Patent ID: 7102509

Claim:
A method of tracking a plurality of items in a plurality of distant locations, comprising: providing a plurality of transceivers within each of a plurality of distant areas; providing a plurality of items with an active or passive device for generating a radio frequency (RF) signal with a signature capable of issuing an RF signal burst capable of identifying at least one of a plurality of items by way of the signature of the RF signal burst; determining discrete time periods for reading the RF signal; and generating the RF signal at the discrete time by: (1) requesting the signal; (2) reading a continuing signal; or (3) sending a pulse which generates the signal from a passive device for generating an RF signal burst in response to an RF signal; reading the signal at a receiver, sending the signal to a CPU means for providing information to a user in a graphic format showing the items differentiated by signal type and areas and showing items which are not of same items which are not functioning along with the last location historically when the items were located with or without other RF signals.