The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides

location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is
an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites!"# The system provides critical capabilities
to military, civil and commercial users around the world $t is maintained by the %nited States
government and is freely accessible to anyone with a GPS receiver
The GPS pro&ect was developed in "'() to overcome the limitations of previous navigation systems,!*#
integrating ideas from several predecessors, including a number of classified engineering design studies
from the "'+,s GPS was created and reali-ed by the %S .epartment of .efense (.o.) and was
originally run with */ satellites $t became fully operational in "''0 1radford Par2inson, 3oger 4
Easton, and $van 5 Getting are credited with inventing it
5dvances in technology and new demands on the e6isting system have now led to efforts to moderni-e
the GPS system and implement the ne6t generation of GPS $$$ satellites and 7e6t Generation
8perational 9ontrol System (89:)!)# 5nnouncements from ;ice President 5l Gore and the <hite
=ouse in "''> initiated these changes $n *,,,, the %S 9ongress authori-ed the moderni-ation effort,
GPS $$$
$n addition to GPS, other systems are in use or under development The 3ussian Global 7avigation
Satellite System (G4875SS) was developed contemporaneously with GPS, but suffered from
incomplete coverage of the globe until the mid-*,,,s!/# There are also the planned European %nion
Galileo positioning system, $ndia?s $ndian 3egional 7avigational Satellite System and 9hinese
9ompass navigation system
5 GPS receiver calculates its position by precisely timing the signals sent by GPS satellites high above
the Earth Each satellite continually transmits messages that include@
the time the message was transmitted and,
satellite position at time of message transmission
The receiver uses the messages it receives to determine the transit time of each message and computes
the distance to each satellite using the speed of light Each of these distances and satellites? locations
defines a sphere The receiver is on the surface of each of these spheres when the distances and the
satellites? locations are correct These distances and satellites? locations are used to compute the location
of the receiver using the navigation eAuations This location is then displayed, perhaps with a moving
map display or latitude and longitudeB elevation or altitude information may be included, based on
height above the geoid (eg EGC'+)
1asic GPS measurements yield only a position, and neither speed nor direction =owever, most GPS
units can automatically derive velocity and direction of movement from two or more position
measurements The disadvantage of this principle is that changes in speed or direction can only be
computed with a delay, and that derived direction becomes inaccurate when the distance travelled
between two position measurements drops below or near the random error of position measurement
GPS units can use measurements of the doppler shift of the signals received to compute velocity
accurately!/(# Core advanced navigation systems use additional sensors li2e a compass or an inertial
navigation system to complement GPS
$n typical GPS operation, four or more satellites must be visible to obtain an accurate result The
solution of the navigation eAuations gives the position of the receiver along with the difference between
the time 2ept by the receiver?s on-board cloc2 and the true time-of-day, thereby eliminating the need for
a more precise and possibly impractical receiver based cloc2 5pplications for GPS such as time
transfer, traffic signal timing, and synchroni-ation of cell phone base stations, ma2e use of this cheap
and highly accurate timing Some GPS applications use this time for display, or, other than for the basic
position calculations, do not use it at all
5lthough four satellites are reAuired for normal operation, fewer apply in special cases $f one variable
is already 2nown, a receiver can determine its position using only three satellites Dor e6ample, a ship
or aircraft may have 2nown elevation Some GPS receivers may use additional clues or assumptions
such as reusing the last 2nown altitude, dead rec2oning, inertial navigation, or including information
from the vehicle computer, to give a (possibly degraded) position when fewer than four satellites are
visible