Is it possible to ping ACARS repeatedly and track an aircraft? This is a followup to What data does ACARS send back to base? Can it be used to track a plane?

I had asked this as a part of the earlier question, but it seems to be a large enough issue to be separate (plus no answers covered this aspect). 

All electronic communication systems have low level diagnostic and channel check packages (commands). By pinging, I mean to send a system specific query message, and estimate the response time at base station or first receiver. Repeat the procedure multiple times, and calculate the response time differences. (Assumption) If the response time is decreasing, then the aircraft is moving towards the receiver, if it is increasing, then the aircraft would be moving away. Couple the time difference obtained from multiple responses, with the location of the receivers (which may be satellites or ground stations). Then, approximate the plane heading, location or speed, with reference to the receiver, and then with reference to the ground. 

Would a process like this be possible with a high speed aircraft's ACARS? Are there any aspects specific to an aircraft that would make this impractical?
When ACARS communicates via INMARSAT satellite (other options are VHF or HF to ground stations), the satellite can ping the receiver on the aircraft and determine the distance from the delay of the reply. The satellite is geostationary, meaning that it is a fixed point 35786 km above the earth. Based on the distance from the satellite you can calculate a circle where the aircraft must be on. This has been done for MH370.



Since the geostationary orbit is so high, a single satellite covers a large portion of the earth. Only a single satellite covered the MH370 flight.