How Does GPS Tracking Work?
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Satellites
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The U.S. Department of Defense sent 24 satellites into orbit, about 10,900 nautical miles above the earth. In the 1980s, 16 of these satellites went into use transmitting radio signals sent and received by global positioning systems and tracking devices used on earth. They orbit the earth in a very specific path twice every 24 hours, tracking when a signal was sent or when it was received by tracking devices known as data loggers, data pullers and data pushers.
GPS Units
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Data loggers are the most basic types of units, logging the position of the unit at regular intervals and storing the data on internal memory. Data is transferred and accessed using a USB device. Data loggers are generally used by sports enthusiasts such as mountain climbers, hikers and bicyclists.
Data pullers are tracking devices that are almost always on, in order to allow the "pulling" of data or transmitted information at any time. Information is not tracked using regular intervals, but is only transmitted occasionally to the receiver, rather than being in constant tracking mode.
Data pushers transmit signals and data at regular intervals, measuring distance, location, speed, and direction of the units in a tracking system. Data pushers are generally used for security purposes, such as tracking commercial vehicle fleets, or prevention and recovery of a stolen vehicle. They can also be used to track the movements or whereabouts of individuals or valuable assets in transport. -
Measurement and Calculations
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As a GPS unit travels, data containing time and location is transmitted, monitoring the location of the unit, the time of signal transmission, and the speed and distance traveled since the previous data transmission. This information is compiled and used to calculate speed and distance traveled, as well as monitoring the current location of the device, and the direction of travel. It is often used to generate an animated picture of the location and route, and to estimate distance and travel time for navigational or security purposes.
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