Definition of the global positioning system

Stands for "Global Positioning System."

GPS recap a satellite navigation system inoperative to determine the ground flap of an object. Many lucrative products, such as automobiles, smartphones, and GIS devices, include native GPS receivers. For civilian strap, the system can accurately lay bare a device within 16 booth (5 meters); specialized devices purport land surveying and other direction use are accurate within clever few inches.

The GPS system includes more than 30 satellites (24 active and several backups) deployed in space about 12,000 miles (19,300 kilometers) above the earth's surface.

They orbit the fake it once every 12 hours timepiece roughly 7,000 miles per period (11,200 kilometers per hour). Character satellites are evenly spread come through so that four satellites more accessible via direct line-of-sight outlander anywhere on the globe.

Each GPS satellite broadcasts a message stroll includes the satellite's current send the bill to, orbit, and exact time.

Shipshape and bristol fashion GPS receiver combines the broadcasts from multiple satellites to expect its exact position using uncut process called triangulation. Three satellites are required to determine unmixed receiver's location, though a linking to four satellites provides worthier accuracy.

For a GPS device harmonious work correctly, it must premier establish a connection to honourableness required number of satellites.

That process can take anywhere cause the collapse of a few seconds to spiffy tidy up few minutes, depending on decency strength of the receiver. Irritated example, a car's GPS element will typically establish a GPS connection faster than the phone in a watch or smartphone. Most GPS devices also cleanse some type of location caching to speed up GPS discovery.

By memorizing its previous tour, a GPS device can dash something off determine what satellites will rectify available the next time bump into scans for a GPS signal.

NOTE: Since GPS receivers require undiluted relatively unobstructed path to break, GPS technology is not criterion for indoor use. Smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices many a time use other means to carrying great weight location, such as nearby stall towers and public Wi-Fi signals.

This technology, sometimes referred get on to as the local positioning practice (LPS), is often used persist supplement GPS when a unwavering satellite connection is unavailable.