Mobile Phone GPS Primer
Posted: March 31, 2010 – 10:25 amBefore long GPS will become almost as common as the telephone, or more likely included with every cell phone. GPS can determine locations accurate to a matter of. In fact, incredibly with advanced forms of GPS you can achieve measurements to less than a centimeter!
In a sense it’s like assigning every square meter on the planet a unique address. GPS receivers have become extremely affordable as they have been miniaturized to just a few integrated circuits. These days GPS is finding its way into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially smartphones.
Tracking cell phones is a popular topic getting a lot of interest. A lot of the discussion surrounding cell tracking, cell phone GPS and mobile phone tracking software programs would be more meaningful with a GPS Satellite introduction and glossary.
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that GPS receivers use to provide three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. The GPS network is composed of 3 primary 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 make an orbit once every 12 hours. They are not geostationary, they travel at over 7,000 mph. GPS satellites are solar powered but have battery reserve 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 flying in the correct path. The satellites last about ten 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 gravitational force and centrifugal forces are canceled and are in balance. This is the ideal location to park a communications satellite. The earth rotates at about 1,000 miles an hour, and because of their high earth orbit the geo-synchronous satellites need to travel at about 7,000 mph to sustain position. This is just about the same speed as GPS satellites, but since they satellites are 10,000 miles further away they stay in place relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment is comprised of Master Control Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and numerous dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to ensure the satellites are functioning correctly and the information they send to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment made up 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 determine location by precisely timing the signals sent by GPS satellites. This data 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 handset GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS cell phone tracking is normally related to a third-party keeping records of either real-time or historical handset location, while Navigation deals with the smartphone user figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Neither use works without some sort of third-party software application.
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Global Satellite System Frequently Asked Questions
Why does GPS receiver only work outside?
GPS satellites are orbiting to be sure that from any location on the globe there are at least four satellites visibile at all times. Although they send signals by radio wave, they needs a clear of site to the receiver. Once the GPS satellite slips below, or a building, or even heavy cloud cover, the radio signal may be lost.
What do the satellites do?
Each satellite is broadcasting the time. Both the satellite and the GPS receiver use atomic clocks for extreme accuracy. By comparing the difference between the time given by the satellite and the time in the GPS receiver, it can calculate the distance from the satellite.
How does the GPS satellite know where it is?
The satellites keep location archived inside in calculated tables. But satellites can deviate off course over time. To make adjustments, the satellite communicates with ground stations located around the world. Each time it connects with the ground stations, the satellite adjusts its internal position tables.
Does a GPS receiver transmit information back to the satellite?
No, they don’t do that. GPS equipped cell phones will send data but it isn’t going back to the satellite.
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