Mobile Phone GPS Primer
Before long GPS will become almost as basic as the telephone, or more likely included with every phone handset. GPS can determine locations accurate to a matter of just a few meters. In fact, amazingly with advanced forms of GPS you can achieve measurements to better than a centimeter!
In a sense it’s like giving every square meter on the globe 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 cell phones.
Tracking mobile phones is a popular topic getting a lot of interest. A lot of the discussion surrounding GPS 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 determine three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. The GPS system is composed of 3 primary 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 in medium earth orbit MEO. These satellites are referred to as the GPS Constellation, and they are orbiting twice a day. They are not geosynchronous, but rather move 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 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 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 gravitational force and centrifugal forces are canceled and are in balance. This is the ideal location to position 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 approximately 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 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 data they send to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment made up 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 applications that make them work.
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).
Keep in mind that there is a fundamental difference between cell phone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS cell phone tracking is normally associated with someone maintaining records of either real-time or historical cell phone position, while Navigation deals with the smartphone 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 device 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.
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Global Satellite System FAQ
Why does GPS receiver only work outside?
GPS satellites are positioned in their orbits to be sure that from any point on earth there are at least four satellites visibile at all times. Even though the satellites 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?
The GPS satellites are broadcasting the time. Both the satellite and the GPS receiver use atomic clocks for extreme accuracy. By measuring the difference between the time given by the satellite and the time in the GPS receiver, the GPS can calculate the distance between it and the satellite.
How do GPS satellites know their location?
The satellites keep position archived internally in calculated tables. But they can get off course over time. To correct this, the satellite communicates with ground stations located around the world. Each time it touches base 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 mobile phones will send information but it isn’t going back to the satellite.
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