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Mobile Computing 4

GPS uses satellites orbiting Earth to provide location and time information to GPS receivers. It works by precisely timing the signals from at least four satellites to determine the user's position. Sources of error include atmospheric conditions, satellite geometry, and signal interference. Accuracy can be improved using techniques like differential GPS which provides correction messages, and SBAS which uses additional satellites to broadcast corrections.

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Mai gamal
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22 views

Mobile Computing 4

GPS uses satellites orbiting Earth to provide location and time information to GPS receivers. It works by precisely timing the signals from at least four satellites to determine the user's position. Sources of error include atmospheric conditions, satellite geometry, and signal interference. Accuracy can be improved using techniques like differential GPS which provides correction messages, and SBAS which uses additional satellites to broadcast corrections.

Uploaded by

Mai gamal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mobile Computing

Dr. Ayman Alhelbawy , 28th March 2023

1
GPS Technology
What is GPS?
• GPS, which stands for Global Positioning
System, is a system able to show you your exact
position on the Earth anytime, in any weather,
anywhere.

The three parts of GPS are:


•Satellites
•Receivers
•Software
Global Positioning Systems
• 1964, prior to GPS, there was the Transit system. Transit
had no timing devices and took 15 minutes to calculate a
position.

• US Department of Defense wanted a more precise


method so they spent 12 million on what resulted in GPS

• GPS was originally known as the Navstar Global


Positioning System started in 1973 to reduce the need
for other forms of navigational aid

• It overcame many navigational obstacles


• It assisted in many navigational applications
Satellites
• Satellite constellation
• First of GPS satellites launched in 1978
• 16 years later, system up to full power with 24 Earth-
orbiting satellites

• Back-up Satellites at least 3 at all times in case of failures


• constantly developing and launching
• It is too expensive to ix, just replace Satellites orbit so that
at any time, 4 satellites are visible at any place on Earth

• Solar powered
f
GPS satellites
Satellites (cont.)
• Rocket boosters to keep them on track/orbit
• It completes 2 full rotations within 24 hours
• It rotates with relative speed 7,000 miles per
hour

• Orbits are set to 12,000 miles above the Earth


Radio Waves
• Transmit 2 low power signals (L1 and L2)
• Frequency of 1575.42 MHz in the UHF band
• Travel at speed of light
• pseudorandom code, ephemeris data, and
almanac data

• Ephemeris data tells satellite status (healthy/


unhealthy, current date and time)

• Almanac tells where it should be


Measuring Distance
• Satellite transmits long digital pattern includes
• Individual satellite ID
• transmission time
• When signal received, the lag or delay notes the time
traveled

• Multiply elapsed time by speed of light to get distance


• Assumptions:
• straight line
• no interference
Measuring Distance (cont)

• Distance = Velocity x Time


Radio waves travel at the speed of light, roughly 186,000
miles per second (mps)

If it took 0.06 seconds to receive a signal


transmitted by a satellite floating directly
overhead, use this formula to find your distance
from the satellite.

186,000 mps x 0.06 seconds = 11,160 miles


Synchronization
• Satellites and receiver must be in-sync
• Synchronize to the nanosecond
• Atomic clocks in satellites (50,000-100,000$)
• Quartz clocks in receivers (Affordable price)
• Constantly resetting to maintain accuracy
• Look to four satellites to gauge own inaccuracy
Trilateration / Triangulation 2-D
• If you are unsure of your location but you know
you are 25 miles from point A, you would know
that you are somewhere on a circle with radius
of 25 miles.

25 Miles
A
Trilateration / Triangulation 2-D
• If you You know from someone else that you
are also 20 miles away from point B. You now
know that you are at one of two locations, the
intersections of the two circles.

20 Miles

25 Miles
B A
Trilateration / Triangulation 2-D
• One more pice of information is added, if you
know you are also 10 miles away from point C.

• Then, de initely you are at the intersection of the


three circles

20 Miles

25 Miles
B A
f
3-D Trilateration / Triangulation
• Spheres are used in place of circles
• Two spheres give a perfect circle of
possibilities

• Third sphere intersects this circle at two points


• Only one of these will be on Earth (feasible)
• Eliminate the one in space (infeasible)
3-D Trilateration / Triangulation
• Spheres are used in place of circles
• Two spheres give a perfect circle of
possibilities

• Third sphere intersects this circle at two points


• Only one of these will be on Earth (feasible)
• Eliminate the one in space (infeasible)
3-D Trilateration / Triangulation
1 Satellite 2 Satellites

3 Satellites
Challenges
Line of Sight Transmissions

Line of sight is the ability to


draw a straight line between
two objects without any other
objects getting in the way.
GPS transmission are line-of-
sight transmissions.

Obstructions such as trees, buildings, or natural formations may prevent clear line of sight.
Challenges
Light Refraction
Refraction is the bending of light as
it travels through one media to
another.

Sometimes the GPS signal from the


satellite doesn’t follow a straight
line.

Signals from satellites can be like


light. When they hit some
interference (air patterns in the
atmosphere, uneven geography,
etc.) they sometimes bend a little.
Challenges
Signal Interference
Sometimes the signals bounce off things before they hit the
receivers.
Challenges
Satellite Distribution (PDOP)

When the satellites are all in the same part of the sky, readings will be less accurate.
PDOP (position dilution of precision) describes the error caused by the relative
position of the GPS satellites. Basically, the more signals a GPS receiver can “see”
(spread apart versus close together), the more precise it can be
Challenges
Satellite Distribution (PDOP)
PDOP = Positional Dilution of Precision

All of this combines to


make the signal less
accurate, and gives it what
we call a high “PDOP.”

11,000 miles

11,000 miles
11,000 miles

•A PDOP of <4 is excellent 11,000 miles

•A PDOP of 4-8 is good


•A PDOP of >8 is poor
How to Improve GPS Accuracy
• Despite all the potential types of errors that can
reduce the accuracy of a GPS, there are ways to
improve accuracy.

• The two major techniques are;


• GPS Differential Correction
• Space-based Augmentation System (SBAS)
Differential GPS
• A static base station can be used to provide correction
messages to signal delays as follows:

• Setting the base station up in a set known point on the


ground.

• leaving it recording GPS data for as long as possible.


• Over the time that the base station is capturing data, the
ionosphere and troposphere change, causing the delays
in the signals to change, randomly.

• Because the delays are subject to random changes, they


can be averaged out.
Differential GPS
Space-based Augmentation System (SBAS)
• In this system, signals from geo-stationary satellites are used. These
satellites are a set distance above the earth’s equator, and follow the
direction of the Earth’s rotation.

• A network of base stations on the ground sends data to a central PC,


which calculates the current positional errors in the area. This
information is sent up to the geostationary satellite before being
broadcasted back down to GPS receivers. Based on the receiver
position, the current correction offset can be calculated.

• While this does not increase the level of positional accuracy as much as
using a static base station which has done a long term stationary log, it
does not require any setup, so is quick and easy to use at any location.
Space-based Augmentation System (SBAS)
• In this system, signals from geo-stationary satellites are used. These
satellites are a set distance above the earth’s equator, and follow the
direction of the Earth’s rotation.

• A network of base stations on the ground sends data to a central PC,


which calculates the current positional errors in the area. This
information is sent up to the geostationary satellite before being
broadcasted back down to GPS receivers. Based on the receiver
position, the current correction offset can be calculated.

• While this does not increase the level of positional accuracy as much as
using a static base station which has done a long term stationary log, it
does not require any setup, so is quick and easy to use at any location.
Space-based Augmentation System (SBAS)
Thank You
Questions?????

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