Smartphone GPS Primer
Soon GPS will become almost as common as the telephone, or more likely included with every smartphone. GPS can determine locations accurate to a matter of. In fact, incredibly with advanced equipment you can make measurements to less than a centimeter!
In a sense it’s like assigning 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 finding its way into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially mobile phones.
Tracking cell phones is a popular topic with a lot of interest. A lot of the discussion surrounding cell tracking, cell phone GPS and cell phone tracking software applications 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 calculate three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. The GPS system is composed of 3 main segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment.
The GPS Space Segment is composed of twenty-four to thirty-two satellites that orbit the earth at a height of about 12,000 miles. These satellites are referred to as the GPS Constellation, and they make an orbit once every 12 hours. They are not geosynchronous, they travel at over 7,000 mph. GPS satellites are solar powered but have battery reserve for when they are in the earth’s shadow. 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 have a lifetime of about 10 years until all their fuel is exhausted.
GPS Satellites are not communications satellites. Geostationary or communications satellites are at a much higher orbit of about 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 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 communications satellites are 10,000 miles further away they stay in place relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment consists of 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 send to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment is comprised of of GPS receivers taking the shape of smartphones 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 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 cell phone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS cell phone tracking is usually related to a third-party maintaining records of either real-time or historical handset position, while Navigation deals with the handset user determining how to get from point A to point B. Neither use works without some sort of third-party software program.
A very good software package that includes remote control of device settings, and combines Phone GPS 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 Glossary of basic terminology.
GPS is made up of 24 GPS satellites, portable GPS receivers, and various ground-based support facilities.
The GPS receiver is either 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 found inside mobile phones . Abbreviated “GPS” in common use.
Visit this link for more information regarding the latest software for GPS Tracking
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