Satellite navigation system is a device which assists to track, discover and navigate new routes with ease while driving a vehicle. Many top end cars are equipped with one already while they are manufactured. If your car is not equipped with this we can upgrade it by spending some bucks in an automotive store. This device is a must for every car and it also has great features apart from navigation and tracking. Well, here we are going to see about the satellite navigation system working and its benefits for car.
The satellite navigation system also called as sat nav system is a GPS (Global Positioning System) transceiver which is interfaced with a GPS satellite. Apart from regular navigation purpose it has many features which includes preloaded maps, media player, e-book viewer etc. This additional features may vary according to price tag.
In addition it also serves as an anti-theft system for cars worldwide. This technology is quite awesome to prevent car theft as well as to track down car thieves.
Many stolen vehicles are recovered back with the help of this device especially in US, where car thefts are very prone.
The entire system consists of a display which displays the current location, preloaded maps
and assists in navigation plus a GPS tracker module which uses GPS
satellite to track the vehicle. But many don't know how it works.
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| GPS tracker module |
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| User's display and interface. |
Every GPS device is manufactured by a company and that company here is the service provider for the product just like a mobile phone service provider like Airtel, Vodafone etc. Once the GPS device is fitted to a vehicle, say for example like car, bus or truck the following things takes place.
Working of a GPS system - simplified
First the system gets the position and trip data of the vehicle and also GPS position from the GPS satellite. After that the location details are transmitted to the company's database via GSM/GPRS/3G networks just like our mobile phone. The company service centre sends the vehicle location and details to the customer through mobile phone or internet.
This sat nav system has become more advanced now. We can control an entire truck or car while sitting at any place across the world. This makes more simple to track down and catch car thieves or any other illegal activities if happened.
Moreover some car manufacturers integrate this system to their chassis directly while manufacturing itself which is difficult to find and dismantle, hence it provides maximum protection.
The advanced system which i mentioned already is connected to an ECU (Engine Control Unit) of a car which acts as the brain of an automobile engine. The ECU monitors the fuel delivery, ignition timing, ABS brakes and other electronic components of the car.
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| By using this bridge the ECU and sat nav system are connected. |
This navigation system was designed in such a way that it responds to voice commands from the service provider's centre. Once the car is found to be stolen the car owner can contact the sat nav service provider to get his car back. The service provider tracks the car's location and sends the information to police. After that the service provider can talk to the car which responds to voice commands and the ECU can be made to immobilize the engine, can operate the hazard lights or to cut down the fuel supply to stop the car.
This makes the car to stop without any notification and helps the police to catch the car thief in an easier way. This technology has saved many cars and also helps to track down various other illegal activities. Cool technology to secure your priceless cars.