Patent ID: 6693585
Filing Date: 2004-02-17
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method for locating a mobile object, comprising operations of:attaching a remote tracking device to the mobile object, the remote tracking device comprising a one-way tone-only paging receiver having a unique capcode, wireless telephone transceiver having a nonconforming transmit-only mobile identification number (MIN), global positioning system (GPS) unit, and a controller; from a requesting source, a tracking coordination facility receiving a request to locate the mobile object; responsive to receiving the request, performing operations comprising: the tracking coordination facility identifying destination information exclusively associated with the mobile object; the tracking coordination facility utilizing the destination information to transmit an activation signal to the paging receiver of the remote tracking device attached to the requested mobile object; responsive to the paging receiver receiving the activation signal, the paging receiver issuing a tone-only output to the controller, and in response, the controller activating the GPS unit to determine position and thereafter activating the transceiver to transmit a representation of the determined position to the tracking coordination facility; the tracking coordination facility providing an output of the determined position to the requesting source.