A GPS navigation device is any device that receives Global Positioning System (GPS) signals for the purpose of determining the device’s current location on Earth. GPS devices provide latitude and longitude information, and some may also calculate altitude, although this is not considered sufficiently accurate or continuously available enough (due to the possibility of signal blockage and other factors) to rely on exclusively to pilot aircraft.
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GPS devices are used in military, aviation, marine and consumer product applications.
GPS devices may also have additional capabilities such as:
* containing maps, which may be displayed in human readable format via text or in a graphical format
* providing suggested directions to a human in charge of a vehicle or vessel via text or speech
* providing directions directly to an autonomous vehicle such as a robotic probe
* providing information on traffic conditions (either via historical or real time data) and suggesting alternative directions
* providing information on nearby amenities such as restaurants, fueling stations, etc.
In other words, all GPS devices can answer the question “Where am I?”, and may also be able to answer:
* which roads or paths are available to me now?
* which roads or paths should I take in order to get my desired destination?
* if some roads are usually busy at this time or are busy right now, what would be a better route to take?
* where can I get something to eat nearby or where can I get fuel for my vehicle?
Consumer GPS navigation devices include:
* Dedicated GPS navigation devices
* GPS modules that need to be connected to a computer to be used
* GPS loggers that record trip information for download. Such GPS tracking is useful for trailblazing, mapping by hikers and cyclists, and
the production of geocoded photographs.
* Converged devices, including GPS Phones and GPS cameras, in which GPS is a feature rather than the main purpose of the device. Those
devices may be assisted GPS or standalone (not network dependent) or both.
Manufacturers include:
* Navman products
* TomTom products
* Garmin products
* Mio products
* Navigon products
* Magellan Navigation consumer products
* TeleType products
Due in part to regulations encouraging mobile phone tracking, including E911, the majority of GPS receivers are built into mobile telephones,
with varying degrees of coverage and user accessibility. Commercial navigation software is available for most 21st century smartphones as well
as some Java-enabled phones that allows them to use an internal or external GPS receiver (in the latter case, connecting via serial or
Bluetooth). Some phones with GPS capability work by assisted GPS (A-GPS) only, and do not function when out of range of their carrier’s cell
towers. Others can navigate worldwide with satellite GPS signals as a dedicated portable GPS receiver does, upgrading their operation to A-GPS
mode when in range. Still others have a hybrid positioning system that can use other signals when GPS signals are inadequate.
More bespoke solutions also exist for smartphones with inbuilt GPS capabilities. Some such phones can use tethering to double as a wireless
modem for a laptop, while allowing GPS-navigation/localisation as well.[1] One such example is marketed by Verizon Wireless in the United
States, and is called VZ Navigator. The system uses gpsOne technology to determine the location, and then uses the mobile phone’s data
connection to download maps and calculate navigational routes. Other products including iPhone are used to provide similar services. Nokia gives
Ovi Maps free on its smartphones and maps can be preloaded. According to market research from the independent analyst firm Berg Insight, the
sales of GPS-enabled GSM/WCDMA handsets was 150 million units in 2009. [2] while only 40 million separate GPS receivers were sold. [3]
GPS navigation applications for mobile phones include Waze.