Mobile Spy Phone Glossary

Smartphone GPS Primer Cell Phone GPS Basics Soon GPS will become almost as basic as the telephone, or more likely included with every smartphone. GPS can calculate locations accurate to a matter of just a few meters. In fact, incredibly with advanced equipment it is possible to make measurements to better than a centimeter! It’s just like assigning every square meter on the globe its very own address. GPS receivers have become very economical through miniaturization to just a few integrated circuits. These days GPS is becoming integrated into cars, boats, planes, construction equipment, movie making gear, farm machinery, laptop computers and especially mobile phones. Tracking cell phones is a active topic with a lot of interest. A lot of the discussion surrounding cell tracking, mobile GPS and cell phone tracker software applications could be helped by a GPS Satellite primer and glossary. GPS is an acronym 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 made up of 3 primary segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment. The GPS Space Segment is comprised of 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, but rather move 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 placed 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 position a communications 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 keep position. This is approximately 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 includes 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 working to specification and the information they send to earth is accurate. The GPS User Segment made up 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 applications that make them function. GPS receivers calculate location 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). Keep in mind that there is a fundamental difference between mobile phone GPS Tracking and GPS Navigation. GPS mobile phone tracking is usually related to a third-party keeping records of either real-time or historical handset location, while Navigation deals with the mobile phone user figuring out how to get from point A to point B. Neither use works without some kind of third-party software application. Global Satellite System Glossary of basic terminology. GPSThe Global Positioning System is made up of 24 GPS satellites, portable GPS receivers, and various ground-based support facilities. GPS receiverThe 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. Global Satellite System Frequently Asked Questions Why does GPS receiver only work outside? GPS satellites are orbiting such that from any point on the globe there are at least four satellites in site at any given time. Although they send signals by radio wave, the signal needs a clear of site to the receiver. If the GPS satellite drops behind the horizon, 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, it can calculate the distance from the satellite. How do GPS satellites know their location? The satellites keep location archived inside in calculated tables. But they 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 send information back to the satellite? No, they don’t do that. GPS equipped mobile phones will transmit information but not to the satellite.