The ThingSpace Device Location Service returns location information in decimal degrees, which expresses latitude (x) and longitude (y) as decimal fractions. Decimal degrees are an alternative to using degrees, minutes, and seconds.
Latitude is the distance north or south of the equator. Locations at the equator have a value of 0, and the value range is from 90 (North Pole) to -90 (South Pole). Positive values are north of the equator, and negative values are south of the equator.
Longitude is the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, which has a value of 0. Positive values are east of the Prime Meridian to the International Date Line (value 180), and negative values are west of the Prime Meridian to the International Date Line (value -180).
You can derive the degrees, minutes, and seconds (D, M, S) from a decimal degree (Ddec) value using these formulas:
D = trunc(Ddec)
M = trunc((Ddec X 60) mod 60)
S = (|Ddec| X 3600) mod 60
GPS and Non-GPS Location Information
A device’s location can be determined in several different ways, depending on device and network capabilities:
Non-GPS Coarse and Precise Location - Uses triangulation of device signal strength at cell towers to determine the location of a device.
GPS-based Precise Location - Uses the GPS receiver in a device to determine a device’s location.