Patent ID: 8396656

Claim:
A device for monitoring and communicating track and other data for a vessel, the device comprising: a microcontroller, the microcontroller configured to determine when the device is connected to a mesh network and configured to determine when the device is not connected to the mesh network; a mesh radio connected to the microcontroller for transmitting data to the mesh network; a memory in communication with the microcontroller, the memory configured for storing latent information about the device; a GPS receiver in communication with the microcontroller, the GPS receiver receiving GPS signals and providing the GPS signals to the microcontroller for processing to determine GPS data for the vessel which is transmitted over the mesh radio in real time when the device is connected to the mesh network and stored as latent GPS data in the memory when the device is not connected to the mesh network for transmission at a time of subsequent connection to the mesh network; and a power supply connected to at least the microcontroller for supplying power to the device; wherein the mesh radio is configured to transmit a signal comprising GPS data for the vessel through the mesh network to a tracking and monitoring engine; wherein the device is configured to disconnect from the mesh network when the vessel travels out of range of any of a plurality of other devices of the mesh network, wherein the GPS data for the device is stored in the memory of the device as latent GPS data when the device disconnects from the mesh network, and wherein the device is configured to reconnect to the mesh network when the device is again in range of at least one of the plurality of other devices, wherein the latent GPS data is transmitted through the mesh network to the tracking and monitoring engine when the device reconnects.