Applies to:

*Additional compatible devices will be added in due course.

What is Private Mode?

Private Mode is designed to enhance user privacy by temporarily masking the asset location data of devices. Its primary goal is to prevent tracking or logging of sensitive asset information during personal or off-duty use, such as outside business hours, ensuring user confidentiality.

Typical Use Cases

• Masking trips taken during personal time, such as commuting, after-hours use, or holiday leave.
• Protecting user location privacy when vehicles or assets are driven for personal purposes.
• Preventing collection of sensitive telemetry data during non-operational hours.
• Preventing collection and exposure of sensitive organisation locations.
• Allowing manual activation by drivers at sensitive or high-security locations (Input line/switch required).

How Can I set up Private Mode?

To configure Private Mode, see the following Private Mode (Adv) article.

Private Mode in Telematics Guru

Private Mode can be enabled by configuring triggers such as After-Hours parameters, a Private Mode switch or an Async Message. 

When enabled, Private Mode conceals the asset’s actual location by one of two methods.

1. Replacing latitude and longitude coordinates with the device's last known location before entering Private Mode.
2. Replacing the latitude and longitude coordinates with user defined values, as set by a system administrator. The default coordinates being 0.00000, 0.00000, commonly referred to as ‘Null Island’. 

Regardless of the enabling triggers, when a device is in private mode, the Telematics Guru Live View and Asset History are influenced by these masked coordinates. 

The following information provides the main examples and expected results in Telematics Guru.

Live View

Information Card

Irrespective of the Private Mode Location preference set, the Live View information card will complement the asset location with the status: Driving from ‘Last Known' since ‘time’. 

The example below indicates driving from the Digital Matter Office Geofence since 11:03. The vehicle, in reality, is already 8 minutes plus in trip and at a completely different location, however is still mapping it's last known location.

Note that custom input mapping has been set up to support and indicate the status of the private mode switch and private mode status.

Trip History with ‘Last known’ Location Preference

Enabling Private Mode mid-trip

When Private Mode is enabled part way through a trip in progress, a trip will present a start location, and, end the trip with the ‘Last Known’ location, being the last coordinates the device recorded during the trip before Private Mode was enabled.

1. The trip below commences outside of Private Mode at ‘A’.
2. Private Mode is engaged based on After-hours parameters becoming true. 
3. The device logs the ‘last known’ location as ‘B’ (239 Railway Road, Subiaco). 
4. Subsequent trips also occur After-hours, and consequently these Private Mode trips are logged with the last known address for the start and end of the trip.

Private Mode enabled at the start, during and end of trip

Trips which commence and end in Private Mode whilst using the ‘Last Known’ location preference simply plot a ‘last known’ point on the map.

1. The trip start and end is location ‘B’, being the devices' last known location at 239 Railway Road, Subiaco. 
2. Subsequent trips performed with Private Mode enabled continue this behaviour.

Disabling Private Mode mid-trip 

When a device exits Private Mode during a trip, normal tracking recommences. In the example below the defined after-hours period has ended and private mode is consequently disabled. 

1. The Trip Map History below demonstrates the device starting the trip from the ‘last known location’, with Private Mode being enabled due to After-hours parameters.
2. The device reverts to standard tracking once Private Mode is disabled, with tracking history jumping from the ‘last known' location to the first available coordinate logged by the device.

Trip History ‘Null Coordinates’ (Lat: 0.0, Long 0.0) Location Preference

Enabling Private Mode mid-trip using ‘Null Coordinates’ location preference.

When Private Mode is enabled part way through a trip in progress, the trip will log a trip end location based on the last coordinate known to the device, followed by null island. This is only apparent on the Trip History map. Telematics Guru reports ignore null coordinates, however the Trip History Mapping does not.

1. The trip below commences in a standard tracking state. 
2. Private Mode is enabled part way through at ‘4a Johnson Parade, Mosman Park’ - the trip has ‘ended’ at this point, despite having continued further.
3. Null coordinates are shown on the map for final trip end point, plotting at Null Island (Lat: 0.0, Long 0.0).

In Progress Private Mode Trips using ‘Null Coordinates’ Location Preference

In progress trips using Null Coordinates as the location preference will show in live view.  Null island will represent as the start and current in progress location as seen in the screen shot below.

Disabling Private Mode mid-trip using the ‘Null Coordinates’ location preference 

When Private Mode is disabled part way through a trip in progress, the trip will present the null coordinates on the map as the starting point, followed by the first available coordinate once Private Mode is disabled. The trip end location is the actual device end of trip location.

1. Null Island is represented as the starting point on the map.
2. When private is disabled, the first acquired GPS location is populated.
3. The remainder of the trip tracks as normal. 

Trip History - User Defined Coordinates Location Preferences

This setting allows the system administrator to update the null coordinates to a location of their preference. 

In the examples below, the user defined coordinates also have a geofence named ‘Private Mode Active’ drawn around them. This assists with providing a more meaningful status for the user in both the Live View, Trip History and Asset Reporting views.

Enabling Private Mode mid-trip using ‘User Defined’ location coordinates

Similar to the other Private Mode preferences, in this instance when Private Mode is enabled, the trip end point plots to the coordinates set by the administrator. 

Private Mode enabled at the start, during and end of trip using ‘User Defined’ coordinates location preference

In this instance the the trip start and end point plots to the coordinates set by the administrator, and the geofence value set. 

Disabling Private Mode using ‘User defined Coordinates’ location preference 

In this example the user defined coordinates have been updated to: 

• Latitude: -32.0065°
• Longitude: 115.7985°

This maps to a point in the river, as seen in the screen shot below.

1. The driver has disabled the Private Mode switch and the device exits Private Mode. 
2. The device commences default tracking.

Manage Trips View

When Private Mode is enabled, historical trips are masked by the Private Mode location preference. Each setting has an impact on the data output in the report.

Last Known Location Preference

The example below is using the ‘last known’ location preference.

• Trip 1 - A standard tracking trip. A geofence to a legitimate street address.
• Trip 2 - Private Mode is enabled mid-trip, the devices' ‘Last Known’ location is 54 Gugeri Street, Claremont. This location carries through to the end of the trip.
• Trip 3 - Private Mode remains on, the trip commences and ends with Private Mode enabled. The ‘Last Known’ location is represented for both the start and end of trip.

Null Coordinates Preference (Latitude: 0.0000, Longitude: 0.0000)

The examples below are using the ‘Null Coordinates’ location preference.

• Trip 1 - this is a normal trip, tracked with private mode off.
• Trip 2 - the last recorded location is represented as the end location, despite the trip having concluded elsewhere.
• Trip 3 - the first recorded location (note this is different to the end location of the prior trip) is represented as the start location, despite the trip having commenced elsewhere. 

Trips with Null Coordinates 

When a trip starts and ends with a ‘Null Coordinates' preference, the trip is omitted from the Manage Trips view and other trip related reporting.

 

User Defined Coordinates with Geofence 

As suggested further above, combining a geofence with user defined coordinates assist the user to understand the live view and trip status during reporting. The examples below demonstrate the effect of Private Mode being enabled on the last trip, and subsequent trips the following day.

• Trip 1 - Private Mode is disabled.
• Trip 2 - Private Mode is enabled part way through the trip. 

• Trips 1 to 3 - Private Mode is enabled for each trip below.

Asset Timeline View

Asset Timeline whilst using ‘Last Known’ Location Preferences

When in Private Mode using the ‘Last Known’ location preference, events which are recorded during the trip are logged at the ‘Last Known’ location.

1. Private Mode commences. The logged ‘last known’ location is 54 Gugeri Street, Claremont.
2. A View Trip link is available, noting that this populates the ‘Last Known’ location.
3. An event is logged mid-trip, reporting the location ‘Last Known’ location and event statistics.
4. The trip ends, reporting the ‘last known’ location. 
5. Whilst in Private Mode, subsequent trips commence and start at the 'Last Known' location.

Asset Timeline whilst using User Defined Coordinates location preference

This preference will respond in a similarly to the ‘Last Known’ preference, however will populate the location defined by the user. Trip status information and the View Trip link will persist in the report.

Asset Timeline whilst using Null Coordinates location preferences

When in Private Mode using the ‘Null Coordinates’ location preference, events which are recorded during the trip are logged at an ‘Unknown’ location, with no values. The View Trip Link is also removed.

1. Private Mode commences.
2. View Trip Link is removed.
3. Event Locations populates as ‘Unknown’
4. Even details populates as 0.

Asset Daily Coverage Map, Daily Positions Map, Destinations History Map

Private Mode will emulate similar behaviour for each location masking preference as described above in the in Trip History section, with one exception.

• Asset Daily Coverage: Trips which start and end in Private Mode will plot 0,0, otherwise know as Null Island. 

Recommendations and Example

When using Private Mode, the Live View and Trip reporting output may prove to be confusing for the end user, particularly if the user has not been made aware of the Private Mode settings. The following recommendations can assist to minimise this.

• Trip and Live View Status: Create an associated Trip and Live status in the Asset I/O mapping. i.e. Private Mode: ON / OFF and Private Mode Switch On / Off. This is particularly helpful to ascertain the current and historical state to support the Assets movements (Or lack of).  Creating a similar input mapping for After-hours Mode can also assist to tell the story.
• Private Mode Geofence: When implementing the User Defined coordinates, create a geofence surrounding the chosen coordinates. Name the Geofence ‘Private Mode Active’ or something similar. The Geofence will influence the Live View Status location, but also assist with data interpretation, providing clarity for trip start and end reference points - as seen in the Asset Timeline and Manage Trips view examples further above.

Below is an example of the Live View Information Card with these recommendations enabled.

• Status Reason: Parked at 'Private Mode Active' since 11:51 
• Private Mode Switch: On
• After-hours Mode: Off
• Private Mode: On