GPS Tracker Primer
Before long GPS will become almost as basic as the telephone, or more likely included with every phone handset. GPS can determine positions accurate to a matter of just a few meters. In fact, amazingly with advanced forms of GPS it is possible to achieve measurements to less 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. Nowadays 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 dealing with cell tracking, cell phone GPS and cell phone track software applications could be helped by a GPS Satellite introduction and glossary.
GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System. GPS satellites broadcast signals from medium 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 includes twenty-four to thirty-two satellites that orbit the earth in medium earth orbit MEO. These satellites are referred to as the GPS Constellation, and they are orbiting once every 12 hours. They are not geosynchronous, but rather move at over 7,000 mph. They are solar powered but have battery backup for when they are in the earth’s shadow. They are positioned so that 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 is exhausted.
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 place a communications satellite. The earth rotates at about 1,000 miles an hour, and because of their high earth orbit the earth-synchronous satellites need to travel at about 7,000 mph to maintain position. This is just about the same speed as GPS satellites, but since geostationary satellites are 10,000 miles further away they stay in place relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment incorporates Master Control Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and a host of dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to make sure the satellites are working correctly and the information they beam down to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment is comprised of of GPS receivers taking the shape of handsets 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 work.
GPS receivers calculate 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 basic difference between smartphone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS cell tracking is usually associated with someone keeping records of either real-time or historical mobile phone position, while Navigation deals with the cell phone user determining how to get from point A to point B. Neither use works without some sort of third-party software application.
A very good software package that includes remote control of mobile phone settings, and combines Mobile Phone Tracking with SMS text message, Call Log, MMS multi-media message monitoring, and a web account for storage and review is PhoneBeagle.
Follow this link if you are interested in Mobile Monitoring Software compatible with BlackBerry and Android Smartphones, used or Parental Monitoring and Small Business Employee Monitoring .
Global Satellite System Frequently Asked Questions
Why does GPS receiver only work outside?
GPS satellites are orbiting such that from any point on earth there are a minimum four satellites visibile at any given time. Even though the satellites use radio signals, the signal needs a clear of site to the receiver. Once the GPS satellite drops behind the horizon, or a building, or even heavy cloud cover, the radio signal may not reach the receiver.
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 stored internally in calculated tables. But they can deviate off course over time. To make adjustments, the satellite communicates with ground stations located around the globe. Whenever it touches base with the ground stations, the satellite adjusts its internal position tables.
Does a GPS receiver send information back to the satellite?
No, they don’t do that. GPS equipped cell phones will transmit information but it isn’t going back to the satellite.
Visit this link for more information regarding the latest software for GPS Tracking
Tags: cell phone tracking, employee monitoring, GPS Tracking, mobile GPS, mobile phone tracker, Parental Monitoring
This entry was posted on Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at 2:08 pm and is filed under iPhone Mobile Cell Phone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.