Satellite navigation systems are based on the highly precise measurement of time. A receiver on the ground pinpoints their positions by calculating how long signals from satellites in orbit take to reach it.
Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have developed a new system which improves the ability of a GPS to determine a vehicle's position as compared to that of conventional GPS devices by up to 90 percent, and which can be installed in any vehicle at a very low cost.
The prototype incorporates a conventional GPS signal with those of other sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) in order to reduce the margin of error in establishing a location.
The United States and United Kingdom announced on January 17, 2013 that the British government would end efforts to obtain patent or intellectual property (IP) rights related to GPS, as InsideGNSS reported.