When you hear about General Positioning System (GPS) system, you should first consider the GPS receiver. It is the part of the device responsible of processing the signal sent by the satellite in the space to find out your actual location. The receiver is usually placed on the dashboard of your car or underneath it. It renders on a dedicated output device your screen your destination.

The entire GPS is a constellation of about 27 satellites rolling around the center of the Earth at a steady speed. Amongst these satellites, 24 of them are responsible of processing signals emitted by the receiver and the remaining satellites are used for storage purposes on case of an unplanned event. The GPS receiver is responsible of hooking up with satellites used for storage purposes and working out its position from that satellite by computing their distance. The mathematical tenet used for this purpose is named trilateration.

Trilateration can be achieved in two dimensions and also in three dimensions. The rationale of this mathematical principle is to work out a triangle where you are located at the center of it. As soon as the GPS receiver emits its position and makes a connection with other satellites, it immediately works out three nearest points and computes your position.

Three types of GPS receivers can be noticed: those which can be installed in a car, lightweight and mobile GPS receivers and tracking GPS receivers. It is obvious that portable receivers are a huge boon for outdoor activities.

Finally, it is good to know that the actual process of GPS receivers is a little bit more intricate than what was described in previous sections. However, throughout this article, although the main objective was to give a broad overview how they work in theory the next paragraph will delve into advanced details about GPS computations.

From previous sections, we learnt that the GPS receiver computes its distance to the nearest available satellites in space by noticing the time spent by the emission of a given signal from the receiver to the satellite. There are another category of GPS receivers that you have not mentioned throughout this article. In order to overcome the lack of precision of the traditional GPS receiver, differential GPS receivers were born. Their rationale is to estimate the level of GPS errors at a stationary receiver station with a location that was already computed before. Since the Differential GPS hardware at the station is already aware of its own location, it can work out its receiver’s level of errors in a straightforward way. The station then broadcasts a radio signal to all Differential GPS-equipped receivers in the nearby area, providing signal correction information for that area. In general, accessing this correction information makes Differential GPS receivers much more correct and precise than traditional GPS receivers.

The most essential function of a GPS receiver is to pick up the transmissions of at least four available satellites and combine the information in those transmissions with information in an electronic almanac, all in order to figure out the receiver’s position on Earth.

The Global Positioning System has been active for sometime, with a number of upgrades. The origins were military, aviation, and seafaring consumers. In the old days, navigators would use the positions of stars to figure out where they were, and where they were headed. Some of them were quite effective at this. GPS navigation isn’t that much different!

GPS navigation involves multiple satellites in the earths atmosphere transmitting signals to devices that can then determine there current location on the ground. With advances in computerizations these devices have been extended to do about the same that old world navigators would do, and much more.

The satellites began being launched in 1978 and since they have accumulated a network of 24 of them globally. These satellites give full coverage for GPS navigation everywhere with reasonable accuracy. To the consumer that part is free. There is no service charge to pay for that; though additional maps and other features that don’t originate from these satellites may have fees.

The Many Uses For GPS Navigation

One of the earliest places that enjoyed widespread GPS navigation would have to be aviation of all sizes. Pilots found it easy to chart their systems to keep them on track for various airports using either ground signals or those from the satellites. Today GPS is a major use in this area.

Later it entered the consumer market in expensive luxury vehicles. GPS navigation features showed up in a number of foreign vehicles and in the well known on-star system in the states. Cab drivers have had similar add-on features as have other public services as well.

Over recent years, inexpensive portable units have cemented GPS navigation as a useful option for nearly anyone traveling anywhere. Whether on roads, water, air, or out in the middle of no-where; this handy moving compass with even mapping has proven very valuable.

In other words, today you can have the benefit of many navigators of old, in the palm of your hand; the GPS navigation unit. It’s coming to the point now where official forms sometimes include latitude and longitude.

GPS Navigation into the Future

This technology is still growing and there are many combinations and ideas yet to try. New innovations in GPS navigation devices are coming out monthly. Combined with computers and nearly any other portable media device; many new trends will result. CallerID is nothing compared to the possibilities of GPS combined with the cellular phone. These features are already out there. Though they are still in infancy compared to what is possible.

Combined with transmitters, GPS has been used to track stolen property. With a few simple actions, location can be in shortly and the authorities on the way to recovery. This is possible in relatively small components concealed on the traceable items.

The possibilities are endless. Watch the headlines on GPS navigation and you will find much amazement. Now that you know more; you may want to do some shopping as GPS navigation might be your next favorite toy!

What is the best portable GPS car today. I wish that automatically updates and use the cigarette lighter for power.