GPS

GPS technology allows users to pinpoint their exact location through a small GPS receiver.
Today, GPS receivers are found in cars, boats, planes, laptop computers, tractors, and
countless other applications.
The first one called NAVSTAR GPS (Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging Global
Positioning System) was (and still is) a satellite-based radio navigation and surveying system
providing precise three dimensional position, navigation and time information to suitably
equipped users everywhere on a continuous basis.
The system consists of 24 satellites including three active spares, placed in near circular
orbits in six orbital planes of 55 o inclination at height of about 20,200 km. There are often
more than 24 operational satellites as new ones are launched to replace older satellites. The
orbit altitude is such that the satellites repeat the same track and configuration over any point
approximately every 24 hours. The satellites have 12-hour periods so that at least 4 satellites
are available for observations for positioning on ground, sea and air at any time throughout
the year anywhere in the world. GPS provides specially coded satellite signals that can be
processed in a GPS receiver, enabling the receiver to compute position, velocity and time.
Signals from four satellites are required to compute the four dimensions of X, Y, Z (position)
and Time at any point on Earth.

Global Positioning System (GPS) navigators use the mathematical technique of trilateration
to determine user position, speed, and elevation. GPS navigators constantly receive and
analyze radio signals from GPS satellites, calculating precise distance (range) to each satellite
being tracked.
Data from a single satellite narrows position down to a large area of the earth's surface.
Adding data from a second satellite narrows position down to the region where two spheres
overlap. Adding data from a third satellite provides relatively accurate position. Data from a
fourth satellite (or more) enhances precision and also the ability to determine accurate
elevation or altitude (in the case of aircraft).
GPS receivers routinely track 4 to 7 or more satellites simultaneously.

What is Trilateration?

GPS receivers calculate the position of objects in two dimensional or three dimensional
space using a mathematical process called trilaterlation. Trilateration can be either two
dimensional or three dimensional.
2-D Trilateration
The concept of trilateration is easy to understand through an example. Imagine that you are
driving through an unfamiliar country and that you are lost. A road sign indicates that you
are 500 km from city A. But this is not of much help, as you could be anywhere in a circle
of 500 km radius from the city A. A person you stop by to ask for directions then volunteers
that you are 450 km from city B. Now you are in a better position to locate yourself- you are
at one of the two intersecting points of the two circles surrounding city A and city B. Now if
you could also get your distance from another place say city C, you can locate yourself very
precisely, as these three circles can intersect each other at just one point. This is the
principle behind 2D trilateration.

3-D Trilateration
The fundamental principles are the same for 2D and 3D trilateration, but in 3D trilateration
we are dealing with spheres instead of circles. It is a little tricky to visualize. Here, we have
to imagine the radii from the previous example going in all directions, that is in three
dimensional space, thus forming spheres around the predefined points. Therefore the
location of an object has to be defined with reference to the intersecting point of three
spheres.
Thus if you learn that the object is at a distance of 100 km from
satellite A, it simply says that the object could be on surface of a
huge imaginary sphere of 100 km radius around satellite A. Now you
are also informed that the object is 150 km from satellite B. The
imaginary spheres of 100km and 150 km around satellites A and B
respectively intersect in a perfect circle. The position of the object
defined from a third satellite C intersects this circle at just two points.
The Earth acts as the fourth sphere, making us able to eliminate one
of the two intersection points of the first three spheres. This makes it
possible to identify the exact location of the object.
 However GPS receivers take into account four or more satellites to improve accuracy and
provide extra information like altitude of the object.
Thus the GPS receiver needs the following information for its calculations.

 The location of a minimum of three satellites that lock in with the object to be located or
tracked.
 The distance between the object and each of these satellites.

The GPS receiver works this out by analyzing high-frequency radio signals from GPS
satellites. The more sophisticated the GPS, the more its number of receivers, so that signals
from a larger number of satellites are taken into account for the calculations

GPS Applications

GPS receivers have been developed which observe signals transmitted by the satellites and
achieve upto 2cm accuracy horizontally and 3cm vertically anywhere on earth’s surface.
They have the following advantages over conventional methods of navigation or surveying:

 Inter-visibility between points is not required.

GPS receivers are used for navigation, positioning, time dissemination, and other research.
Navigation receivers are made for aircraft, ships, ground vehicles, and for hand carrying by
individuals.Precise positioning is possible using GPS receivers at reference locations
providing corrections and relative positioning data for remote receivers. Surveying, geodetic
control, and plate tectonic studies are examples. Monitoring of ground movements by
repeated or continuous measurements can be done.GPS can be economically employed for all
types of survey mapping and tracking work in conjunction with other uses. It is a powerful
means to support Land Information System (LIS) and Geographical Information System
(GIS).
Time and frequency dissemination, based on the precise clocks on board the satellites and
controlled by the monitor stations, is another use for GPS. Astronomical observatories,
telecommunications facilities, and laboratory standards can be set to precise time signals or
controlled to accurate frequencies by special purpose GPS receivers. Research projects have
used GPS signals to measure atmospheric parameters.Now, there is an increasing confidence
in adapting GPS to other commercial and social applications.