Before long GPS will become almost as common as the telephone, or more likely included with every cell phone. GPS can calculate positions accurate to a matter of just a few meters. In fact, amazingly with advanced equipment you can make measurements to less than a centimeter!
It’s just like giving every square meter on the planet its very own address. GPS receivers have become very affordable through miniaturization to just a few integrated circuits. Nowadays days GPS is becoming integrated into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially cell phones.
Tracking mobile phones is a popular topic with a lot of interest. Much of the discussion dealing with GPS tracking, mobile GPS and cell phone track 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 determine three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. The GPS network is composed 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 referred to as the GPS Constellation, and they are orbiting once every 12 hours. They are not parked over one spot, but rather move at over 7,000 mph. They are solar powered but have battery reserve for when they are on the dark side of the earth. 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 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 gravitational force and centrifugal forces are offset and are in equilibrium. This is the best location to position 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 don’t move relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment incorporates 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 data they beam down to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment consists of of GPS receivers taking the shape of mobiles 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 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 mobile phone tracking is typically associated with someone keeping records of either real-time or historical handset 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 application.
A really great software package that includes remote control of handset settings, and combines Cell Phone Tracking with SMS text message, Call Log, MMS multi-media message monitoring, and a web account for storage and review is PhoneBeagle.
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Global Satellite System Glossary of basic terms.
GPS consists 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 vehicle dashboard or other movable item such as an ocean freight container, and now particularly common to be found inside phone handsets . Abbreviated “GPS” in common use.
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