Throughout this discussion consider that there is a basic difference between smartphone GPS Tracking and Navigation. GPS mobile phone tracking is usually associated with a third-party keeping records of either real-time or historical cell phone location, while Navigation deals with the mobile phone user determining how to get from point A to point B. Just because a smartphone has GPS doesn?t mean that it can easily be used as a navigation device. Just like mobile phone tracking, navigation requires third-party software.
A few worthwhile technical capabilities relevant to GPS cell phone tracking to consider include: Tracking Application “Persistence”. The tracking software on a cell phone typically must be enabled by the user. Depending on the smartphone, the application may persist – remaining enabled when the phone is turned on after having been turned off. This feature can be particularly important if phone tracking is relevant and you do not want to require the person using the phone to turn tracking on and off. Another issue relevant to Tracking Application “Persistence” and cell phone GPS location is the possibility of battery drain. It is important to be able to remotely adjust how often of taking GPS position. Selecting real-time or periodic sampling affects both the resolution of finding location as well as battery life. One typical method of minimizing battery and data use is Passive Tracking. Some mobile phone GPS tracking devices will store location data internally so that it can be downloaded later. Also referred to as “data logging,” it can keep position information even when the device has traveled outside the wireless network. Passive tracking is not a universal feature built-in to standard smartphone, but the most up-to-date smartphones tend to include Passive tracking ability.
A lot of the discussion surrounding GPS tracking, cell phone GPS and cell phone track software could be helped by a GPS Satellite primer.
GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that GPS receivers use to provide three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and is a system that is composed of 3 main segments: Space Segment, Control Segment and User Segment.
The GPS Space Segment made up 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 geostationary, they travel 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 at any given time there are at least 4 satellites ?visible? from any point on earth. Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them properly positioned. 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 force of gravity and centrifugal forces are offset and are in balance. This is the best 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 sustain 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 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 working correctly and the data they beam down to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment includes of GPS receivers taking the shape of mobile phones 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 calculate position by precisely timing the signals transmitted 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).
In the event that satellite signals are not obtainable, or precision is less important than battery life, making use of Cell-ID is a viable substitute to GPS cell phone tracking. The location of the mobile phone can be computed by the cell network cell id, which recognizes the cell tower the cellphone is connected to. By having the position of this tower, then you can know roughly the spot where the cell phone might be. Still, a tower can cover a massive area, from a couple of hundred meters, in higher populationdensity zones, to several miles in lower density regions. This is the reason location CellID precision is less than than GPS accuracy. Nevertheless tracking from CellID still gives you quite a helpful substitute.
Mobile Phone GPS Tracking Guide
No comments:
Post a Comment