GPS location-based technology relies on a network of 24 active NAVSTAR satellites, orbiting the Earth at an altitude of over 12,000 miles (20,000 km) and constantly transmitting radio signals to ground-based stations and GPS receivers on Earth. What the satellite transmits is its own proximate location to Earth, as well as the precise time of transmission using synchronized atomic clock data.

From this information, the receiver is able to calculate its latitude and longitude based on the signal strength and location of the satellite, accurate to within ten meters. This method, referred to as “triangulation,” uses signal information from at least three satellites to determine a location on the ground. The greater the number of satellites within line-of-sight range of the receiver, the greater the accuracy of the location data. Using permutations of the same data, the GPS receiver can also calculate the vehicle’s speed and direction.