Patent ID: 8274383

Claim:
A system for monitoring activities relating to movable and removable items within a vehicle, said system comprising: an electrical energy storage device; an energy harvesting device operable to store harvested energy in said electrical energy storage device, the energy harvesting device comprising a thermoelectric device exposed to a thermal gradient between two structures of the vehicle; a sensor element configured to output signals corresponding to one or more of removal, installation, and a shift in position of a corresponding item within the vehicle; and a transmitter configured to receive the signals from said sensor element, said transmitter further configured to transmit unique identification information and data corresponding to the signals received from said sensor element, the unique identification information corresponding with a location of the item on the vehicle, said sensor element and said transmitter configured to use energy from one or both of said energy harvesting device and said electrical energy storage device, said transmitter further configured to periodically transmit the unique identification information on a periodic basis, whether or not a state of said sensor element changes, as a verification that said system is operable.