An Overview Of Mobile Phone GPS Tracking

A lot of the discussion dealing with cell 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 utilize to determine three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise time. GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System and is a network that is made up 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 in medium earth orbit MEO. These satellites are referred to as the GPS Constellation, and they are orbiting once every 12 hours. They are not parked over one spot, they travel 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 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 equilibrium. 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 geo-synchronous satellites need to travel at about 7,000 mph to sustain position. This is approximately the same speed as GPS satellites, but since communications 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 numerous dedicated and shared Ground Antennas and Monitor Stations that work together to make sure the satellites are functioning to specification and the data they beam down to earth is accurate.

The GPS User Segment is comprised of of GPS receivers taking the shape of cell phones 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 function.

GPS receivers, irrespective of whether in a mobile phone, or perhaps a dedicated Portable gps tracking system, estimate location through accurately timing the signals transferred by GPS satellites. This data contains the moment the message was transmitted, precise orbital data (technically referenced as the ephemeris), along with the overall system state and projected orbits of all GPS satellites (formally referred to as the almanac).

When satellite signals are not available, or accuracy and precision is less important than battery life, making use of Cell-ID is a viable substitute to GPS mobile phone tracking. The location of the device might be determined by the cellular network cell id, that determines the cell tower the mobile phone is connected to. By understanding the location of this tower, then you can know approximately where the handset is. However, a tower can cover a massive area, from a few hundred meters, in higher populationdensity areas, to several miles in lower density areas. This is the reason location CellID accuracy is less than than GPS accuracy. Nevertheless tracking via CellID still supplies a really good alternative.

An Overview Of Mobile Phone GPS Tracking