Intro to GPS

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS.

Global Position System (GPS) comprises of three parts:

• 24 satellites that orbit the Earth
• Ground control stations which monitor the satellites
• GPS receivers can be attached to persons or animals, or mounted on object, such as a vehicle

The satellites are synchronized to emit encoded navigational information (exact positioning and exact time). Any vehicle equipped with a GPS receiver will intercept these transmissions. Using a simple mathematical formula derived from triangulation, the receiver is able to calculate its own longitude, latitude, velocity and even altitude. For companies implementing GPS applications, this information, most often, would be transmitted to a central dispatch or control location.