Global Positioning System

Dr. Rohit Goyal

Reader, Civil Engineering
Malaviya National Institute of Technology
Jaipur
Topics Covered
 Introduction
 How GPS works?
 Geo-Positioning
 Space Based Triangulation
 Components of GPS
 The Control Segment
 The Space Segment
 The User Segment
 Type of GPS positioning
 Factors affecting GPS accuracy
 GPS Applications
 Example of GPS application

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Introduction
 GPS: Global Positioning System
 It allows users to determine their
location on land, sea, and in the air
around the Earth.
 It does this using satellites and
receivers.
 There are currently 24 satellites in orbit
operated by the US Department of
Defense that provide worldwide 3
dimensional coverage 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, in all weather.
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How it works?
 GPS satellites orbit high above the surface of
Earth at precise locations.
 They allow a user with a GPS receiver to
determine latitude, longitude, and altitude.
 The receiver measures the time it takes for
signals sent from the different satellites to
reach the receiver.
 From this data, the receiver triangulates an
exact position. At any given time there are
multiple satellites within the range of any
location on Earth.
 Three satellites are needed to determine
latitude and longitude, while a fourth satellite
is necessary to determine altitude.
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How it works?

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 Important facts
 The first GPS satellite was launched by the US
Military in February 1978 and civilian use on
Selective Availability (S.A.) began in the early 1990's.
 Selective Availability blocked GPS usage in areas other than
permitted for S.A.
 The Selective Availability (S.A.) was removed in May
2000.
 GLONASS is the Russian version of GPS offering
similar coverage and accuracy.
 Galileo is the European Union’s proposed equivalent.
 According to the United States Naval Observatory,
there are currently 27 operational GPS satellites.

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Geo-positioning
 Geo-positioning is locating out position on
earth.
 Point positioning is determining location in relation to
a well-defined coordinate system, usually by three
coordinate values. (latitude, longitude and altitude)
 Relative positioning is determining location in relation
to other point, taking one point as the origin of a local
coordinate system. (x, y)
 If the object to be positioned is stationary, it is called
as static positioning and is used in Surveying.
 When the object is moving, it is called as kinematic
positioning. Usually, kinematic position is used in
navigation. (usually interested in not only position at
a given time but also speed and direction).

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 GPS Basics
 The GPS system can be categorized in to FIVE
logical steps:
1. Triangulation from the satellite is the basis of the
system.
2. To triangulate, the GPS measures the distance
using the travel time of the radio message.
3. To measure travel time, the GPS need a very
accurate clock.
4. Once the distance to a satellite is known, then we
need to know where the satellite is in space.
5. As the GPS signal travels through the ionosphere
and the earth's atmosphere, the signal is delayed

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Space Based Triangulation
 There are 21 operational satellites
 They orbit the earth approximately every 12 hours
 They are positioned in six (6) orbital planes
 Each satellite emits information relating to its position,
relative to the earth and timing information. This timing
information is derived from extremely accurate atomic clocks
(cesium or rubidium) that are synchronised to all other
satellite clocks and to the ground control stations.
 GPS Receivers are equipped with quartz clocks that are
synchronised to GPS time via the data transmitted from the
constellation.
 Timing is the basis of location computation
 The satellite radiates coded signals that are received by the
user’s GPS receiver.
 The computation in its simplest form is triangulation.

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Calculating Location
 A signal is transmitted from a satellite
containing the Time of Departure of the
signal
 The signal is received by the GPS
Receiver and the Time of Arrival is
registered
 We know that Radio waves (the signal)
travel at the Speed of Light
 We know where the satellite is from the
information radiated from the satellite

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 In three dimensional spaces four sets of positions (p1,
p2, p3 …) and distances (d1, d2 , d3 …) are required to
uniquely identify a location.
 When using GPS, the more that are known the better it
is to overcome errors in measurement
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 Components of a GPS
 The GPS is divided
in to 3 major
components
 The Control
Segment
 The Space
Segment
 The User
Segment

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The Control Segment
 The Control Segment monitors and tracks the satellites,
synchronizes their operation, performs satellite
positional computations and transmits orbital and
corrected time data to the satellites.
 To perform these operations, the Control Segment
consists of five (5) Monitor Stations, one (1) Master
Control Station, and three (3) Data Upload Stations.
 The Monitor Stations are located in the Ascension
Island, Hawaii, Diego Garcia, Kwajelei and Colorado.
 The Master Control Station and one Data Upload Station
are Located in Colorado and the remaining Data Upload
Stations are located in Hawaii and Ascension Island
 The Control Segment is the sole responsibility of the
DoD who undertakes construction, launching,
maintenance, and virtually constant performance
monitoring of all GPS satellites.
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The Space Segment
 The Space Segment consists of the Constellation of
NAVASTAR earth orbiting satellites. The current system
consist of full constellation of 24 Block II satellites (21
operational and 3 in-orbit spares).
 The satellites are arrayed in 6 orbital planes, inclined 55
degrees to the equator. They orbit at altitudes of about
12000, miles each, with orbital periods of 12 sidereal
hours (i.e., determined by or from the stars), or
approximately one half of the earth's periods,
approximately 12 hours of 3-D position fixes.
 Each satellite contains four precise atomic clocks
(Rubidium and Cesium standards) and has a
microprocessor on board for limited self-monitoring and
data processing.
 The satellites are equipped with thrusters which can be
used to maintain or modify their orbits.
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The User Segment
 The user segment is a total user and supplier
community, both civilian and military.
 The User Segment consists of all earth-based GPS
receivers.
 The typical receiver is composed of an antenna and
preamplifier, radio signal microprocessor, control and
display device, data recording unit, and power supply.
 The GPS receiver decodes the timing signals from the
'visible' satellites (four or more) and, having calculated
their distances, computes its own latitude, longitude,
elevation, and time.
 The position is updated on a second-by-second basis
and if the receiver provides data capture capabilities, it
is stored by the receiver-logging unit.

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Types of GPS Positioning
 Absolute Positioning .
 The mode of positioning relies upon a single receiver
station. It is also referred to as 'stand-alone' GPS.
 Differential Positioning .
 Relative or Differential GPS carries the triangulation
principles one step further, with a second receiver at
a known reference point.
 Differential-mode positioning relies upon an
established control point.
 Differential GPS (DGPS) relies on the concept that
the errors in the position at one location are similar
to those for all locations within a given (local) area.
By recording GPS measurements at a point with
known coordinates, these errors can be quantified
and corrections can be applied to the other locations.
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Accuracy of GPS
 There are four basic levels of accuracy

Type Accuracy
Autonomous 15 - 100 meters
Differential GPS 0.5 - 5 meters
(DGPS)
Real-Time Kinematic 20 cm - 1 meters
Float (RTK Float)
Real-Time Kinematic 1 cm – 5 cm
Fixed (RTK Fixed)
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 Factors affecting GPS accuracy
 Number of satellites - minimum number required
 Multipath - reflection of GPS signals near the
antennae
 Ionosphere - change in the travel time of the signal
 Troposphere - change in the travel time of the signal
 Satellite Geometry - general distribution of the
satellites Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP).
 Satellite Health - availability of Signal
 Signal Strength - quality of Signal
 Distance from the Reference Receiver
 Radio Frequency (RF) Interference
 Loss of Radio Transmission from Base
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Factors affecting GPS accuracy

 Position Dilution of Precision (PDOP).

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GPS Applications
 Location - This category is for position determination
and is the most obvious use of the Global Positioning
System.
 Navigation - Navigation is the process of getting from
one location to another. Global Positioning System was
designed for Navigational purposes.
 Timing - GPS brings precise timing as each satellite is
equipped with an extremely precise atomic clock.
 Mapping - This is used for creating maps by recording a
series of locations as well as attributes right in field.
 Tracking - The applications in this category are ways of
monitoring people/vehicles/wild animals/birds and
packages etc.

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Example Application
 Allen Hightower, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta
Georgia used GPS for a interesting
malaria prevention application.
 Article in ArcUser magazine for ESRI
software users, April-June 2005
 Title: Spatial Analysis: Optimizes Malaria
Prevention Measures
 A pilot study for malaria prevention was
carried out in Kenya.
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Problem
 Malaria kills between 1-2 million children
under age of 5 every year in Africa in 1990s.
 Nearly all infectious bites came from 3
mosquito species that feed on blood between
11 PM to 3 AM.
 It was proposed to distribute “Permethrin
treated mosquito nets” in some vicinities to
control malaria.
 However two concerns were highlighted
 Bed nets did not merely redistribute malaria cases
throughout the community.
 Some scientist feared that mosquito bites were
occurring in such large numbers that simply reducing
the total might have no impact on the overall spread
of malaria.
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GPS usage
 Using GPS receivers (four Trimble Pathfinder
Pro XRS) and handheld data collection devices
(Trimble TDC1 Data-loggers), team mapped
individual housholds in the study area of two
adjacent sites near Lake Victoria, Asembo and
Gem.
 Later equipment was upgraded to speed up
mapping.
 After developing initial basemap and collecting
data, bed nets were distributed.
 Simultaneously information on malaria
infection, bites, health etc. was collected in all
study area
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Results
 Results were surprising
 Bed nets not only reduced malaria infection within the
villages where they were used, but also benefited
people in villages without nets.
 In children less than 2 years old, mortality was reduced
by 17%
 Clinical malaria attack rates were reduced by 75 %
 Mosquito biting rates were reduced by more than 90%.
 These rates also dropped in areas without nets.
 Spatial analysis indicated that houses within 300 meters
of a bed net village enjoyed protective benefits.
 Now the focus has shifted to determine the ideal pattern
of distribution for insecticide-treated bed nets so that
limited supply can be used to benefit the greatest
number of people.
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