Arandi, Anna Karenina M.

3BIO5
Tracking technology
(a) The GPS (Global Positioning System) is a "constellation" of 24 wells!aced
satellites that or"it the #arth and $a%e it !ossi"le for !eo!le with &ro'nd recei(ers to
!in!oint their &eo&ra!hic location. The location acc'rac) is an)where fro$ *++ to *+
$eters for $ost e,'i!$ent. Acc'rac) can "e !in!ointed to within one (*) $eter with
s!ecial $ilitar)a!!ro(ed e,'i!$ent. -./ e,'i!$ent is widel) 'sed in science and has
now "eco$e s'fficientl) lowcost so that al$ost an)one can own a -./ recei(er.
The -./ is "ein& 'sed in science to !ro(ide data that has ne(er "een a(aila"le "efore in
the ,'antit) and de&ree of acc'rac) that the -./ $a%es !ossi"le. /cientists are 'sin& the
-./ to $eas're the $o(e$ent of the arctic ice sheets, the #arth0s tectonic !lates, and
(olcanic acti(it). -./ recei(ers are "eco$in& cons'$er !rod'cts. In addition to their
o'tdoor 'se (hi%in&, crossco'ntr) s%iin&, "alloonin&, fl)in&, and sailin&), recei(ers can
"e 'sed in cars to relate the dri(er0s location with traffic and weather infor$ation.
(") Cell tower triangulation is si$ilar to -./ trac%in& in $an) wa)s. M'lti!le towers
are 'sed to trac% the !hone1s location ") $eas'rin& the ti$e dela) that a si&nal ta%es to
ret'rn "ac% to the towers fro$ the !hone. This dela) is then calc'lated into distance and
&i(es a fairl) acc'rate location of the !hone. 2etectin& which antenna of the tower the
si&nal "o'nced off of can f'rther refine the location. This &i(es a $ore s!ecific location
when 'sed con&r'entl) with $'lti!le towers calc'lated ") $'lti!le dishes on each tower.
3ell !hone co$!anies do this for a (ariet) of reasons incl'din& enhancin& the a"ilit) of
the #4** s)ste$. This s)ste$ was !'t in !lace for 4** o!erators to &et a location of
where a call fro$ a cell !hone is $ade fro$ so that if co$$'nication is lost, the o!erator
wo'ld %now where to dis!atch hel!.
3ell tower trian&'lation is also 'sed to !ro(ide the !hone with the "est ser(ice ") notin&
which tower it is closest to and 'sin& the$ to !ro(ide ser(ice. 3ell tower trian&'lation
!ro(ides the a"ilit) to trac% the historic location of the cell !hone1s !resence. It will then
identif) where the cell !hone was when recei(in&5$a%in& calls, te6tin&, e$ailin&, etc.
(c) Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) is a ter$ !ioneered ") /%)hoo% 7ireless to
descri"e its 7i8i"ased location s)ste$. It is now widel) ac%nowled&ed, howe(er, that
-oo&le, A!!le, and (ario's !hone $a%ers and carriers ha(e co$!iled their own (er)
e6tensi(e data"ases of 7i8i access !oint locations ") correlatin& 7i8i access !oints
with -./ locations of cell !hone, s$art!hone, and in so$e cases, ta"let co$!'ter 'sers.
Anon)$o'sl) deter$inin& 'sers0 location in this wa) is !art of (irt'all) e(er) cell !hone
ter$sofser(ice a&ree$ent, tho'&h $ost !hones allow the 'ser to t'rn off location
ser(ices.
7./ $a) "e co$"ined with cell !hone tower trian&'lation and -./ to !ro(ide relia"le
and acc'rate !osition data 'nder a wide ran&e of conditions, incl'din& a$on& tall
"'ildin&s and indoors, when -./ si&nals $a) "e wea% or inter$ittent.
9i$itations: 7./ does not wor% when o't of ran&e of 7i8i si&nals, and the 7i8i
hots!ots data"ase $'st "e constantl) '!dated to %ee! '! with 7i8i hots!ot chan&es.
/o'rces:
htt!:55search$o"ileco$!'tin&.techtar&et.co$5definition5-lo"al.ositionin&/)ste$
htt!:55www.iiiwe".net5forensicser(ices5cell!honetowertrian&'lation5
htt!:55&!s.a"o't.co$5od5&lossar)5&5wifi;!osition.ht$