| NAVSTAR Global Positioning System. Abbreviation: GPS |
Glob·al Positioning System  (glō'bəl)  n. Abbr. GPS A system of satellites, computers, and receivers that is able to determine the latitude and longitude of a receiver on Earth by calculating the time difference for signals from different satellites to reach the receiver. |
A U.S. military satellite system now available for public use that allows those with a GPS receiver to locate their position on the surface of the Earth to within a few feet. A constellation of twenty-four satellites orbits the Earth, each of which transmits a radio signal giving both location of the satellite and the time of the transmission. Triangulation of three separate signals is then used by the receiver to determine its position on the Earth's surface.
Global Positioning System communications
(GPS) A system for determining postion on the Earth's surface by comparing radio signals from several satellites. When completed the system will consist of 24 satellites equipped with radio transmitters and atomic clocks.
Depending on your geographic location, the GPS receiver samples data from up to six satellites, it then calculates the time taken for each satellite signal to reach the GPS receiver, and from the difference in time of reception, determines your location.
["Global Positioning by Satellite"? Precison? Coverage? Web page?]
(1998-02-10)