GPS on cell phones is what consumers commonly think of any time reviewing locating cell phones. GPS (Global Positioning System) utilizing satellites is the most known and more precise method of tracking. But, GPS demands satellites to be in direct line of site from the cell phone. It doesn’t work really well indoors or in dense metropolitan areas. If the mobile phone is inside a structure, for instance your office, mall, or often sitting in an automobile the signals might not get to the cell phone. Often heavy cloud cover and thick foliage impedes with signals. Some smartphones will preserve the last identified GPS location, others might not.
Several important technical features and functions relevant to GPS mobile phone tracking to consider include: Tracking Application “Persistence”. The tracking software on a device usually must be enabled by the user. Depending on the handset, the application may persist – remaining enabled when the phone is turned on after having been turned off. This feature can be particularly usefull if cell tracking is important and you do not want to require the person using the phone to turn tracking on and off. Another thing related to Tracking Application “Persistence” and handset GPS location is the potential of over using the battery. It is important to be able to remotely adjust the frequency of taking GPS position. Selecting real-time or periodic sampling affects both the accuracy of determining location along with how long the battery will last. One typical means of minimizing battery and data use is Passive Tracking. Some smartphone GPS tracking devices will store location data internally so that it can be downloaded when preferred. Also known as “data logging,” which can keep position data even when the device has traveled outside the wireless network. Passive tracking is not a universal feature built-in to standard smartphone, but the latest cell phones tend to have Passive tracking ability.
A lot of the discussion surrounding cell tracking, cell phone GPS and mobile 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 consists 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 are orbiting once every 12 hours. They are not geostationary, but rather move at over 7,000 mph. They are solar powered but have battery backup 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 runs out.
GPS Satellites are not communications satellites. Geostationary or communications satellites use a higher altitude 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 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 just about the same speed as GPS satellites, but since geo-synchronous satellites are 10,000 miles further away they don?t move relative to the earth.
The GPS Control Segment includes 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 functioning to specification and the data they send to earth is accurate.
The GPS User Segment incorporates of GPS receivers taking the shape of devices 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 location 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).
If satellite signals are not obtainable, or accuracy is less important than life of the battery, applying Cell-ID is a viable substitute to GPS cell phone tracking. The location of the cell phone may be estimated by the cellular network cell id, that pinpoints the cell tower the mobile phone is connected to. By having the position of the tower, you may know approximately the place that the cell phone might be. Still, a tower can cover a massive area, from a couple of hundred meters, in high populationdensity zones, to several kilometers in lower density zones. This is why location CellID accuracy is less than than GPS accuracy. Nevertheless tracking using CellID still gives you a really viable alternative.
A Quick Introduction To Cell Phone GPS Tracking
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