A
GPS tracking unit is a device that uses the
Global Positioning SystemThe Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
to determine the precise location of a vehicle, person, or other asset to which it is attached and to record the position of the asset at regular intervals. The recorded location data can be stored within the tracking unit, or it may be transmitted to a central location data base, or internet-connected computer, using a
cellularA cellular network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver known as a cell site or base station. When joined together these cells provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area...
(GPRS or
SMSSMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
),
radioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, or
satelliteIn the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
modem embedded in the unit. This allows the asset's location to be displayed against a map backdrop either in real time or when analysing the track later, using GPS tracking software.
GPS tracking unit Architecture
A GPS tracker essentially contains GPS module to receive the GPS signal and calculate the coordinates. For data loggers it contains large memory to store the coordinates, data pushers additionally contains the GSM/GPRS modem to transmit this information to a central computer either via SMS or via GPRS in form of IP packets. The diagram depicts a hardware architecture of an advanced GPS tracker.
Data loggers
A GPS logger simply logs the position of the device at regular intervals in its internal memory. Modern GPS loggers have either a
memory cardA memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
slot, or internal
flash memoryFlash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
and a
USBUSB is an industry standard developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables, connectors and protocols used in a bus for connection, communication and power supply between computers and electronic devices....
port. Some act as a
USB flash driveA flash drive is a data storage device that consists of flash memory with an integrated Universal Serial Bus interface. flash drives are typically removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than a floppy disk. Most weigh less than 30 g...
. This allows downloading of the track log data for further analyzing in a computer. The tracklist or
point of interestA point of interest, or POI, is a specific point location that someone may find useful or interesting. An example is a point on the Earth representing the location of the Space Needle, or a point on Mars representing the location of the mountain, Olympus Mons.The term is widely used in...
list may be in GPX,
KMLKeyhole Markup Language is an XML notation for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within Internet-based, two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional Earth browsers. KML was developed for use with Google Earth, which was originally named Keyhole Earth Viewer. It was created by...
,
NMEANMEA 0183 is a combined electrical and data specification for communication between marine electronic devices such as echo sounder, sonars, anemometer, gyrocompass, autopilot, GPS receivers and many other types of instruments. It has been defined by,...
or other format.
Most
digital cameraA digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
s save the time a photo was taken. Provided the camera clock was reasonably accurate, or the GPS was used as a time source, this time can be correlated with GPS log data, to provide an accurate location. This can be added to the Exif metadata in the picture file, thus
geotaggingGeotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as a geotagged photograph or video, websites, SMS messages, QR Codes or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata...
it.
In some Private Investigation cases, these data loggers are used to keep track of the vehicle or the fleet vehicle. The reason for using this device is so that a PI will not have to follow the target so closely and always has a backup source of data.
Data pushers
Data pusher is the most common type of GPS tracking unit, used for
asset trackingAsset tracking refers to tracking the movement of physical assets. Either by scanning barcode tags attached to the assets or using smart tags, like RFID tags, which broadcast their location. An asset tracking system can record the location and usage of the assets and generate various reports...
, personal tracking and Vehicle tracking system.
Also known as a
GPS beacon, this kind of device
pushesPush technology, or server push, describes a style of Internet-based communication where the request for a given transaction is initiated by the publisher or central server...
(i.e. "sends") the position of the device as well as other information like
speedIn kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
or
altitudeAltitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
at regular intervals, to a determined
serverIn the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
, that can store and instantly analyze the data.
A GPS receiver and a mobile phone sit side-by-side in the same box, powered by the same battery. At regular intervals, the phone sends a text message via SMS or GPRS, containing the data from the GPS receiver. Newer GPS-integrated
smartphoneA smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
s running GPS tracking software can turn the phone into a data pusher (or logger) device; as of 2009
open sourceThe term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
and
proprietaryProprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
applications are available for common Java ME enabled phones,
iPhoneThe iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, Android, Windows Mobile, and Symbian.
Most of the modern GPS trackers provide data "push" technology, enabling sophisticated GPS tracking in business environments, specifically organizations that employ a mobile workforce, such as a commercial fleet. Typical GPS tracking systems used in commercial fleets have two core parts: location hardware (or tracking device) and tracking software. This combination is often referred to as an
Automatic Vehicle LocationAutomatic vehicle location is a means for automatically determining the geographic location of a vehicle and transmitting the information to a requester....
system. The tracking device is most often hardwire installed in the vehicle; connected to the CAN-bus,
Ignition systemAn ignition system is a system for igniting a fuel-air mixture. Ignition systems are well known in the field of internal combustion engines such as those used in petrol engines used to power the majority of motor vehicles, but they are also used in many other applications such as in oil-fired and...
switch, battery. It allows collection of extra data, which later get transferred to the
GPS tracking serverThe GPS tracking server has three responsibilities: receiving data from the GPS tracking unit, securely storing it in database, and serving this information on demand to the user.- Proprietary servers :...
, where it is available for viewing, in most cases via a website accessed over the
internetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, where fleet activity can be viewed live or historically using digital maps and reports.
GPS tracking systems used in commercial fleets are often configured to transmit location and telemetry input data at a set update rate or when an event (door open/close, auxiliary equipment on/off,
geofenceA geo-fence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area.A geo-fence could be dynamically generated—as in a radius around a store or point location. Or a geo-fence can be a predefined set of boundaries, like school attendance zones or neighborhood boundaries...
border cross) triggers the unit to transmit data. Live GPS Tracking used in commercial fleets, generally refers to systems which update regularly at 1 minute, 2 minute or 5 minute intervals, whilst the ignition status is on. Some tracking systems combine timed updates with heading change triggered updates.
The applications of these kind of trackers include:
Personal tracking
- Law enforcement
Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to promote adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society...
. An arrested criminal out on bail may have to wear a GPS tracker, usually on the ankle, as a bail condition.
- Race control. In some sports, such as gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
, participants are required to carry a tracker. This allows, among other applications, for race officials to know if the participants are cheating, taking unexpected shortcuts or how far apart they are. This use has been featured in the movie Rat RaceRat Race is a 2001 ensemble cast comedy film directed by Jerry Zucker, written by Andy Breckman, and stars several comedians including Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Jon Lovitz, Lanei Chapman, Seth Green, Kathy Najimy, Dave Thomas, Vince Vieluf, John Cleese, Breckin Meyer,...
.
- Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
/surveillanceSurveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
. When put on a person, or on his personal vehicle, it allows the person monitoring the tracking to know his/her habits. This application is used by private investigatorA private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
s.
- These devices are also used by some parents to track their children. The supporters claim that if cleverly used, this actually allows children more independence.
- GPS personal tracking devices are being used increasingly to assist in the care of the elderly and vulnerable. Devices allow users to call for assistance and optionally allow designated carers to locate the user's position, typically within 5 to 10 metres. Their use helps promote independent living and social inclusion for the elderly. Devices often incorporate either 1-way or 2-way voice communication which is activated by pressing a button or sliding a switch. Some devices also allow the user to call several phone numbers using pre-programmed speed dial buttons. Trials using GPS personal tracking devices are also underway in several countries for use with early stage dementia and Alzheimer's sufferers.
- Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
Fun. Some Web 2.0The term Web 2.0 is associated with web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web...
pioneers have created their own personal web pages that show their position constantly, and in real-time, on a map within their website. These usually use data push from a GPS enabled cell phone or a personal GPS tracker.
Asset tracking
- Solar Powered. The advantage of some solar powered units is that they have much more power over their lifetime than battery powered units. This gives them the advantage to report their position and status much more often than battery units which need to conserve their energy to extend their life. Some wireless solar powered units, such as the RailRider
The RailRider is a Global Positioning System tracking and monitoring device used on railroad freight cars and locomotives. In earlier days of railroading a rail rider was known as a person to ride on a railcar to make sure it arrived unscathed....
can report more than 20,000 times per year and work indefinitely on solar power eliminating the need to change batteries.
- Animal control. When put on a wildlife animal (e.g. in a collar), it allows scientists to study its activities and migration patterns. Vaginal implant transmitters mark the location where pregnant females give birth. Animal tracking collars may also be put on domestic animals, to locate them in case they get lost.
Data pullers
GPS data pullers are also known as
GPS transponders. Contrary to data pushers, that send the position of the devices at regular intervals (
push technologyPush technology, or server push, describes a style of Internet-based communication where the request for a given transaction is initiated by the publisher or central server...
), these devices are always-on and can be queried as often as required (
pull technologyPull technology or client pull is a style of network communication where the initial request for data originates from the client, and then is responded to by the server. The reverse is known as push technology, where the server pushes data to clients.. Usually, customers will look for a site and...
). This technology is not in widespread use, but an example of this kind of device is a computer connected to the
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and running
gpsdgpsd is a daemon that receives data from a GPS receiver, and provides the data back to multiple applications such as Kismet or GPS navigation software....
.
These can often be used in the case where the location of the tracker will only need to be known occasionally e.g. placed in property that may be stolen, or that does not have constant source of energy to send data on a regular basis, like freights or containers.
Data Pullers are coming into more common usage in the form of devices containing a GPS receiver and a cell phone which, when sent a special
SMSSMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
message reply to the message with their location.
Abuses in USA
In the US, the use of GPS trackers by government authorities, such as police, is limited by the 4th Amendment of the United States Constitution, so, police, for example, usually require a
search warrantA search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
in most circumstances. While police have placed GPS trackers in vehicles without warrant, this usage was questioned in court in early 2009.
Use by a private citizens is regulated in some states, such as California, where California Penal Code Section 637.7 states: (a) No person or entity in this state shall use an electronic tracking device to determine the location or movement of a person. (b) This section shall not apply when the registered owner, lesser, or lessee of a vehicle has consented to the use of the electronic tracking device with respect to that vehicle. (c) This section shall not apply to the lawful use of an electronic tracking device by a law enforcement agency. (d) As used in this section, "electronic tracking device" means any device attached to a vehicle or other movable thing that reveals its location or movement by transmission of electronic signals. (e) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor.
( f ) A violation of this section by a person, business, firm, company, association, partnership, or corporation licensed under Division 3 (commencing with Section 5000) of the Business and Professions Code shall constitute grounds for revocation of the license issued to that person, business, firm, company, association, partnership, or corporation, pursuant to the provisions that provide for the revocation of the license as set forth in Division 3 (commencing with Section 5000) of the Business and Professions Code.
Note that 637.7 pertains to all electronic tracking devices, and does not differentiate between those that rely on GPS technology or not. As the laws catch up with the times, it is plausible that all 50 states will eventually enact laws similar to those of California.
Of course, other laws, like the
common lawCommon law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
invasion of privacyUnited States privacy law embodies several different legal concepts. One is the invasion of privacy, a tort based in common law allowing an aggrieved party to bring a lawsuit against an individual who unlawfully intrudes into his or her private affairs, discloses his or her private information,...
tortA tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
as well as state criminal wiretapping statutes (for example, the wiretapping statute of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which is extremely restrictive) potentially cover the use of GPS tracking devices by private citizens without consent of the individual being so tracked. Privacy can also be a problem when people use the devices to track the activities of a loved one. GPS tracking devices have also been put on religious statues in order to track the whereabouts of the statue if stolen.
Recently, debate ensued about a Georgia proposal to outlaw hidden GPS tracking, with an exception for law enforcement officers but not for
private investigatorA private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
s. See Georgia HB 16 - Electronic tracking device; location of person without consent (2009).
Uses in Marketing
In August, 2010, Brazilian company Unilever ran a promotion where GPS trackers were placed in boxes of Omo laundry detergent. Teams would then track consumers who purchased the boxes of detergent to their homes where they would be awarded with a prize for their purchase. The company also launched a website (in Portuguese) to show the approximate location of the winners' homes.
See also
- Automatic Position Reporting System
Automatic Packet Reporting System is an amateur radio-based system for real time tactical digital communications of information of immediate value in the local area. In addition, all such data is ingested into the APRS Internet system and distributed globally for ubiquitous and immediate access...
- Electronic tagging
Electronic tagging is a form of non-surreptitious surveillance consisting of an electronic device attached to a person or vehicle, especially certain criminals, allowing their whereabouts to be monitored. In general, devices locate themselves using GPS and report their position back to a control...
- GPS Timing
- GPS tracking server
The GPS tracking server has three responsibilities: receiving data from the GPS tracking unit, securely storing it in database, and serving this information on demand to the user.- Proprietary servers :...
- GPS wildlife tracking
GPS wildlife tracking is a process whereby biologists, scientific researchers or conservation agencies can remotely observe relatively fine-scale movement or migratory patterns in a free-ranging wild animal using the Global Positioning System and optional environmental sensors or automated...
- Intelligent transportation system
The term intelligent transportation systems refers to information and communication technology that improve transport outcomes such as transport safety, transport productivity, travel reliability, informed travel choices, social equity, environmental performance and network operation...
- Real-time locating
- Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
- Telematics
Telematics typically is any integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, also known as ICT...
- Vehicle Infrastructure Integration
Vehicle Infrastructure Integration is an initiative fostering research and applications development for a series of technologies directly linking road vehicles to their physical surroundings, first and foremost in order to improve road safety...
External links