| Our ancestors had to under go pretty extreme | | | | position (latitude and longitude) and path |
| measures to keep from getting lost. They build up | | | | movement. With four or more satellites in view, |
| monumental signpost, with difficult drafted detailed | | | | the receiver can determine the user's 3D position |
| maps and had learned to read and study the | | | | (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the user's |
| stars at night. | | | | position has been determined, the GPS unit can |
| Things are much easier today, a pocket sized | | | | analyze other information, such as speed, bearing, |
| product that will tell where we are and precisely | | | | track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise |
| where you are on Earth at any instant is now | | | | and sunset time and more. |
| available. The global positioning system receiver | | | | A concise example of a global potential system |
| and a clear view of the sky and you'll never be | | | | product was the Magellan GPS Companion for |
| lost again. | | | | Palm m500 Series Handhelds. GPS technology |
| Global Positioning System is vast, inexpensive and | | | | recognized for product innovation, stimulating |
| involves a lot of technical ingenuity, but the | | | | industry growth. It features a cordless Magellan |
| fundamental concepts at work are quite simple | | | | GPS attachment, Rand McNally StreetFinderTM |
| and intuitive | | | | Deluxe Travel Navigation Software and Magellan |
| Today's GPS receivers are tremendously | | | | NAV CompanionTM software. |
| accurate, thanks to their parallel multi-channel | | | | The GPS Companion was the first product |
| design. GPS receivers like the Garmin's 12 parallel | | | | introduced with the ability to calculate and |
| channel receivers are fast to lock onto satellites | | | | download a route to a Palm handheld and provide |
| when first turned on and they maintain strong | | | | audio-prompted, turn-by-turn GPS guidance on a |
| locks, even in dense plants or urban settings with | | | | moving map |
| tall buildings. Certain atmospheric factors and other | | | | The Magellan GPS Companion for Palm m500 |
| sources of error can affect the accuracy of GPS | | | | Series Handhelds gives consumer the capability to |
| receivers. Garmin GPS receivers are exact to | | | | save time, refrain from getting lost, and travel |
| within 15 meters on average. | | | | with the self-confidence of knowing where they |
| GPS satellites encircle the earth twice a day in a | | | | are and exactly how to get where they're going. |
| very accurate orbit and transmit signal information | | | | The cordless Magellan GPS receiver attaches to |
| to earth. GPS receivers take this information and | | | | the back of Palm m500 series handhelds to |
| use triangulation to analyze the user's exact | | | | provide positioning information with |
| position. Basically, the GPS receiver compares the | | | | WAAS-enabled, three-meter precision. The |
| time a signal was pass on by a satellite with the | | | | receiver communicates with the Palm handheld |
| time it was received. The time dissimilarity tells | | | | through the serial port, leaving the expansion card |
| the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. | | | | slot available for downloads. |
| Currently, with distance measurements from a | | | | Users may produce custom maps with routing |
| few more satellites, the receiver can find out the | | | | overlays and driving direction, and then export the |
| user's position and show it on the unit's electronic | | | | data via HotSync® to a handheld. Users can |
| map. | | | | also see their positions and movements on a |
| A GPS receiver must be locked on to the signal | | | | map, receive in-route audio prompts to signal |
| of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D | | | | upcoming turns, and get complete text directions. |