Patent ID: 7536169

Claim:
A method of utilizing the relatively wide-geographically spread cellular radio networks to supplement more limited stolen vehicle recovery radio network sites in activation of radio tracking and recovery of a stolen vehicle, that comprises, equipping the vehicle with both a transponder for replying with a unique reply code transmission to a query from a recovery network and a transceiver for replying with a unique identification transmission to a query from a cellular network; upon confirming vehicle theft at a control center, instructing both the recovery network and the cellular network to send their respective queries to the respective transponder and transceiver of the vehicle; receiving from the vehicle transceiver, said unique identification transmission at a site of the cellular network and sending from such site an identifying number thereof to the control center for providing over the wide geography of the cellular network, rough location guidance information to a recovery vehicle; and receiving from the vehicle transponder at a recovery vehicle its reply code transmission to enable fine tracking of the stolen vehicle by the recovery network and the recovery vehicle.