Patent ID: 7099770

Claim:
A monitoring device configured to monitor a remote status of mobile assets, comprising: a position location unit configured to determine a location of a remote device; a simplex satellite transmitter configured to transmit the location to one or more satellites in low earth orbit; a power source; and a controller including a motion detection unit configured to detect a change of state of motion; and a power management unit configured to control a power state of the position location unit and the simplex satellite transmitter, and to periodically enable and disable power from the power source to the position location unit and the simplex satellite transmitter, wherein the power management unit is further configured to disable power and then enable power on an interval schedule, in which intervals between disabling and enabling power are randomly adjusted to vary the interval schedule, the controller is further configured to control the position location unit to determine the location and to control the simplex satellite transmitter to transmit the location on the interval schedule, and the controller, upon detection of motion state change by the motion detection unit, is configured to enable or disable an alternate interval schedule for transmission of information.