Patent ID: 7272494

Claim:
A mobile object having a communications unit operative to transmit geographic locations to a principal entity over a wireless communications system, the communications unit comprising: a GPS receiver configured to determine a first position of the mobile object and a second position of the mobile object; a controller configured to determine whether the second position is within a geographic area that includes the first position; a transceiver configured to send a full position transmission comprising absolute latitude and longitude coordinates of the first position of the mobile object to the principal entity, wherein the transceiver, responsive to a determination that the second position is within the geographic area, is further configured to send a delta position transmission to the principal entity comprising a numeric value representing longitude and latitude coordinates of the second position relative to the previously transmitted absolute coordinates of the first position, and the transceiver, responsive to a determination that the second position is outside the geographic area, is further configured to send a full position transmission comprising absolute latitude and longitude coordinates of the second position of the mobile object to the principal entity.