Recovery system with repeating communication capabilities

• US 10,286,874 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calamp Wireless Networks Inc. (CalAmp Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LoJack Corporation (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Justice, James A., Liu, George, Cohen, Ira
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US15/422,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20170144629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/33 of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A recovery system and method with repeating communication functionality includes a station configured to send a first message and at least a first remote transmitting unit responsive to the central station and configured to transmit a second message to a locating unit. At least a second remote transmitting unit includes a receiver which receives the second message, a controller configured to process the second message, and a transmitter for transmitting a third message to the locating unit.

Claims

1. A recovery method comprising:

transmitting a first activation message to a vehicle location unit and to a first remote transmitting unit, the first activation message including a first code representing a vehicle location unit identifier;

receiving the first activation message at the first remote transmitting unit but not at the vehicle locating unit;

processing the first activation message to generate a second activation message;

transmitting the second activation message to the vehicle location unit and to a second remote transmitting unit, the second activation message including the first code representing a vehicle location unit identifier;

receiving the second activation message at a second remote transmitting unit but not at the vehicle locating unit;

processing the second activation message to generate a third activation message; and

transmitting the third activation message to the vehicle location unit and to a third remote transmitting unit, the third activation message including the first code representing a vehicle location unit identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the first remote transmitting unit includes a landline connection to a station for receiving the first message.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the first remote transmitting unit includes an RF transmitter for sending the second activation message to the vehicle location unit and to a receiver of the second remote transmitting unit.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the first activation message, the second activation message, and the third activation message include the same information.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the second remote transmitting unit transmits the third activation message only upon receipt of two or more instances of the second activation message.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the first activation message includes a second code which activates the vehicle location unit to transmit a signal and the second and third messages include the first and second codes.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the first remote transmitting unit repeats the transmission of the second activation message.

8. The method of claim 1 in which the second remote transmitting unit repeats the transmission of the third activation message.