Gps why

More satellites give a device a better chance of getting a positional fix when the receiver has calculated the location of the user.

Countries continue to build and make improvements to their GPS systems. Efforts worldwide are being made to increase accuracyand improve reliability and GPS capabilities. The future of GPS tracking will likely be far more accurate and effective for both personal and business use. Debunking the top 10 vehicle tracking myths.

Geotab's blog posts are intended to provide information and encourage discussion on topics of interest to the telematics community at large. Geotab is not providing technical, professional or legal advice through these blog posts. While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this blog post is timely and accurate, errors and omissions may occur, and the information presented here may become out-of-date with the passage of time. Sign up for monthly news and tips from our award-winning fleet management blog.

You can unsubscribe at any time. What will drive new innovation in an enterprise via the fleet? Find out everything you need to know about unplugged devices with insights from the Geotab Community and Blog.

Read about the past, present, and future of the Geotab GO device. Learn all about the Geotab Drive app for Hours of Service, electronic logging and vehicle inspection. Skip to main content. What are the three elements of GPS? The three segments of GPS are: Space Satellites — The satellites circling the Earth, transmitting signals to users on geographical position and time of day.

Ground control — The Control Segment is made up of Earth-based monitor stations, master control stations and ground antenna. Control activities include tracking and operating the satellites in space and monitoring transmissions. There are monitoring stations on almost every continent in the world, including North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.

User equipment — GPS receivers and transmitters including items like watches, smartphones and telematic devices. How does GPS technology work? Here is an illustration of satellite ranging: As a device moves, the radius distance to the satellite changes. What are the uses of GPS? Navigation — Getting from one location to another.

Tracking — Monitoring object or personal movement. Mapping — Creating maps of the world. Timing — Making it possible to take precise time measurements. Some specific examples of GPS use cases include: Emergency Response: During an emergency or natural disaster , first responders use GPS for mapping, following and predicting weather, and keeping track of emergency personnel.

Since navigation message consists of 25 frames, this would add up to the message length of The GPS receiver requires The GPS receiver is capable of storing this set of data gained in the past internal backup battery, and it reads out the set of data when power reactivation takes place, hence instantaneously starting to receive GPS position.

Factors that trigger GPS position errors Ionosphere The ionosphere is a portion of the upper atmosphere, between the thermosphere and the exosphere. When GPS signals pass through this layer, the propagation velocity of the GPS signal goes slower, hence causing propagation error. Troposphere The troposphere is the lowest portion of Earth's atmosphere. Radio reflections caused by dry atmosphere and water vapor within provoke GPS position error. Multipath propagation GPS signal is not immune to reflection when it hits on the ground, structures and many others.

This phenomenon is called multipath propagation, one of the causes of GPS position errors. Number of satellites tracked for positioning. They can usually determine where you are within a few yards of your actual location.

More high-tech receivers, though, can figure out where you are to within a few inches! The ancient sailors of history would be flabbergasted by the speed and ease of pinpointing your location today. The Short Answer:. We know where they are because they constantly send out signals. A GPS receiver in your phone listens for these signals. Once the receiver calculates its distance from four or more GPS satellites, it can figure out where you are.

Through these measurements, GPS technologies can identify where an individual is in the world and how to navigate to another location. GPS is used to calculate very specific and precise timing thanks to the rubidium clocks on each satellite.

These clocks enable the satellites to know their precise location at very precise times, and this timing information is used in various applications including marine hydrography, autonomous vehicles and precision agriculture. From mining to aviation, agriculture to marine, recreation to defense, there are many applications for GPS technology. These days, everyone from doctors, scientists, farmers, soldiers, pilots, hikers, delivery drivers, sailors, fishermen, dispatchers, athletes, and people from many other walks of life are using GPS systems in ways that make their work more productive, safer, and easier.