take a moment to describe the big picture, offering you access to information about your 
environment never before available.

GPS satellites and massive location databases combine to create the potential for every square meter on earth to have a label. Add the 
BrailleNote to this equation and every location label can be accessible. The GPS satellites can be picked up anywhere in the world. Commercial maps and databases are being created with millions of points in most developed countries. Increasing consumer demand for these technologies is driving improvements for more accurate location information.

Here is how the BrailleNote brings this Location Information to you. Once you are tracking satellites with the GPS receiver, the latitude and longitude for your position is communicated by the receiver to the BrailleNote. That 
position can then be compared with the database of maps and points of interest in the BrailleNote. There are various commands that will give you directions and distances to specific points, streets or waypoints along an 
automatically created route. This communication between the receiver and the BrailleNote is transparent other than telling you how many satellites are being tracked.

1.1	Scenarios
So, now that you have the Global Positioning System and a database of streets and landmarks, what kinds of things can you do with it? Here is 
where the fun begins! 

For example:

I am a blind person in a car or bus, with minimal knowledge about the environmental information whizzing by my vehicle. I turn on my 
BrailleNote GPS and the Point of Interest  look around mode automatically announces points of interest within 300 feet when I am traveling under 40 miles per hour and 1000 feet when we are traveling faster than 40 miles per hour. When I want to look further away, I use the Find command (F) to see where to stop for lunch.  

I want to find a restaurant called Caf Italia and to be routed to it. I know it is roughly 30 to 50 miles away. I press the Advance Find (SPACE with F) command; enter 30 miles for the starting distance, 50 miles for the ending distance, enter restaurant for the category, and Caf Italia when it asks me for the search string. I now press SPACE with D to set it as my destination and R then V to create a vehicular route from my current position to Caf Italia, complete with waypoints, turns and distances. I am now literally the blind back-seat navigator informing the driver of upcoming turns and exits.

We have friends visiting and once we finish lunch, we want to do a little sight seeing. So I know what of interest is in the vicinity of Cafe Italia, I switch to the BrailleNotes Virtual mode with the V (Virtual) command and my virtual position is set to Caf Italia. I now use the simple Find command (F) to hear what points of interest are near the Caf. Everything from museums to recreational horseback riding facilities may show up as I scroll through the database of nearby points with the SPACE with dot 4. 

Once we settle on a place to visit, I toggle back to the GPS Mode with the V and create a pedestrian route with R then P to get us to our destination.

Today, I am riding through San Francisco on a bus and want to learn more about the route the bus is taking and the points we pass by. The Look-
Around mode is already turned on and will announce the nearby points of interest and intersections within 300 feet. I now hear the street I am traveling on plus the next intersecting street. For good measure, I set my 
destination to the street address so I have some advance warning to pack up my things to get off the bus. If I verbalized to the other passengers what I was reading on my Braille display or hearing from my earphone, I could be a city tour-guide.

My friend is an avid blind sailor and is independently sailing around the world. Along with all his high-tech sailing equipment, he is plotting his course on his VoiceNote GPS. He has worked out a route with latitude/longitudes for each key turning point in his route. He enters each of these in a new User Point of Interest file and names the respective points, Dead Mans Cove, Ship Wreck Alley and so forth. He changes the repeat interval from 12 seconds to 300 seconds so he can automatically receive updates to adjust his course every 5 minutes. Now, all he has to do is hope for fair weather.

I am traveling to Chicago and want to familiarize myself with the street layout and restaurants near my intended hotel so that I can set a meeting. To speed up setting my virtual position, I do a search on the Internet for the city or hotels lat/lon and set my virtual position accordingly. I can use the Virtual Explore mode to wander around the streets before I even leave 
on the trip. Once I feel comfortable navigating the streets, I then use the Find command (SPACE with F) to search for nearby restaurants. I will 
then send the directions and the name of the restaurant to my colleagues.

My friend, who is blind, likes to get out and about but she has a terrible sense of direction. She seldom explores on her own because it is so 
frustrating and embarrassing to be lost. We set a new destination in an area with which she is familiar and then set out in a car with her acting as the navigator, telling the driver which way to turn in order to reach the destination. In this way with the BrailleNote on her lap, she can 
concentrate on the information and directions without worrying about her mobility. She presses M for repeat and D for destination and hears the 
heading and direction repeated every ten seconds. This is the only piece of information she is dealing with, using the getting warmer method to get to the destination. After we arrive at the destination, we go back to where we started and ask the BrailleNote for an automatic route and make a similar trip with instructions from point to point. The BrailleNote provides the directions and reassurance my friend needs to travel independently on her own. She isnt actually on her own after all, she has the BrailleNote.

As you can see from reading these scenarios, there are two general ways to use the BrailleNote GPS. The first and probably most popular use of the GPS information is simply to be aware of ones environment with the look-around options. Traditionally, a blind person might get one percent of location information through a sighted filter. With BrailleNote GPS, a 
blind user can independently look around and hear what businesses, addresses and intersections are nearby.

The second general use of the BrailleNote GPS is to navigate to a specific destination along an automatically planned route. One can also create 
manual routes or edit automatic routes either in pedestrian oriented or vehicular routes. These routes can of course be used in conjunction with 
the Look-Around information.

BrailleNote GPS provides the opportunity for users to get information beyond the reach of their 4 good senses and even visually impaired users will see how valuable it is to know the names on signs they can see but not read. 

Information can be discerned far beyond the reach of the visual sense if the user chooses. The BrailleNote and the continually evolving vast 
quantity of electronic location information gives the blind user entertaining and valuable access to the environment through which they can more independently travel.


2	GPS General Information.

This User Guide is for use with the BrailleNote and VoiceNote BT models.  

The keystrokes described are for the Braille Type keyboard.  There are duplicate BT keys for some commands to facilitate one-handed operation 
of common functions, please see the Command Summary in Section 15.

The information in this GPS User Guide covers the items specific to the BrailleNote and VoiceNote GPS software.  General operating instructions 
for the BrailleNote and VoiceNote are in their respective User Guides.  

Details about GPS receivers are in their respective manuals and in a Getting Started document in the Documents folder on the Compact Flash card.  Late breaking information about the most recent GPS version can be found in the Read Me document in the Documents folder on the 
Compact Flash card.  The term BrailleNote GPS will be used from here on to describe the system whether it is on a BrailleNote or a VoiceNote.

2.1	Context Sensitive Help.
Context Sensitive Help is available throughout the GPS application as it is elsewhere in the BrailleNote.  To hear information relevant to the menu or mode you are in, including a selection of command options, Press SPACE with H. The commands are grouped by category under Help and alphabetically in the Quick Reference Guide.  The complete list of commands can be accessed from the GPS Menu or at the end of this user 
guide.

2.2	Resetting during a GPS session.
There is no way other than doing a no-key Reset to interrupt a long route calculation. You might accidentally begin a 500 mile route calculation and then change your mind. For longer routes you will be asked to confirm that you want to create your route before the program will continue.  If it is necessary to reset the BrailleNote, the pedometer will be reset to zero and a route wont be saved if you have not already done so. Your last GPS position and Lat/Lon will be erased. Otherwise, there should be little impact from pressing Reset. If you have the maximum of 12 maps loaded and perform major POI searches or route calculations, the GPS program may become sluggish. Pressing reset will speed things up again. You will soon learn how long normal operations take like loading maps so you will 
know if things slow down and it is time to reset.

2.3	Copy Protection.
Each copy of the GPS software is serialized to a specific BrailleNote or VoiceNote. The GPS receiver can be used on multiple units but the GPS software is specific to a particular units serial number. The software, Points of Interest and map data are licensed for use on your machine only, although user defined Points of Interest can be shared. You may also hear the copy protection referred to as a security key, or as Digital Rights Management.

2.4	Exiting a GPS session.
When you exit the GPS application, the destination you have set is saved. 
Other positions like your last GPS position and Virtual position are also saved as are your mode settings. 

2.5	KeySoft Version.
BrailleNote GPS version 3.1 and higher will only work on a BrailleNote PK running 6.0 or higher or a BrailleNote running KeySoft version 6.1 or 
higher.  Much Earlier version of BrailleNote GPS, i.e., version 3, may be run on KeySoft version 5 or higher. There are many benefits to upgrading 
to the latest KeySoft version. For upgrade information, contact your local BrailleNote distributor.  

2.6	Switching Between Tasks.
You may use any of the BrailleNote hot keys to switch to applications like the Word Processor or Calculator. However, as of this writing, there is not a hot key to switch back to the GPS application. When this changes, it will be noted in the Read Me file and Command List in the Documents folder provided on the Compact Flash card with the GPS program. You can go into the BrailleNote Options menu without leaving the GPS application.  
You can also check the time or run the stop watch.  On the PK, you can keep the MP3 player running while in the GPS application.  
 

3	BrailleNote GPS Concepts.
This section covers some of the concepts, issues and background information about the Global Positioning System.

3.1	Use Good Judgment.
This product is an excellent navigation aid, but it does not replace the need for careful orientation and good judgment.  Never rely solely on GPS or any one device for navigating.

3.2	About GPS Satellites.
The U.S. Government operates the Global Positioning System (GPS), and is solely responsible for the accuracy and maintenance of GPS.  Certain conditions can make the system less accurate.   
There are 24 U.S. military satellites in the Global Positioning System, 12 in each hemisphere, and they circuit the earth twice a day.  Although your receiver may be able to pick up as many as 12 satellites, three or more signals are necessary to determine the GPS position. Some GPS receivers offer additional accuracy through the use of a fixed (geostationary) satellite called WAAS, Wide Area Augmentation System.  
It is possible to get a reading of Good with 4 or more satellites or Poor with 5 or more satellites. A Good reading is better than a Poor reading no matter the number of satellites. The quality of the satellite signal determines the quality rating announced to you. You will only hear Very Good if the extra WAAS satellite is engaged. The user has no control over the WAAS satellite detection, this feature will automatically turn on and report when it is available from the satellite.
A similar system in Europe called EGNOS will be operational in the near future and will also be indicated with the Very Good rating. In the past, 
the military distorted the GPS signals used by civilians for national security reasons, a process which is called Selective Availability.  This was turned off in May 2000 but it may be reinstated if they wish. This hasnt happened as 
of the writing of this manual 5 years after they improved the signals.


3.3	Signal Blind Spots.
Since the GPS receiver detects information from satellites orbiting the earth, the antenna needs to have a relatively unobstructed view of the sky.  
Large obstructions such as buildings, cliffs, and overhangs may interfere with signal reception, reducing accuracy or eliminating tracking altogether.  
This is called the urban canyon effect. For example, if you were in a city with 50 story buildings on all sides, the satellite signals would be blocked completely.  However, if there is a tall building on one side only, you may 
still be able to receive enough signals from other satellites to determine a position.
Changing your location by even a few feet can make a difference.  For instance, walking on the outer edge of a sidewalk versus up against the 
building may help.  Positioning yourself on a corner at an intersection may also help.  There is a better view of satellites while in a car in the street versus up against a building.
The location of the receiver on your body may also make a difference to reception.  If you are among tall buildings or near an overhang, you may 
begin tracking faster if you hold the receiver up and away from your body.  Face away from the building.  Once the receiver begins tracking, it should continue doing so attached to the BrailleNote shoulder strap. If you need 
to have it inside a backpack or enclosed because of rain or snow, the GPS signals should be picked up through clothing or vinyl materials.

It so happens that among tall buildings in big cities, where GPS is less reliable, there are more people to ask for directions.  Out in the open where there are fewer people to ask for directions, the GPS availability and accuracy is best.  Isnt this convenient?

3.4	Using GPS indoors or in a Vehicle.
GPS signals cannot usually be picked up in-doors; however you may be able to pick up signals inside a house with a wooden roof or inside a bus with a 
fiberglass roof.  You may also be successful in picking up signals with the receiver in the window of a bus or train.  There should be no problem with the receiver on the dash or window of a car. (Note: highly tinted and mirrored windows can block satellites.)
Although you can often pick up a signal from a plane, you must get permission to use the GPS receiver on most commercial airlines. You may 
pick up signals from the window of an aircraft but you have a limited view of the sky because of the small window.

3.5	Picking Up Satellite Signals.
The GPS receiver needs to track at least 3 satellites to determine a position.  
Some receivers may provide an approximate position with less than 3 satellites.  
Once the receiver acquires a position, the information is sent to your BrailleNote through the serial cable or Bluetooth connection.  It can take anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes before a position is tracked depending upon how long it has been since you last turned the receiver on and how clear a view of the sky 
you have.
During this acquisition period, you will get the message: no fix, acquiring satellites. If your GPS receiver is not connected or there is a problem between the receiver and the BrailleNote, you will see the message: Turn on your GPS 
receiver or press V for Virtual Mode. In this case, make sure your receiver is turned on and that the data cable is firmly attached to your BrailleNote. If you still cannot acquire satellites, see the Getting Started document for your receiver, which is in the Documents folder of the storage card.

Once you have acquired a GPS position fix and have started moving, the receiver calculates the change in your position approximately every second using the satellite signals.  The average of your heading is calculated to minimize the variations in heading due to GPS fluctuations. In 10 to 30 feet (3 to 10 meters) your direction of travel is determined and can be announced on the BrailleNote.  Until you begin moving in a consistent direction, the direction you are facing cannot be determined.  So keep in mind which direction you were heading before you stopped walking. 
When you stop moving, your heading should be locked on your most recent direction of travel.    If you spin around in circles, you must begin 
walking for 30 feet (10 meters) or so before your new direction of travel can be announced accurately. When you make a turn, walk for several seconds before asking for a heading. Direction of travel under 2 miles per hour may be 
unreliable.

3.6	GPS and map data accuracy. 
To maximize the information and navigation benefits of your BrailleNote GPS, it is important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the 
Global Positioning System.  You can improve your use of the GPS location information by knowing how the system works.
The accuracy scale in the BrailleNote GPS software is geared so you know how much to trust the information.  If BrailleNote GPS says Poor, 3 satellites before giving you your location, consider that you might really be tens of yards or meters away.  Move a little and try again to double check.  Try to get in a more open area so you can get better accuracy.  Bear in mind that you must be tracking satellites for 30 feet (10 meters), or more before your direction of travel can be determined. 

The ratings are: 

No Fix, Poor, Fair, Good and Very Good.


4	Installing BrailleNote GPS Software.
This section explains how to install the GPS software and data on your BrailleNote. If you purchased the GPS and BrailleNote at the same time, the GPS software should already be installed for you and it is not necessary to install it, although if you need to reinstall the software for any reason, the GPS installation 
package is on the CompactFlash Storage card.

If you have purchased the GPS as an accessory, you will need to install the software on your BrailleNote according to the following instructions. 

1)	Feel along the back of the BrailleNote and you will find the CompactFlash Card slot.  Insert the card into this slot.  It will only go in one way properly.  It takes a little pressure to press it in the last quarter inch or so.  Do not force it.  If it does not plug in all the way, flip the card over.  Note: If you have an earlier model BrailleNote with only the PCMCIA slot in the right hand side, you will first need to put the CompactFlash card into a PC card adapter and then into the PCMCIA slot.

2)	If you need to install the GPS software, hold down Dots 1-2-3 on the Braille keyboard.  Press and release RESET and continue holding the keys down until you hear the chime.

3)	From the Main Menu, press U for Utilities.

4)	Press A for Applications.

5)	The prompt:  Run program from which drive? displays.  Press C for CompactFlash card. (or S for the PCMCIA slot).

6)	You are prompted for the Directory. Press ENTER for none.

7)	Select the GPS program installation, press ENTER and follow the prompts.  If it says command line, just press ENTER. If you receive any messages about installing over newer files, ignore this and press ENTER to continue installing. 

8)	When the installation is completed, you will be instructed to do a No Key Reset, by pressing the reset button.  Your GPS software is now ready to go.

If it is necessary to do a Hard Reset, i.e. with dots 4-5-6 held down, some of the GPS program files may be lost and it will be necessary to reinstall the GPS program. 

If you try to open the GPS program and hear a message about a missing file, "please reinstall", the GPS program located on the root of your 
compact flash card.  Note that Reset on the PK is C3 and C4 held down together.



5	About Maps.
Maps are an integral part of the GPS software's capabilities. The map data is developed and maintained by TeleAtlas and licensed to Sendero Group for use in the BrailleNote GPS. It is anticipated that map data updates may be available about once a year on CD. Because of the large file sizes, it is not yet practical to download map updates. 
The entire U.S. map data occupies over 5 GB on 8 CDs.  These maps are compiled by states for the U.S, and there are up to 5 files for each map 
section.  Some states will be broken up into more than one section, for example California is split into 4 sections and there is an additional city 
index file.  There are 13 files for California.    The UK, Canada, Holland, Austria and Spain come on one CD each.  Germany and France are on 
multiple CDs. Each country will be arranged according to its data size. At this writing, 17 European countries are within the Sendero license and each will be rolled out as demand and funding permits. Check the Sendero Group web site for the status of available countries at http://www.senderogroup.com.

5.1	Map Storage. 
As we said, the entire U.S. map data is stored on the 8 CDs included in your shipping package.  
You probably received a Compact Flash card with the files comprising your state map already in the root of the Maps folder. You can have up to 12 states in a given map folder, however, access times and software will be more stable with fewer states in a folder.  
Be careful when deleting or copying map files that the entire group of files per state are selected. Some states are divided into multiple map segments. 
All map segments are less than 128 MB in size. The files for each state are in one folder including Guam and Puerto Rico.  As of this writing, DC is part of the Maryland maps.
The GPS software looks automatically for map files in the root of the Maps folder of the Compact Flash or Storage cards.  You can however define a different location under the Map Folder option in the GPS Options Menu.  A map folder can contain no more than 12 states at a time.  Just 
make sure the files themselves are in the user-defined map folder as opposed to having the state as a sub folder.  A lower number of maps in 
the folder will make some functions run faster.
All maps could be transferred to a large storage card (like a 5 GB Micro Drive) or individual maps to a smaller card. Be careful when deleting or 
copying map files that the entire group of files per state is selected.  If you are likely to be changing maps often, we recommend keeping each group of state files in its own directory. For example, Maps Southeast, Maps Northwest, etc.  A recommended geographic arrangement is listed in the ReadMe document.  The maps are in alphabetical order on the CDs. A listing of which maps are on which disc is also in the ReadMe document.  
If you opt for a Micro Drive as a storage solution, we recommend that you remove it from your BrailleNote when it is turned off, in order to minimize battery drain.

5.2	How the BrailleNote locates Map Files.
When you first enter the GPS application, the software searches for a user-defined map folder if there is one. If not, it looks for a Maps folder on Storage card, Storage card2, Compact Flash, Compact Flash2 and finally on the Flash disk. A swishing sound indicates that map-loading is in progress. The more map files in the folder, the longer it takes to load. The number of maps found is announced when the loading is complete. If there is a corrupt map file, the state in question will be indicated. If you get a message saying unable to initialize map engine, either try again to load from the Main Menu, reset the BrailleNote or remove and reinsert the storage medium.

5.3	Transferring CDROM maps to the BrailleNote.
Transferring files from a PC to the BrailleNote can be accomplished in a number of ways using a PC or laptop, assuming it has a CDROM drive of 
course.  

1)	Put the CDROM you wish to transfer into the CDROM drive.

2)	Open Windows Explorer and locate the CDROM drive and its contents.

3)	Also using Windows Explorer, find the location of the CompactFlash card.  There are three ways you could access the CompactFlash card:

a)	If you have a PC or laptop with a PCMCIA slot, or a PCMCIA card reader attached to your PC, you can put the CompactFlash card into an adapter card and use this. You can also use a PCMCIA style Micro Drive for map storage, however these are typically slower than CompactFlash cards and use more BrailleNote battery power.

b)	If you have a PC or laptop with a CompactFlash card reader/writer you can insert your CompactFlash card directly into this.

c)	If you have a Compact Flash card reader that plugs into your PC (usually plugs into the USB port), you can insert the card into the 
reader. It is not recommended to transfer maps via ActiveSync as this can take a long time and may be interrupted. 

4)	In Windows Explorer, select and copy the files on the Map data CD.

5)	Paste them into the appropriate directory on the Compact Flash card, making sure you get all files associated with a particular map.  States which have multiple segments will have one additional file for the whole state.  For example of the state is broken into 4 sections, there 
will be 13 files, 3 for each section and 1 for the state city index.


6	Installing GPS Receivers.
This section explains how to install your serial GPS receiver.  Refer to the receiver Getting Started document in the documents folder on the 
Compact Flash card for details on operating the receiver.  Bluetooth receiver users look for a Getting Started document for your particular unit.
If you wish to stow the GPS inside the optional accessory pouch, first attach the pouch.  Note: older accessory pouches or carrying cases may not 
have the Velcro or the hole for the serial cable.  Older shoulder straps may not have the cable channel and loop for the GPS receiver. 

1)	The receiver has the serial interface cable connected to it.  Plug the GPS 9-pin female serial connector into the male serial port on the back left of the BrailleNote or VoiceNote.

2)	Gently tighten the two thumbscrews to keep the plug from coming off.  

3)	Wrap up any excess serial cable and stow it in the pouch and zip it closed. 
 For operation in a vehicle, you may wish to put the receiver on the back dash of a car or clip it near or on a window. (Keep it away from the air bag as the receiver could become a missile if the air bag deploys). When you are ready to use the GPS receiver, unzip the accessory pouch and pull the receiver pouch out. Keep the extra cable secured inside the accessory pouch.  


6.1	How to Wear the GPS.
For pedestrian travel, the GPS receiver tracks satellites best when located on your shoulder. You will find a belt clip on a pouch to secure your GPS receiver onto the BrailleNote strap.  
Which hand you operate the BrailleNote with depends upon which hand is occupied with a cane or dog.  The shoulder strap is reversible so 
experiment with which configuration feels best for you.  If your right shoulder is through the strap, you would probably put the GPS receiver on 
your left shoulder and vice versa.  To switch the strap, unclip the shoulder strap from the BrailleNote and reverse it.  Make sure that the cable is not hanging loose.  There is a Velcro cable channel below the belt-clip loop on the strap.  Tuck the cable into this channel and push any extra cable into the accessory pouch or into any other convenient place.


When you are ready to stow the receiver again, reverse the process and place it back inside the accessory pouch making sure the receiver is off and the cable is bundled up and placed back in the zipped accessory pouch.

6.2	General Receiver information.
See the GPS receiver manual for details and functions not addressed in this user guide.
To get started: 
Make sure the GPS cable connection to the BrailleNote is secure.

1)	Turn the receiver on. See the Getting Started manual to learn about the receiver controls. 

2)	Place the receiver in a location open to the sky where you can begin acquiring GPS satellites.  The receiver should have a relatively unobstructed view of the sky.  When you travel to a new area or if the unit has been off for several days, for instance when you first use the receiver, it may take longer to determine a position fix.
Once you have turned the BrailleNote on and selected GPS from the main menu and Start from the GPS menu, you should hear, "GPS detected". 
That is the indication that your receiver is connected properly. If you hear, "Turn on your GPS receiver or press V for Virtual Mode.", check the steps above and try again. When you turn the receiver off, wait 5 seconds or so and you will hear the Lose Fix sound and KeySoft says: "Turn on your GPS receiver or press V for Virtual Mode." This is one way to make sure that you have turned the power off on your GPS receiver.  You should turn the receiver power off when not using the GPS program in order to conserve the receivers battery power.  

6.2.1	Accuracy of GPS Announcements.
First, check your accuracy a couple times by pressing the GPS Accuracy command, G.  If you are tracking satellites when you press G, you will 
hear:

Quality Rating, Tracking X satellites

Where the quality rating tells you the quality of the GPS connection and X represents the number of satellites being tracked.  If you are tracking 3 
satellites, the accuracy is marginal and is approximately 30 to 90 feet (10 to 30 meters).  If you are tracking more than 3 satellites, the receiver uses the best 4 satellites available and your accuracy may be 30 feet (10 meters) or better.  It is not only the number of satellites that determines position quality but also the relative position of the satellites to each other.  Because of atmospheric anomalies, there are times when positions are inaccurate for no obvious reason.  If you are tracking less than 3 satellites when you press G, you will hear:

"No Fix, Acquiring Satellites"

Another way to check how well you are tracking is with the Heading function in the GPS program.  Once you are heading in a given direction of travel, press the Heading command Dot 5 repeatedly to ensure that you are getting consistent compass heading information. Try to move at least 2 miles per hour as slower speeds will result in inaccurate relative heading 
information.
See BrailleNote GPS Concepts for more details on satellite and data accuracy.


6.3	Getting Oriented using GPS.
When you first come out of a building or subway, you have not yet established a GPS direction of travel, and the receiver cannot determine 
which direction you are facing until you start moving.  There are a couple of things you can do to get headed in the proper direction:

You can start walking and get a compass direction from your BrailleNote.  
If you do not intuitively know the cardinal compass directions, having a talking or tactile compass can assist you in heading directly to your destination as announced by the BrailleNote GPS.  Even if you do not start moving, the absolute position of your destination as announced on the BrailleNote GPS should be reliable. If you do not have a route recorded, 
you can still work your way to your destination using the getting warmer method.  Try to get the destination to be announced ahead of you at the 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock or 1 o'clock positions.  Once you get close to the destination, the announcement starts to move away from the 12 oclock heading.  When it gets to your 3 oclock (right) or 9 oclock (left) position, it is time to make a 90-degree turn.  This does not tell you if there is a through street, but it gets you in the vicinity.  You also want the destination distance to steadily decline as you move toward it.  If it suddenly increases, double and triple check the distance so you know you are not getting a bogus reading.  You may very well have veered off track but it is best to make sure.  Never trust the GPS information exclusively. 
Direction of travel is not an issue in Virtual mode where your direction is determined by the automatic route creation.


7	BrailleNote GPS Software.

This chapter introduces the basics of BrailleNote GPS, the location information part of the BrailleNote KeySoft software, and describes how to create and load routes and points of interest.
There are several ways of using the information from the BrailleNote GPS:

*	Use the points of interest and map information provided to look around and get oriented,

*	Create automatic routes using the map information for either pedestrian or vehicle use,

*	Create your own routes in areas where there is no map information,

*	Create your own points of interest to add to the commercial points,

*	Navigate on the map without going outside in Virtual Explore mode,

*	Or, use a combination of all of these options.

Each of these options is detailed below.

7.1	Looking around using GPS.

The BrailleNote GPS provides a means of accessing information about your environment, through speech, Braille or both. This information can 
be invaluable for getting oriented in a strange, or even familiar, environment.
The announcement of nearby points of interest (POIs) and street information may let you know you are in a familiar area as well as allowing 
the opportunity to choose one as a destination.  This is often the way sighted people orient, by using nearby landmarks and signs to know that 
they are in a familiar or unfamiliar area.  The local maps and Points of Interest databases allow the environment to talk to you through the 
BrailleNote so a blind person can also orient in this fashion.

7.2	Maps and Routes.

The second general use of the BrailleNote GPS is to navigate to a specific destination along an automatically planned route. One can also create 
manual routes or edit an automatically created pedestrian or vehicular route. These routes can of course be used in conjunction with the Look-
Around information. See the Foreword for examples of routes and Look-Around information.

7.3	The GPS Menu.

To select the GPS application, begin from the Main Menu and press SPACE repeatedly until GPS Menu is displayed, and then press ENTER.  
Alternatively, just press GG to load and start the program.  

KeySoft Prompts:  "Loading maps, please wait x Maps loaded.  GPS Menu " where x is the number of maps.
The menu options in the GPS menu and their uses are as follows:

"Start GPS" Open the GPS application.

Options Change any of the GPS program settings.

Edit User.poi file Make changes to User POIs.

Quick Reference Guide Display the GPS Reference Guide which is an alphabetic list of all the commands.

Users Manual Display the GPS Users Manual.
As with the Main Menu, you can review the GPS Menu by pressing SPACE or BACKSPACE, and you can select from it by pressing ENTER.  

Alternatively, you can select most items directly from the GPS Menu by pressing the initial letter, such as O for "Options."

7.4	GPS Options Menu.
You can access the GPS Options Menu either from within the GPS program by pressing O or from the GPS Menu either by pressing SPACE repeatedly until you hear GPS Options then press ENTER, or by pressing O in the GPS menu.  The GPS Options Menu is comprised of the following options:

*	Map Folder 

*	Points of Interest Folder 

*	Heading Mode, L for Left/Right or C for Clock mode, default Left/Right

*	Street Names, L for Long, S for Short, default Short

*	Units, I for Imperial, M for Metric, default Imperial

*	Sounds, Turn sounds on/off or hear samples of alert sounds

*	Arrival Distance, default 50 feet

*	Repeat-Interval, default 12 seconds

*	GPS Receiver Type, B for Bluetooth, G for Serial GPS, M for Magellan, C for Compact Flash, and S for Storage Card. The default is Serial GPS on the standard BrailleNote/VoiceNote and Bluetooth on the BrailleNote PK.

To select an option, move through the menu until the required option is displayed, and then press ENTER.  Alternatively, from anywhere in the 
Options Menu, press the initial letter of your choice. 

7.5	Map Folder.

In this option you can set the folder where the GPS software will look for map information. You can change the Map Folder as often as you like to 
accommodate your changes in location. The default folder name is Maps on the Compact Flash or Storage Card. 
To set the folder, select the Map Folder item and choose the drive and folder containing the map files in the same manner as selecting any folder 
on the BrailleNote. Pay attention to the confirmation message after you set the folder to make sure the appropriate number of maps was located. If you are in the application and are suddenly getting announcements of Unknown addresses and intersections, chances are that the map folder needs to be pointed to the proper map files.  Note:  If the maps are in a sub-folder of the folder you have selected, it will not work.  Instead, select that sub-folder as the Map Folder.  

7.6	Points of Interest Folder.

In this option you can set the folder where the GPS software will look for Points of Interest.  The default folder is POI on either the Compact Flash or Storage cards. Additionally, there is a POI folder under the GPS folder on the Flash Disk. If there are no cards in your BrailleNote, the POI folder will revert to the Flash GPS POI folder. 
To set the POI folder, press ENTER on this item under the GPS Options menu and select a POI folder in the same manner as selecting any folder 
on the BrailleNote. Note: if you are not hearing Points of Interest announced, chances are that the POI folder is not set to the folder containing your commercial .BPI POI files. These files have names like CA core.bpi, two at least for each state and a User.poi with your customizable points.  After you select the POI folder and press Enter, you will hear the 
number of commercial POI files loaded and the number of points in your User POI file.

7.7	Heading Mode, L for Left/Right or C for Clock mode.

There are two orientation methods for hearing the waypoint heading information, clock face and left/right.  The default is Left/right.  
In Left/Right mode, directional information is expressed in terms of left or right, and front or back.  For example, the "Golden Gate Bridge is ahead and left, 1.3 miles." 
In clock face mode, think of yourself with a clock surrounding you, where straight ahead is 12 oclock, directly behind you is 6 oclock and your right and left are 3 oclock and 9 oclock respectively.  When you are heading in the correct direction BrailleNote GPS tells you that your waypoint is at 12 oclock or directly ahead. It will also add a compass heading after the clock heading which tells you if the waypoint is North, South, East, or West.  
This is given after the clock face or right/left position announcements. For example,
 Golden Gate Bridge at 10 oclock, South.
To switch back and forth between heading modes, go into the GPS Options Menu, press H for Heading Modes, then C for clock face or L for left/right.  

7.8	Street Names.

In this option, you can choose between Long or Short forms of street names. If a highway has both a name and a number, you can hear both by 
selecting Long Names. For example: Long form is El Camino Real, CA-82, while the short form is just:  El Camino Real.  To change the setting, 
choose this option from the Options Menu and press S for Short or L for Long.  Short Names is the default.  For UK and Australian users, or US 
users using maps from other countries, you may find the Long Street Name option preferable.  Alternatively, use the SPACE with C command to hear all information about a location including multiple street names.

7.9	Units.

This option allows you to change the units from feet (Imperial) to meters (Metric) or vice versa.
When you select this option, GPS prompts:  To set units press I for Imperial or M for Metric 
After you select your unit preference, your choice is confirmed and you are returned to the GPS Options Menu.  The default unit for the US version is Imperial.

7.10	Sounds.

This refers to the sounds used in the program to indicate GPS accuracy or waypoint proximity.  Use this menu to hear the sounds used to signal 
different warnings, or to turn all the sounds on and off.
When you select Sounds from the GPS Options Menu, GPS prompts: 

Sounds Menu

Every time you press ENTER you will hear the sound for the selected item.

The Sounds Menu items are listed below:

Turn on or off all sound effects  This will enable or disable all sound effects from getting played while using the system, the default is On (sound effects will be heard).

Play lost GPS fix sound - This sound means that you have dropped to fewer than three satellites while you are using the GPS, and the GPS 
reading is no longer valid. This sound effect is played each time you have a valid position fix and then lose it. 

Play Poor quality GPS fix sound - This clicking sound means that you are still being tracked, but the accuracy is poor. The sound effect is played 
every 10 seconds when your GPS quality is poor.
Play no GPS fix sound - This sound means that you have dropped to less than 3 satellites while trying to acquire satellites, and therefore cannot have a position fix.   

Play waypoint arrival alert sound - This is a recorded voice that says, Arrive. It means you are very close to your waypoint, you are within 50% of your arrival distance as set under the GPS Options Arrival Distance. This only triggers when Route announcements are set to manual and 
Detailed Waypoint mode.

Play background operation sound This is the "swishing" that sounds when the BrailleNote is busy processing, such as in creating a route.
Play destination arrival alert sound  this is a voice that triggers when you reach your destination.

Play turning-point sound in route following  this is a double beep that triggers when you should take the next available turn. 

Play waypoint arrival sound when in turns only mode  this bleep occurs when you pass each route waypoint.  To hear the name of the waypoint 
you can press K. Otherwise, you just hear the sound for each waypoint. 

7.11	 Arrival Distance.

The Arrival Distance option allows you to set the distance from your waypoints at which they will be announced.  In other words, when you are 
within X feet, or meters, of your waypoint, BrailleNote GPS automatically announces that you are approaching that waypoint.  The default is 50 feet. (16 meters). If you switch between meters and feet, the Arrival Distance may shift a digit or two to round off the setting.

When you select this option, GPS prompts:  
Arrival Distance.  Press Enter for number where number is the number that is currently set as 
your arrival distance.  

To change the distance, type the new distance as a number value e.g. 60 feet as 60 or 20 meters as 20, and press ENTER. The arrival setting also affects waypoint and turning point announcements within routes. If you dont feel alerts are triggering soon enough, increase the Arrival Distance. If you feel they are prematurely announced, reduce the Arrival Distance.  Note:  If you are within 12 feet, or 4 meters, of your waypoint, BrailleNote GPS will announce that you are near your waypoint, it cannot give you accurate directional information when you are that close to the waypoint.

7.12	Repeat-Interval.

The repeat interval is the length of time between repeating announcements.  These are the repeat announcements you hear as a result of pressing M with one of several command letters, as explained in Section 12.6, Multiple Repeat Key.  The default interval is 12 seconds, and you can 
change it in this option by typing the number of seconds in numeric form e.g. 15 for 15 seconds.

7.13	GPS Receiver Type.

In this option you can set the type of GPS receiver that you will be using.

The options are B for Bluetooth, G for Serial GPS, M for Magellan, C for Compact Flash, and S for Storage Card.  The default is Serial GPS for the standard BrailleNote/VoiceNote and Bluetooth for the BrailleNote PK. 
The difference is that Magellan receivers reset their direction of travel to North when you stop moving and other receivers do not. We have 
compensated for this and hence have the different settings. 
GPS receivers that use the NMEA communication protocol should work. You may have to enable the NMEA option on the receiver to establish 
serial communication. We do not support receivers we do not sell but most should work including cell phones with built in GPS. 


8	Setting a Destination.

Before you can create an automatic route, you need to set a destination.  

There are four ways to set a destination:

1)	by address,

2)	by point of interest,

3)	by Explore position, or,

4)	by latitude and longitude. 

Address uses map information to pinpoint a location based on city, street and number.  GPS location information is used to locate the destination using latitude and longitude bearings.  A Point of Interest destination 
however comes from the point of interest information, either commercial or user-defined.  This variety of options for setting a destination means it is almost always possible to pinpoint an address, regardless of the information you have with which to work.
An automatic route is created, from the beginning point of your current position to the end point of your specified destination.  However once a 
route is saved, the GPS software simply thinks of the route as having two ends, and will set one or other as the "destination" depending on where 
you are when you open it.  In other words, you need a destination to create the route, but after that, the destination will depend on which direction you choose to follow the route.

To set a POI or Explore position as a destination, press SPACE with D when you hear the POI or Explore position you wish to set.  

8.1	Selecting an address and setting it as a destination, POI or Virtual position.

As well as selecting an address to set as a destination, you can also make it a POI, or a virtual position.  The following procedure shows how to select an address.  

1)	From anywhere in the GPS software (other than when editing a route), press SPACE with S.  

2)	You are presented in turn with fields for State, City, Street Name and Address number.  For the State field, you must enter the first two or 
three letters of the state, not the two letter abbreviation.  To review the Help messages for these fields, press SPACE with H. You have the 
option of an exact match, accepting the default from your last entry, entering a partial match, or getting an entire list. If the address you 
enter is not found during an Address search, a list of cross streets will be presented. An alternate street number will be presented, which you can select by pressing Escape.  Note, if you do not enter a street address, the cross street list will also be presented. The cross street list in the Address matching mode is not completely in  order. You will find that sections of streets are in order but not the entire cross-street list. The purpose of this list is so that the user has a choice of potential cross streets if an address number is not available. If one needs to see the exact layout of cross streets, the Virtual Explore mode can provide this.  Try to get the zip code for an address as 
this will help you pick the correct street name in a list of similar names.

3)	Having successfully selected the address, you are then prompted to set the address as either a destination, POI or virtual position.  Press D for destination, P for POI, or V for virtual position.  Note: If you set the address to a virtual position but are not in virtual mode, you will know where it is relative to your GPS position, but you can't work with it unless you go into virtual mode by pressing V either before or after you set the address.  This is distinct from pressing V to set the virtual 
position.

4)	The BrailleNote will announce:  
"Destination set to location entered".  You can then create an automatic route as described in 
Section 9.3. 

A few pointers to increase the possibility of an address match. 

*	If you are uncertain as to the spelling of a street name, enter just the first few letters and ENTER and then press SPACE or BACKSPACE to scroll through the list until you find a likely match. Then press ENTER to accept.

*	If you are not sure if a street is a lane or a court, just enter the name and you will be presented with multiple options if there are any.  If you know for sure how the suffix is written, you can type it in for an exact match. However if the street name is written as Maple Ln, then you 
must type it in that way rather than as Maple Lane.

*	If you are searching for West 8th Street, it must be entered as, 8th st, W there must be a letter sign before the W on the BT keyboard or it would be back translated as will. If you are not 100 percent sure of the proper syntax, just type in 8 or 8th and you will be given a list 
of streets with that basic name. Then you can arrow to the one you want and press enter. If there are multiple streets of the same name in 
the same city, like East and West 59th Street in New York City and Brooklyn, a zip code will appear to help distinguish each item. Try to 
get the zip code before attempting to set an address.

*	Some cities must be retrieved in a round about fashion. If your city is not found, consider a couple work-arounds.  Try putting in the county name.  For example, Bedford Massachusetts might require the city field to be filled in with Middlesex County instead.  Try a nearby city or district. We found the small town of Volcano California (population 86) by entering Sutter (a nearby city);  then picking Sutter-Plymouth and Sutter as the street name. Knowing the zip code is 95689, we could pick the correct street from the 5 offered. Most cities arent this tricky but it is good to know that even the smallest towns are probably in the map database it may just take a little ingenuity to bring them up.  You can also press Enter without any text in the State, City or Street fields to produce a list of all matches or enter the first couple letters to narrow the search.  Note: 
If you are in a city like Volcano and press C to hear the City name, the township or county will be announced if the exact city name is not in the database.  This will be helpful for faster address matches in the future. 

*	Many cities are also available as Points of Interest.  If you are unable to find a city in the address mode, try finding it as a POI. 

You can use the following commands to review lists of addresses more easily:

Go to the top of the list; 	SPACE with dots 1-2-3.

Go to the end of the list;	SPACE with dots 4-5-6.

Move forward through the list one item at a time;	SPACE or SPACE with dot 4

Move backward through the list one item at a time;	BACKSPACE, or  SPACE with dot 1.

Jump backward 10 items; 	SPACE with dots 2-3.

Jump forward 10 items;	SPACE with dots 5-6.


8.2	Setting Latitude and Longitude (Lat/Lon) positions.

Setting positions by latitude and longitude means that any point in the world can be given a name and saved in your personal database of points. 
You can find out about your current GPS position relative to any other point in the world.  Finding latitude /longitude positions on the Internet is fairly easy to do  using a search engine like Google.com, type in the name of the location and either 'latitude' or 'longitude' and you should get the information in the first two or three hits. 
 Other possible web sites where latitude/longitude information might be available are 
http://www.geocode.com or http://www.wayhoo.com.   Lets say for example you were going to take a trip to the Galapagos Islands and wanted to know which Central American city was closest to fly into, San Jose Costa Rica or Guayaquil Ecuador. Use Google on the Internet to find the lat/lon for these three locations. Then, set your current position to the Galapagos and set the other two cities as a destination or point of interest. 
If this sounds like your kind of fun, play the worldwide GPS treasure hunt game by joining http://www.geocaching.com.  

To hear the latitude and longitude in degrees, minutes, seconds for your current GPS position, Press Y.
 
To set a virtual position by latitude and longitude, do the following: 

1)	Press SPACE with Y and you will hear 
Enter latitude degrees.

2)	Enter the two digits for the degrees, for example, 37

3)	Repeat this for the rest of the prompts, per the example coordinates:

Enter latitude minutes. 46

Enter latitude seconds. 30.7

Press N for North or S for South. N

Enter longitude degrees. 122

Enter longitude minutes. 25

Enter longitude seconds. 5.15

Press W for West or E for East. W

Enter the description for this location. Type a descriptive name.  These example lat/lon coordinates belong to the city of San 
Francisco, CA.

4)	Finally, the last prompt says:  Define as, Destination, P O I, or Virtual?  Type V for Virtual. 

5)	You can now explore points near this virtual lat/lon for example by pressing F. Switch back to your GPS position by pressing V.

Note: Do not enter a minus sign before any of the lat/lon values as this is determined when choosing S for South or W for West.

There are three possible ways to input lat/lon information.  The first is outlined above in the example, this way is called Degrees, Minutes, 
Decimal Seconds.  

The second way to input a lat/lon is called the Degrees, Decimal Minutes, you will not be prompted to enter seconds.  To search a 
Degrees, Decimal Minutes latitude and longitude, do the following: 

1)	Press SPACE with Y and you will hear 
   Enter latitude degrees.

2)	Enter the two digits for the degrees, for example, 37

3)	Repeat this for the rest of the prompts, per the example coordinates:

      Enter latitude minutes. 46.512

   Press N for North or S for South. N

      Enter longitude degrees. 122

Enter longitude minutes. 25.086

   Press W for West or E for East. W

      Enter the description for this location. Type a descriptive name.  These example lat/lon coordinates belong to the city of San Francisco, CA.

4)	Finally, the last prompt says:  Define as, Destination, P O I, or Virtual?  Type V for Virtual. 

Finally, there is the Decimal Degrees. Simply, enter a complete string for the lat or lon in the Degrees field if you have the full decimal value 
of the string, in which case you won't be prompted for the minutes or seconds.  For example:

Enter latitude degrees.  37.7751997

Enter N for North or S for South N

Enter longitude degrees. 122.4180997

Enter W for West or E for East W

Define as, Destination, P O I, or Virtual?  Type V for Virtual. 



9	Recording and following Routes.

This section looks at all aspects of creating automatic routes.


9.1	About Routes and Waypoints.

The quality of map data varies from town to town and it will continue to be improved by the map supplier over time. Frequently, the street will match exactly with where you are walking or driving. Other times, you may find that the street is 25 or even 50 feet off (8 to 16 meters) from where you are physically walking. This offset has to do with the geocoded position of the street map and the GPS inaccuracy. Our GPS software tries to take 
these factors into account when announcing information and creating routes. 
 
There is no guarantee that the automatic route is completely accurate or safe to travel. However, you should find that the automatic creation of 
routes is very efficient and useful most of the time, and automatic routes can be customized with the addition or deletion of waypoints.
Routes created automatically by the BrailleNote provide a wealth of information and a variety of options. Numerous factors go into the software calculation of a recommended route and these routes may not always be desirable. You therefore have the option to edit and fine-tune these routes manually.

9.2	Street classifications.

In addition to map quality factors, the route calculation software must deal with road classification and a multitude of street options. Roads are classified such as Limited Access, and Arterial.  They have attributes assigned to them such as one way, or pedestrian only. Limited Access means that only vehicles can access the road. This classification can change along the same road such as Highway 29. It is a major highway 
approaching Napa California but becomes accessible by pedestrians going through small towns where it switches from Limited Access to Arterial. 
The BrailleNote GPS software takes these classifications into account when calculating routes. 


Notes:

*	In automatic route calculation, waypoints are placed at street intersections. Additional points can be inserted manually.

*	Once you start route creation, you cannot cancel other than by pressing the Reset button.

*	Routes may take many seconds or even minutes to create depending upon the length. The storage slot and medium being used may also 
impact the speed of the route creation. For longer routes you will be asked to confirm that you want to create your route before the program will continue.  If you know you have a long route to calculate, say 300 miles, it is wise to do the route creation before starting the trip. Calculation takes roughly 6 seconds per mile on the BrailleNote, which equals 2 swish sounds per mile.  It is much faster on the BrailleNote PK.

*	When a route first opens, give it several seconds to synchronize with your present GPS position.

*	If you are calculating a route while moving in a vehicle, your direction of travel is not taken into account. If it takes a minute to 
calculate a 10 mile route, you may be a mile or more past the first waypoint by the time the route has finished being calculated. The software will automatically skip to the waypoint nearest your GPS position when the defaults are set. You will have more success being able to follow vehicular routes if you finish calculating the route before moving. If you dont like the route created for you or if you are at a much different place by the time it finishes calculating, pull 
over and recalculate by pressing R then V again. 

9.2.1	Naming a Route.

Each route must have a unique, meaningful name so that it can be stored and later retrieved by specifying its name.  You can use whatever name you like, with up to 250 characters, including spaces, in computer Braille.
If you have several routes with a similar theme, you may find it helpful to put the common part of the name first.  For example, you might have:
	
	"Bus Route A"
	
	"Bus Route B"

and so on.  These route names would be grouped together alphabetically for easy location.
Routes can be grouped into folders to make them easier to find.  As an example, the routes just mentioned might all be put into a folder called 
Bus Routes.  The rules for naming a folder are the same as for naming a route.
Some characters are reserved and you may not use them in a file name.  
They are: \ /:  < > | * and ? .

9.3	How to Create an Automatic Route.

In order to create an automatic route, you need a beginning and an ending point and you must have the street maps loaded for the area where you 
want the route created.

Follow these steps:

1)	Set a destination by address, POI or lat/lon as described in Section 8.

2)	Decide if you wish the starting point to be from your current GPS position i.e. where you are currently located, or from a Virtual position.  

More information on Virtual positions and Virtual Mode can be found in Section 13.  Your current GPS position can either be the GPS position you are tracking or the last GPS position tracked if you have entered a building and cannot pick up satellites.

3)	Once you have decided upon your starting position and have set a destination, Press R for Route commands, and then V for Vehicular or P for a Pedestrian route.

9.4	Route Commands.

This section outlines the types of commands available that effect the way a route is announced, presented, or calculated.  Many are grouped into a list of options, others have independent commands.  The options are discussed first below, and then the independent commands.

9.4.1	Route Option Commands.

There is a range of commands available simply by pressing R for the Route Options, then the initial letter.  These commands all impact the way in which a route is relayed to the user, and are available anywhere within the GPS program other than while editing a route.  The route parameters you set using these commands will be saved along with the route, even after 
exiting the GPS program.

These commands are:

R then I;	Information, 

R then P;	Pedestrian,

R then V;	Vehicular

R then A;	Auto to Manual toggle,

R then M;	Turns only to Details toggle,  

R then T; 	Total distance announcement, 

R then F;	Follow sequential route,

R then C;	Close route, 

R then S;	Save route, 

R then O;	Open/Create Route,

R then R;	Reverse Direction of Route,

R then B; 	Distance from Route Beginning to current position 

R then E; 	Distance from Route End to current position 

R then K;	Record POI as WP  

R then I ;	Route information:  Press this to hear the current settings for whether the route is reversed, if the route needs saving, if Auto Increment is on or off or if Follow Sequential Route is on. 
Each of these settings are detailed later in this section.

R then P; Pedestrian Route: Use this setting when automatically creating a route suitable for walking.  The automatic calculations disallow vehicle only roads such as Limited Access (vehicle-only) highways, and allows for two way travel on a one way street.

R then V; Vehicle Route:  Use this setting for automatically creating a route suitable for a car, van or other vehicle.  The calculation includes all road types, and respects one-way streets and highway ramps.

R then A; Waypoint Announcement Mode: this command toggles between Auto Increment and Manual Waypoint announcement modes. In manual mode, you will hear the current waypoint announcement followed by Press W for Next Waypoint. This gives you time to consider the current 
announcement before moving on to the next waypoint instructions. In Auto Increment Waypoint mode, you hear that you are approaching the 
current waypoint, that you arrived at that point and then you hear information about the next waypoint. That next waypoint is then 
automatically set as your new current waypoint. To find out whether you are in Auto Increment or Manual mode, press R then I.

R then M; Mode Toggle:  This command toggles between two different ways of following a route  by Turns Only, or by Detailed Waypoints.  You 
can toggle between them while in a route without having to recalculate the route. A fuller description of each mode follows:  
Following in Turns-Only mode:  In this mode, you will only hear turns or bends in the route announced, in the form of the distance and direction of the turning point plus the name of the turning street and the direction it travels. For example, "1 mile to Waypoint 10, proceed right on Market heading West. If you dont touch any keys, you will hear a sound each time you pass an interim waypoint and then an announcement when you approach the turn. A unique double-beep will draw your attention when you are near each turning point. It is common for highways to change names in the map database when passing through towns. This may cause a Turning Point to appear when there is one of these name changes. In practice, you probably arent turning, just making a transition. If you see a 12 oclock turn, this is probably what is happening. Press SPACE with T to go to the next turn and then the W key a few times to see what waypoints are beyond the turn. Press SPACE with N to return to the waypoint nearest your GPS position.  

Following in Detailed Waypoint mode: In this mode, you hear each waypoint intersection announced instead of the sound indicator you 
heard in Turns mode. Warning announcements will occur when you are approaching a point, when you arrive at a point and if you need to turn at 
a point. Again, if you are in automatic increment mode (RA toggle) the current waypoint and next waypoint information will be spoken. If the 
Waypoint Announcement is set to Manual, the Current Waypoint will be spoken and you are prompted to "Press W for the next Waypoint". 

R then T; Total Route Distance: This command announces the total accumulated distance of the route, not as a straight line but as traveling 
distance.  

R then B; Beginning to current position:  This command announces the total distance between your current location and the beginning of the route.  The distance announced is the approximate distance in the route, not "as the crow flies".

R then E; End to current position:  This command announces the total distance between your current location and the end of the route.  The distance announced is the distance still to be traveled, not "as the crow flies".

R then F; Follow Sequential Route: Before following a route that may wrap back around itself as in a circular route or one with hair pin turns, switch to the Follow Sequential Route by pressing RF. This ensures that waypoints will be announced in numeric order. No points will be skipped or triggered even if they are closer to you than the next numeric point.  This is particularly useful for manually created routes which are far more likely to meander  for example a route that goes North on the left side of the street for 3 blocks then back South on the opposite side of the same street.
  
R then O; Route Open or Create:  To select an existing route or create a new route, Press R then O. You will be asked for a file location as for any other KeySoft file, and can open an existing route, or enter a new filename to create a new one.  When opening an existing route, the software will make its best guess whether you want the first or the last waypoint as the 
destination based on your location. If you are in the middle of the route when it opens, the furthest end point will be chosen as your destination.
Please Note: If you go to create or open a new route while already in a newly created route, you will be prompted as to whether you want to save 
the current route before changing.  Press Y to save, N to close without saving.

R then R; Reverse Route: To Reverse the route so that the opposite end point becomes the destination in the waypoint sequence, press R then R. If you reverse a vehicular route, be aware that you may not be able to travel the exact reverse route if there are one-way streets or highway ramps involved in the route. In this situation, it would be best to recalculate the 
route to your new destination.  

R then S; Saving a Route: You can save a route any time by pressing R then S.  

R then C; Close Route: To close the route you are in, simply press R then C.  If you haven't saved the route, you will be prompted to do so at this 
point press Y to save or N to close without saving. 


9.4.2	 Announcing the next Turn.

On top of any route command setting you have chosen, you can also choose to hear the next turn announced.  To do this, press T at any time when following the route.  This T command announces the distance from your current GPS location to the next turn in the form of the distance and 
direction of the turning point plus the name of the turning street and the direction it travels. For example, "1 mile to Waypoint 10, proceed right on Market heading West.  It is an announcement only and does not change the current waypoint.

9.4.3	Changing the Next Waypoint.

There are two ways in which you can change the current waypoint.  These are aside from being in Manual mode where you are required to by default, 
and will function in any route no matter what the route parameters are. 

Both are described below:

a)	The first is to make the next turn in the route the current waypoint by pressing SPACE with T.  So, regardless of how many waypoints may be 
between your current position and the next turn, by pressing the command SPACE with T, the program will then skip over them all and start announcing the next turn as the current waypoint.   

b)	The second is to manually skip to the next waypoint by pressing W, making it the current waypoint.  You can do this as many times as you like, and each time the next sequential waypoint in the route will become the current waypoint.  In GPS mode, the K command will tell 
you where that waypoint is relative to your GPS position.  In Virtual mode, the K command will tell you where that waypoint is relative to 
the last waypoint announced.  Note: to manually skip to the next Waypoint press W and to the previous waypoint press SPACE with W

9.5	Inserting Waypoints in Automatic Routes.
Once you have had the BrailleNote GPS create an automatic route with a sequence of waypoints at intersections, you can insert manual waypoints if 
you wish. 
First, create a route per the instructions in the Automatic Route section by setting a destination and selecting R then V, or R then P. Press R then S to save that route and give it a name. Now, walk your way virtually through the route with the W or SPACE with W commands. When you find the waypoint you wish to insert the manual waypoint in front of, press SPACE with K and type the name and description (e.g. 1st Street, 4- way intersection). You must of course be at the location of the waypoint you wish to insert because the manual waypoint is based upon your GPS position. Save waypoint changes from time to time just as you would when creating a document to ensure that data is not lost due to unforeseen circumstances.  To save your route and waypoint changes made, press R then S. Note: You must be tracking a GPS position before you are allowed to create a Waypoint.  If you are not tracking and wish to create a route, switch to Virtual mode and insert manual Waypoints into the route. It is not required that you save an Automatic Route before inserting manual points but it cant hurt in case you change your mind and wish to revert to the original route. 

9.6	Tips on following a vehicular route.

When traveling on a freeway or highway, your next turn might be announced as 0.50 miles to waypoint 12, proceed right on Ramp.  The 
most effective way to review a vehicular route as you are traveling is to use the SPACE with T to move you up to that turn and the W to become 
acquainted with your next significant turning point. You may have to press W a couple times before you move past the exit ramp to the nearest 
intersection. The name of the intersection is your major clue as to the exit name from a highway. Ramps may have a couple waypoints because they curve around. The intersection at the end of the ramp isnt always the name of the exit.  There may also be a name for the exit in the POI database. 

Once you get the next turning point sorted out, set your current waypoint back to your current GPS or Virtual position by pressing SPACE with N. 
Once you approach the turning point, you will be alerted and you can tell the driver to take the next exit. Normally you would want Turns-Only 
mode turned on so you just hear beeps at individual waypoints. You can always hear the name of the current waypoint by pressing K. If you are on a highway, these individual waypoints may not be legal exits or entrances from the highway.

When you load a route in Virtual mode or if you are not yet tracking satellites, you will need to press W once to advance to the first Waypoint 
in the route.


9.7	Trigger distances.

The software attempts to automatically trigger announcements based upon your proximity to waypoints, turns, and the number of lanes and speed of movement. These are complex formulas but here are some approximate trigger distances based on the default Arrival distance of 50 feet (16 
meters). Keep in mind that the distance to an intersection is to the center of the intersection. Note that when traveling at higher speeds, there is a noticeable lag, the car may travel 500 feet just in the time it takes to speak the announcement. Also, direction-of-travel and GPS position are based on samples once a second so a 5 second sample might occupy 400 feet (121 meters) of travel on a highway.

If the GPS software determines that you are progressing through your waypoints but you have not come close enough to trigger them, you will 
hear that X number of points have been skipped unless Force Sequential mode is turned on. This helps compensate for map data that may not 
exactly match the street you are on. You can always back up through the waypoint list if you want to see what was skipped or you can press RF to force the route to be followed sequentially. 
   
   For example:

Pedestrian, Approaching turning waypoint, 300 feet

Pedestrian, Turn now, 100 feet

Pedestrian, Arrive voice (Manual Detailed Waypoints), 50 feet

Vehicle (60 miles per hour), Approaching Waypoint, 1 mile

Vehicle (60 miles per hour), Turn now double beep, 1000 feet

9.8	Automatic Heading and Distance Announcements.

Once a route is loaded, you can hear an automatic heading and distance announcement to the Current Waypoint, Next Turn or Destination.  This 
automatic message announcement contains three pieces of information described next. The interval in seconds for repeating this announcement is user definable from the GPS Options menu, as described in Section 7.7. 

1)	The orientation reading.  There are two orientation methods for obtaining the waypoint heading information, clock face and right/left.  The default is Left/Right mode.  To switch back and forth to the clock face announcements, go to the GPS Options Menu, Heading selection.  A detailed description of these modes is also available in Section 7.7.

2)	The distance reading.  The key here is to hear the distance to your next waypoint or destination decreasing.  If the distance is 
consistently getting smaller, you are headed in the correct direction.  
If the distance is increasing, you are headed the wrong way.  If there is one essential piece of information to be aware of when using GPS 
for navigation, this is it!

3)	The compass heading.  In the clock face mode, you get a compass announcement, which tells you if the waypoint is North, South, East, or West.  This is given after the clock face or right/left position announcements. 
For example, at 10 oclock, South.


 
10	Creating a Route without maps.

While it is possible to create a route using maps, there will be times when you are somewhere where maps are of no use  perhaps camping, or sailing as in our earlier example. With the BrailleNote GPS, you can custom create a route simply by walking or riding along it, and creating waypoints as you go.  You can then save this route and reuse it as often as you need, 
and even swap it with other BrailleNote GPS users.  

10.1	How to Create a manual Route.

1)	Once in the GPS application, press R for Routes and O for Open/Create.  KeySoft prompts:  
Folder name? X, 
where X is the last folder opened.  The first time you use GPS it will offer the General 
folder.  You may wish to select the GPS folder on your Flash disk. 
 
Select a folder in the usual way.

2)	KeySoft then prompts:  "Route name?  Computer Braille is required. The last route or document used will be presented.

3)	Type in a unique, meaningful route name and press ENTER.  The program says:  Document does not exist.  Create a new document?  
Press Y to create the new route.   

4)	Press Y as directed.  The program then says Recording route, RouteName. where RouteName is the name you have just created. 

5)	When the software announces: GPS Detected you can begin to create the route.


10.2	Entering Manual Waypoints.

When creating a route in this manner, you must be tracking satellites and be on the spot you wish to use as a waypoint when creating the waypoint. 
When you want to record a waypoint, follow these steps:

1)	Press SPACE with K. KeySoft prompts:
Waypoint name.  Press ENTER for Waypoint 1

2)	You can type in a more specific name, or you can accept the default name, Waypoint 1.  Even if you give the waypoint a name, its number 
in the sequence will be maintained.  Press ENTER.

3)	Enter in Waypoint direction, S or Dot 2 for Straight, R or Dot 1 for Right, and L or Dot 3 for Left.

4)	Next, you will be prompted for a Waypoint description.  Some examples of this would be 4-way intersection or slight curve in path.  
Note:  Do not enter the turn direction here (i.e. right turn) as the direction will switch when using Reverse Route. 
Save the waypoint by pressing ENTER.  The BrailleNote then says: 

Waypoint 1, Direction, Description, added.

5)	Continue adding waypoints until you have reached your destination.

6)	To exit and save the route, press SPACE with E, or to save the route but keep it open, press R and then S.


10.3	Editing Waypoints.

Waypoints in any saved route can be copied, renamed or deleted.   To execute any of these edits, first open the route and then press E to go into Edit mode.  Move through the waypoint list by pressing SPACE with dot 4 to go forward or SPACE with dot 1 to go back, until you find the one you wish to edit.  Details of each type of edit are listed below:

To delete a waypoint, scroll to the desired item and press E to Erase.

To copy a waypoint, locate the waypoint as above, then press C. Then, locate the waypoint before which you want to paste the copied waypoint. 
Paste the copied waypoint into its new location by pressing V.  Finally, go back to the original waypoint number and erase it.

To rename a waypoint, locate the waypoint as above, then press R and type in the new name followed by ENTER.

To Move a Waypoint, you must first Copy it, then erase the original point. Don't erase it until you have copied into its new place.

If you have a waypoint you wish to add to your User POI file, simply press P when that waypoint is highlighted and it will be copied into your User POI file. If you wish to do the reverse and place a POI into your route waypoints, exit editing and press R then K when the POI you wish to record as a waypoint is highlighted. 

10.4	Tips for Setting Quality Route Waypoints.
Waypoints should be significant points in the route.  By setting a waypoint, you are figuratively dropping an electronic breadcrumb to help you remember your route.  Significant points in the route may be turns on to other streets, major landmarks, and any other distinctive environmental clue.  You do not want your waypoint to be something that can move or that may not be there when you walk the route again.
A waypoint may focus on a specific spot such as the corner of the street or the front door of your house, but in reality it is more like the area within a 10-30 foot (3-10 meter) radius.  The GPS cannot reliably pinpoint a spot more accurately than this.  It is wise to take this into consideration when using the GPS.
Waypoints should not be too close.  If the points are too close together, you may have an overlap of points.  It is recommended to set your points 
100 feet (30 meters) apart although shorter distances can work.

Be descriptive and concise when naming the waypoints.  The waypoint is recorded as soon as you press SPACE with K, so you have as much time as you need to enter the name.  You can continue on your route without having to write the name immediately.
If you have time when setting the route check the GPS status before setting the waypoint by pressing G or SPACE with dot 5 to hear the GPS position quality.  You need at least 3 satellites to have a GPS position-fix, but it is best to have more when setting a waypoint.  If the receiver is not tracking, you will receive a message telling you so.
To maximize the accuracy of a waypoint recording, try to get a clear view of the skyline and pause for 10 seconds or so.


11	Points of Interest (POIs).

There are more than 12,000,000 commercial Points of Interest for the U.S. and Canada . See the Read Me document for up-to-date POI details for 
these and other countries. Unlike the User POI files discussed below, the commercial .bpi files cannot be modified. If a POI goes out of business, you cannot delete it. You can create a User POI that says it no longer exists or has a new name.

The Commercial and User POI files must be in the same folder. When you use the F Find commands, both the commercial and User POIs will be 
sorted. If commercial POIs are not showing up when you use the F Find commands, chances are that you need to go to the GPS Options menu and 
set the POI folder to the folder containing the POI files.


11.1	Finding Points of Interest.

To do a simple POI search, press F and you will hear the nearest points within 1/4 mile in order of proximity, from closest to farthest.  If you 
scroll through this list to the furthest POI, you are then prompted to expand the proximity search to 1, then 2, then 5, then 10 miles and so on, 
(1/4, 1, 2 and 5 Kilometers in Metric Mode).  The POIs that are found keep being added to the list so you can subsequently scroll through them to see what is around.  Some POIs have more detailed descriptions, such as addresses and phone numbers, to hear this information announced press 
SPACE with P when you have the Point of Interest highlighted. 

11.1.1	Advanced POI Search

You use the advanced search feature if you want to search for a POI by name, distance, or by category using the command SPACE with F.  You 
are asked for a beginning and ending distance, then the category, and then the search string. For example, you want to find a restaurant called Burger Palace that is 10-20 miles away.  
First you would press the advanced search command, SPACE with F.  
Next, you will be prompted to enter your starting POI search distance which would be 10 in this case.  Then, enter your ending search distance, 
20, and press ENTER.  Once you have defined the distance parameters, you will be prompted for a 
category.  Type restaurant and press ENTER.  If you do not know the exact name of the category, you can scroll through the category list or use 
the first letter of a category to hop directly to a specific item. The program remembers the last category used, but defaults to the ALL category every time you enter the GPS program. You can also find a complete list of categories in the Read Me document.  Note: if you type the plural of a category, e.g. restaurants, the program will not find this category.  
Finally, you will be prompted for the search string, which refers to the name of the POI or sub-category that you want to find.  In this case that would be Burger Palace and press ENTER.  
If the POI is not found and you are asked if you wish to expand the search, the same distance increment will be repeated. Using the same example, you were searching from 10 to 20 miles, the expanded search would be from 20 to 30 miles, increasing by increments of 10. 
Searches will take longer to perform once you start getting hundreds of miles away. The swishing sound will indicate a search is in progress. If you want to look at points that are several hundred miles away, it would be best 
to set your Virtual position to that vicinity and then search for POIs relative to your Virtual position by pressing V to go to Virtual mode.
Remember that you can set a POI as a destination with SPACE with D or as your Virtual position by pressing SPACE with V. Listen to the currently 
selected POI by pressing P. Scroll through the list with SPACE with dot 4 forward or SPACE with dot 1 backward.

If you type 1 or 2 characters in the search string, the software will only find these characters at the beginning of the POI name.  However, if you type three or more characters, the software will look for a match anywhere in 
the POI name.
Note: If you do not enter a search distance, the beginning distance defaults to 0 and the ending distance defaults to 1/4 mile.  This is a fast way to use the advanced search mode to search specific categories.  



11.1.2	Point Of Interest Categories

There are over 100 POI Categories which make up the Core POIs.  These new points are the equivalent of electronic yellow pages with GPS 
positions.  The core POIs include everything from automobile, transportation, medical, government services to schools, libraries, restaurants, lodging, entertainment, and tourism.  These files should be placed in the POI folder. Be aware that searches of such a large volume of 
points will take longer, especially if POI files for the entire country are in the POI folder.

For a complete list of the POI categories, go into the GPS program and press Chord F and a list of categories will be presented as you fill in the Advance Find fields.  Also, see the Read Me document for up-to-date POI details.

11.2	Creating User Points of Interest. 

As well as the commercial points of interest provided, it is possible to create your own POIs.  
The first time you record a POI with SPACE with Dot 3, a file called User.poi is created. It will store all the POIs you create.  You can have only 
one User.poi file active at a time and it must have this name.  Therefore, if you swap user.poi files with another GPS user, it is a good idea to change the filename of your own and ensure it is backed up somewhere.
The User POIs are automatically sorted along with the commercial POIs when you use the F Find commands. Because of this, we recommend a 
naming scheme that allows you to distinguish between a commercial POI and a User POI for the same business.  For example, lets say that you 
created a route to McDonalds. Once you arrive, you see that the front door or drive thru are a couple hundred feet away from the commercial POI 
location for McDonalds. This is normal with businesses that are not directly on a street, especially for businesses in malls that share one 
common address. Create the POI by pressing SPACE with Dot 3 and name it McDonalds, main door. Now you know when you see two McDonalds close together, which one is actually at the building.

11.2.1	How to record a POI.

There are three different ways you can record your own user POIs.  As well as setting your current position as a POI, you can also set an address with SPACE with S or set a Lat/Lon with SPACE with Y.  For more information about addresses and Lat/Lon, refer to section 8.1  8.1.1.
To set your current GPS position as a POI, you must be in the GPS application and successfully tracking or in Virtual mode.  Follow these 
steps:

1)	Press SPACE with Dot 3.  GPS then prompts:  Point of Interest name?" 

2)	Type a name and press ENTER.  When you are naming your POIs, it is helpful to have a unique, meaningful name so that you can remember 
the significance of the POI.  You can enter up to 50 characters for describing your POI.  Use a comma to separate the primary POI name (P) from the secondary POI details (SPACE with P).

3)	Save the POI by pressing ENTER.  KeySoft then says: POI name added, where name is the name you just created.
This POI is now saved in the User.poi file and it will be triggered next time you are in the vicinity.  In fact, it may trigger immediately after you create it if you are doing it while standing still.  The User.poi file will be located in the default POI folder or in the directory you have designated under the 
GPS Options POI Folder. 


11.2.2	Editing User Points of Interest.

It is possible to edit POIs that you have created yourself.  

1)	From the GPS menu, press E for Edit User.poi.

2)	In the POI list, locate the POI you wish to edit, using the review commands listed below.

3)	Press E to Erase, R to Rename, C to Copy, V to Paste.

4)	Repeat one of these procedures for any other POIs you wish to edit.

5)	When you exit User POIs, you will be asked if you want to save changes.

You can use the following commands to review the POI list:

Go to the top of the list; 	SPACE with dots 1-2-3.

Go to the end of the list;	SPACE with dots 4-5-6.

Move backward through the list one item at a time;	SPACE with dot 1

Move forward through the list one item at a time;	SPACE with dot 4.

Jump backward 10 items; 	SPACE with dots 2-3.

Jump forward 10 items;	SPACE with dots 5-6.


11.2.3	Sharing POI files.

User.POI files can be shared between users.  Simply copy or attach the POI file from the GPS folder and send it to another user.  Only one User POI file can be active at a time as the GPS program is looking for a file called User.POI.  If you swap your user POI file with another user or visa versa, you should rename and back up any shared POI file you wish to save so as to not accidentally overwrite your User.poi file with another one.  For additional help refer to the BrailleNote user guide for instructions on 
transferring files.  The SenderoGroup.com download link provides more details on sharing User files. 


12	Looking Around.

You can look around to get oriented to your surroundings in three distinct Look Around modes: Automatic, Multiple Repeat, and Manual.  Look 
Around Mode allows you to get a sense of the environment around your current location.  The information can be very useful indeed in assessing what type of route you wish to create and follow, what type of heading information is going to be best suited to the environment etc. as well as being useful in its own right.

The commands for looking around will work while you are in either the GPS or Explore modes and while tracking or following a route, relative to 
your current position.  If you are not tracking, they will work relative to your last GPS position, or if in virtual mode, they will work relative to a specified virtual position.

12.1	Automatic Look Around Mode 

Automatic Look Around Mode searches for POIs and intersections in the vicinity and is turned on by default.  If a POI or intersection is located 
within 300 feet (91 meters), thename/heading/distance is announced.  If 
no POI or intersection is found, the software looks around again 12 seconds later.  Nothing is announced until it finds a POI or intersection 
within the trigger distance. If the same POI or intersection is announced and then found a second time, it will not be repeated. It can be set to 
announce nearby POIs and/or intersections, or turned off depending on user preference. If you are actively following a route, it may be less 
distracting to switch off the Look Around mode so the POIs are not interfering with the Waypoints.  If you press another command at the same instant as the program is looking around, there may be a delayed response.

When you press the automatic Look-Around mode command by pressing SPACE with M, you will be presented with the Look Around Mode menu.  

The Look Around Mode menu contains three items: 

1.	Turn Look Around Mode On or Off - To simply switch status, press O for On or F for Off. 

2.	Look Around Mode Settings - Press Enter on this item to make changes in the POI categories you wish to select including All commercial categories, individual categories, 
Intersections and the User POI category. Pressing Enter on these individual selections will toggle them On or Off.

3.	Review Current Look Around Mode settings  To review the status of the three Look Around settings.

The status of your Look Around settings is maintained when you exit the GPS program with Chord E or Chord Z.

12.2	Multiple Repeat Mode.

The Multiple Repeat key, M, followed by one of several single-letter keys repeats the respective single-letter function every X number of seconds. 
This repeat interval defaults to 12 seconds and can be changed under the GPS Options Menu item "Repeat Interval".  The multiple repeat 
announcements are:

M then A;	Multiple Address Announcement

M then C;	Multiple City/State Announcement

M then D;	Multiple Destination announcement

M then G;	Multiple GPS status Announcement

M then H;	Multiple Heading Announcement

M then I;	Multiple Intersection Detail Announcement 

M then K;	Multiple Current Waypoint Announcement

M then P;	Multiple POI Announcement

M then S;	Multiple Speed Announcement

M then T;	Multiple Turn announcement

M then V;	Repeat distance between GPS and Virtual

M then X;	Multiple Intersection announcements

M then Y;	Multiple repeat of Lat/Lon

M then Z;	Multiple Altitude Announcement

12.3	Manual Look Around Mode

Manual Look Around mode allows you to spot check your location.  At any time you can you can manually enter the Look Around commands:

X for Announcing Intersections

A for nearest Street Address

C for City, State, Zip

Y for Latitude/Longitude, and

P for Nearby POIs.

These options are detailed below:

12.3.1	Announcing Intersections.

The X key announces the nearest Intersection name, heading and distance.  
It usually announces the street you are traveling on first and the cross street second.  If you are moving, X announces the nearest intersection in a 90 degree arc ahead of you i.e. if ahead is 12 o'clock, between 10:30 and 1:30 o'clock.  If you are not moving, X gives you the nearest intersection, in any direction.  A unique sound differentiates X-not moving from X-moving (no 
sound).  You can hear the intersection announced repeatedly by pressing M then X.  Map data quality and GPS accuracy impact the preciseness of intersection announcements.  Once you are within 100 feet (30 meters) of the center of the intersection, no distances will be specified and the X key will announce that you are nearby the intersection.  Remember that the distance to the intersection refers to the center of the intersection, so you might be stopped at the intersection and hear that the intersection is 105 feet away.  If you want more details about your intersection press SPACE with X.   This command will announce intersection details like direction of travel and the compass orientation of the cross streets.  To have this command announce repeatedly press M then I.

12.3.2	Street Address.

Query the nearest known street address by pressing the letter A. If you are on a highway or if the address number is not known, the name only will be announced. You can also be a little way off the street itself, say in a nearby park, and hear the nearest address.  The wider the street, the more likely the address will correspond with the side of the street you are on. If you get 
a message saying the Address is unknown, move a bit and try again.

12.3.3	City, Feature, State, Zip.

To hear the current city, Map Feature if there is one, state and zip code announced, Press C. If you get a message saying it is unknown, move and 
try again. There may be some small towns which do not have address level data, only street names without house numbers. If the city name is not 
found, the nearest township will be announced. If no township is found either, the county or district may be announced. If there is a body of water, college campus or other map feature in the database, this will appear after the city and before the state.  You can also have the complete details of any location announced by pressing SPACE with C.  These details include the road classification, speed limit, number of lanes, address range on each side of the road, city, borough if there is one, county, country and zip.  

12.3.4	Latitude Longitude.

To hear the current latitude and longitude in Degrees, Minutes and Seconds, press Y.

12.3.5	Nearby Points of Interest.

To hear the nearby POI, press P.   To hear details about the announced POI, such as addresses and phone numbers, Press SPACE with P.   You can also set this POI as a destination by pressing SPACE with D.  

You can also press F to hear a list of nearby points in order of proximity. 
Once you change locations, you must press F again to sort points at your new location. 




13	Virtual Mode.


If looking around while touring the streets seems a bit overwhelming or you want to familiarize yourself with the area before you go, Virtual Mode allows you to look at the maps without having to actually be in the location being explored.  This means that you can explore the layout of the streets, preview a route, or virtually walk around the vicinity of a waypoint, point of interest, address or lat/lon. You might set your destination to a particular point of interest and then wish to know what else is in the vicinity of that destination. The Virtual Mode allows you to do this. You can be exploring in Virtual Mode and check on your relative GPS position at any time with the I Information key. Toggle between GPS and Virtual modes with V.  When you go into Virtual mode, any automatically 
repeated commands will be switched off until you return to GPS mode.

13.1	Virtual Explore Mode

A virtual position can be set by address, route waypoint, POI or lat/lon or to your GPS location.  See the respective sections about how to make these settings. Once you are set to one of these positions, you can use the Virtual Explore Mode commands to navigate around the map or you can use the POI Find functions to see what is near your Virtual position. Setting an address or lat/lon position is the quickest way to explore an area hundreds of miles away.

Using the example from the Scenarios where I am in Chicago and want to know what is around my hotel so that I can plan a business meeting.  First, I want to know the layout of the streets.  I press V to go into virtual mode, the BrailleNote will announce that my virtual position is 150 Main Street, the address of the hotel. I press Dots 2356 to move forward one 
intersection.  I hear On Main Street, 256 feet to 2nd Avenue.  If I move ahead one more intersection, I hear On Main Street, 438 feet to 3rd Avenue.  From this I can conclude that Main Street intersects the numbered avenues.  If I want to turn left or right, I press Dots 23 or Dots 56 respectively.  I can start to mentally create the grid of the streets around my hotel.  

To hear about nearby restaurants, I can conduct an advanced search by pressing SPACE with F.  I will be prompted for a POI distance, since I 
want nearby POIs, I will press ENTER for a starting distance at my current location and ENTER again for a 1 mile ending distance.  Next, I will enter restaurant for the category and press ENTER when asked for a search string.  Once, I have chosen my restaurant, I set that as my destination by pressing SPACE with D. 

Now with my virtual position set to the hotel and my destination set to the restaurant, I can create a route to the restaurant from the hotel by pressing the route command R and then P for Pedestrian.  
You can virtually explore routes with or without the GPS on. Use the W and SPACE with W to move from waypoint to waypoint. This is particularly useful for looking at routes in another town. It is also helpful when in a vehicle and you need to be several waypoints or turns ahead of the driver on the route.  This gives you enough time to figure out what is coming up so you can advise the driver.  
You may wish to preview a route on the BrailleNote and then navigate strictly by memory, leaving your BrailleNote at home.  

When exploring a route you can always set your virtual position to any 
waypoint along the route.  Just find the waypoint in question by pressing 
W, SPACE with W or SPACE with T and then set your virtual position to 
that point by pressing SPACE with V.

13.1.1	Important Virtual Mode commands:

Set Virtual to GPS;	SPACE with G,

Query relative GPS or Virtual position;	I,

Switch between GPS and Virtual Modes;	V,

Move forward an intersection;	Dots 2356

Move backward an intersection:	SPACE with Dots 2356

Turn left at an intersection	Dots 23

Turn right at an intersection	Dots 56

Set a POI or Explore position as your Destination;	SPACE with D.

Set a POI or waypoint as your Virtual position;	SPACE with V.

Note that setting your virtual position by pressing SPACE with V will either set your virtual position to the current POI or waypoint depending upon what you were last looking at.  If you were searching for POIs then SPACE with V will set your virtual position to the current POI, if you were looking at a waypoint along a route then SPACE with V will set your virtual position to the current waypoint. The same applies to the use of the SPACE with D command for setting a POI or Explore position as your 
destination. The command will apply to the last function you were performing. 


14	Miscellaneous Functions.

This section covers a range of miscellaneous general functions available while using the GPS.

14.1	The Pedometer.

The Pedometer allows you to check how much ground you have covered in either GPS or Explore modes.  It operates in either feet or meters depending on which setting you have chosen in the Unit setting of the Options Menu.

To hear the pedometer, press B.  Any time you want to check how far you have gone, press B again and the distance will be announced.  To reset the Pedometer back to zero, press SPACE with B.  

The pedometer is not related to any routes or POIs, it just keeps track of the distance until you reset it.  The accuracy of the pedometer will 
fluctuate with the accuracy of the GPS signals available.  The pedometer is not reset when you exit the GPS program. However, the Explore mode 
pedometer is reset to zero when you select a new Virtual position by address, lat/lon, GPS or POI position.  If it is necessary to reset the BrailleNote, the pedometer will be reset to 
zero.

14.2	Speed Announcement.

To hear the current speed announced, press S. Be aware that speed is based upon a GPS sample taken once a second then averaged over several seconds. This means that the speed reading in a vehicle is an indication of that vehicles speed some 3 to 5 seconds prior to when you press the S key.

14.3	Compass Heading.

To hear your current heading in terms of a compass reading and degrees, press H. East equals 90 degrees, South 180 degrees, West 270 degrees and North 0 degrees. The average of your heading is calculated to minimize the variations in heading due to GPS fluctuations around 30 feet. The degree reading is an excellent way to understand when you are on a curving road that would otherwise be difficult to detect by feel.

14.4	Setting GPS Time.

To set the BrailleNotes system by GPS time, press SPACE with U.  You do need to make sure you have selected the proper Daylight Saving option 
and time zone under the BrailleNote Miscellaneous time setting. You must have a GPS fix in order to get accurate time. The GPS time is quite 
accurate.
Note that you can utilize the BrailleNotes stopwatch while the GPS continues to operate in the background. You wont be able to issue any 
commands to the GPS but you will hear automatic GPS announcements while the stopwatch is running. 

14.5	Altitude.

To hear the current approximate altitude, press Z. This Z axis vertical reading is not quite as accurate as the X/Y horizontal GPS reading. 
Altitude accuracy is more like 50 to 75 feet (16 to 22 meters). You need at least a Fair GPS reading in order to get an altitude reading from the BrailleNote GPS. You wouldnt want to fly an airplane based upon the BrailleNote GPS altitude reading but it sure is fun to hear your 
approximate altitude when flying.  When you are within 100 feet, 30 meters, of sea level, your BrailleNote will announce near sea level instead of announcing an exact number.



<<end manual>>
