GPS location managed by Windows

[uwes-ufo]

Description

GPS location managed by Windows
On Windows systems, built-in GPS sensors are managed by the operating system. There is no serial port or NMEA protocol. But Qt can handle it.

Type of change

• New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
• Breaking change (fix or feature that would cause existing functionality to change)
• This change requires a documentation update

How Has This Been Tested?

Test Configuration:

• Operating system: Windows 11
• Graphics Card: Intel UHD 620

Checklist:

• My code follows the code style of this project.
• I have performed a self-review of my own code
• I have commented my code, particularly in hard-to-understand areas
• I have made corresponding changes to the documentation (header file)
• I have updated the respective chapter in the Stellarium User Guide
• My changes generate no new warnings
• I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
• New and existing unit tests pass locally with my changes
• Any dependent changes have been merged and published in downstream modules

[github-actions]

Great PR! Please pay attention to the following items before merging:

Files matching src/**/*.cpp:

• Are possibly unused includes removed?

This is an automatically generated QA checklist based on modified files

[alex-w]

I can try use GPS-dongle to test this PR tomorrow

[gzotti]

I am busy this week. Maybe I can find a slot to test the smartphone/BT bridge which worked with the existing solution.

[alex-w]

The PR works with GPS-dongle u-blox 7, but this is through NMEA

[uwes-ufo]

do you have Windows UWP by the fact?

No.

[gzotti]

These two lines could also be replaced by
emit queryFinished(loc);

to avoid some code duplication.

[gzotti]

I understand the 0.5 is for rounding purposes. In this case we should also change the GPS-based name of the NMEALookupHelper::nmeaUpdated() on which this method is based.

[gzotti]

Good to remove the code duplicates, thanks. Can you please add some lines of user documentation into guide/ch_advanced_use.tex, at line 448? Built-in GPS sensors in WIndows devices are new to me.

[uwes-ufo]

Built-in GPS sensors in WIndows devices are new to me.

I found this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-location-service-and-privacy-3a8eee0a-5b0b-dc07-eede-2a5ca1c49088#WindowsVersion=Windows_11

"... When this location setting is enabled, the Microsoft location service will use a combination of global positioning service (GPS), nearby wireless access points, cell towers, and your IP address (or default location) to determine your device’s location ..."

So you may get an approximate position without a GPS sensor?

I deactivated my gps sensor in the device manager as a test - it still works, but I don't get any altitude information.

[gzotti]

@gzotti according to QGeoPositionInfoSource class documentation we should switch to use of it in the future for Windows/macOS.

The NmeaPositionInfoSource is a subclass. Uwe apparently has a Win11 device with built-in GPS receiver, which communicates directly.

[gzotti]

Built-in GPS sensors in WIndows devices are new to me.

I found this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-location-service-and-privacy-3a8eee0a-5b0b-dc07-eede-2a5ca1c49088#WindowsVersion=Windows_11

"... When this location setting is enabled, the Microsoft location service will use a combination of global positioning service (GPS), nearby wireless access points, cell towers, and your IP address (or default location) to determine your device’s location ..."

So you may get an approximate position without a GPS sensor?

Ah good! If that is what is used here, fine. Maybe the button should then be renamed on Windows:

Get location from GPS or system service

[gzotti]

OK, seems to work. I can use my Bluetooth NMEA or the system's fallback service.
Thank you!

[gzotti]

So you may get an approximate position without a GPS sensor?

I deactivated my gps sensor in the device manager as a test - it still works, but I don't get any altitude information.

Yes, it seems this result is similar to the "get location from Network" option.

[github-actions]

Hello @uwes-ufo!

Please check the fresh version (development snapshot) of Stellarium:
https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium-data/releases/tag/weekly-snapshot

[uwes-ufo]

What I stumbled across while browsing...

diff --git a/src/core/StelLocationMgr.cpp b/src/core/StelLocationMgr.cpp
index 5c3327c..a49d98d 100644
--- a/src/core/StelLocationMgr.cpp
+++ b/src/core/StelLocationMgr.cpp
@@ -1053,7 +1053,7 @@
 		.arg(loc.latitude<0?"S":"N").arg(qRound(abs(loc.latitude)))
 		.arg(loc.longitude<0?"W":"E").arg(qRound(abs(loc.longitude)));
 
-	StelApp::getInstance().getCore()->moveObserverTo(loc, 0.0, 0.0);
+	core->moveObserverTo(loc, 0.0, 0.0);
 	if (nmeaHelper)
 	{
 		if (verbose)

[gzotti]

f6db5c6

[github-actions]

Hello @uwes-ufo!

Please check the latest stable version of Stellarium:
https://github.com/Stellarium/stellarium/releases/latest