Smartphone GPS Basics
Soon GPS will become almost as common as the telephone, or more likely included with every phone handset. GPS can calculate locations accurate to a matter of. In fact, amazingly with advanced equipment it is possible to make measurements to better than a centimeter!
It’s just like giving every square meter on earth its very own address. GPS receivers have become very economical as they have been miniaturized to just a few integrated circuits. These days GPS is becoming integrated into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially mobile phones.
Tracking mobile phones is a active topic getting a lot of interest. Much of the discussion surrounding cell tracking, mobile GPS and mobile phone tracker software applications could be helped by a GPS Satellite introduction and glossary.
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. GPS satellites broadcast signals from earth orbit that GPS receivers use to estimate three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. The GPS network is made up of 3 main segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment.
The GPS Space Segment incorporates twenty-four to thirty-two satellites that orbit the earth at a height of about 12,000 miles. These satellites are also known as as the GPS Constellation, and they are orbiting twice a day. They are not parked over one spot, they travel at over 7,000 mph. GPS satellites are solar powered but have battery backup for when they are on the dark side of the earth. They are positioned so that at any given time there are at least 4 satellites ‘visible’ from any point on earth. Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them properly positioned. The satellites have a lifetime of about 10 years until all their fuel runs out.
GPS Satellites are not communications satellites. Geostationary or communications satellites are parked in space 22,300 miles above the equator. These satellites are used for weather forecasting, satellite TV, satellite radio and most other types of global communications. At exactly 22,000 miles above the equator, the earth's force of gravity and centrifugal forces are offset and are in balance. This is the ideal location to park a stationary satellite. The earth rotates at about 1,000 miles an hour, and because of their high earth orbit the geostationary satellites need to move at about 7,000 mph to maintain position. This is just about the same speed as GPS satellites, but since they satellites are 10,000 miles further away they don’t move relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment is composed of Master Control Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and numerous dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to make sure the satellites are functioning correctly and the information they beam down to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment is composed of of GPS receivers taking the shape of mobile phones and , laptops, in-car navigation devices and hand-held tracking units along with the people that use them, and the software programs that make them function.
GPS receivers compute position by precisely timing the signals sent by GPS satellites. This information includes the time the message was transmitted, precise orbital information (the ephemeris), and the general system health and rough orbits of all GPS satellites (the almanac).
Consider that there is a fundamental difference between mobile phone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS cell tracking is normally related to someone maintaining records of either real-time or historical cell phone position, while Navigation deals with the mobile phone user determining how to get from point A to point B. Neither use works without some sort of third-party software program.
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Global Satellite System Glossary of basic terminology.
GPS consists of 24 GPS satellites, portable GPS receivers, and various ground-based support facilities.
The GPS receiver is typically a standalone handheld device or electronic unit mounted on a automobile dashboard or other movable item such as an ocean freight container, and now particularly common to be included with phone handsets . Abbreviated "GPS" in common use.
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