Remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system

• US 4,596,988 A
• Filed: 06/10/1983
• Issued: 06/24/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James T. Wanka
• Original Assignee: James T. Wanka
• Inventors: Wanka, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blum, Theodore M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cain, David C.
• Application Number:
  US06/503,240
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 343/457, 343/353, 455/92
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/04 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/13 the indicator being in the form of a map

Abstract

A tracking system which when interrogated automatically reports data corresponding to the location of an unknown missing respondent, and thus permits one to find the location of an article stolen or high jacked such as an automobile, truck, van, boat, airplane or any other inanimate object which might have been either stolen or accidentally misplaced.

Claims

1. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system comprising:

(a) a combination radio wave receiver and trackable transmitter to be mounted in a vehicle to be tracked such that a first signal received by said radio wave receiver activates said trackable transmitter so that a second signal is thereby transmitted by said trackable transmitter, said trackable transmitter having a first mode of operation wherein said first signal received by said radio wave receiver is required to be continuously present in order to maintain said trackable transmitter in an activated state to produce said second signal, and a second mode of operation wherein a third signal is required for receipt by said receiver to deactivate said trackable transmitter, and a fourth signal received by said radio wave receiver to switch the mode of said trackable transmitter;

(b) a radio wave transmitting source for transmitting first, third and fourth signals to said radio wave receiver; and

(c) means for remotely detecting said second signal to determine the location of said trackable transmitter when said trackable transmitter is transmitting said second signal.

2. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system as recited in claim 1, wherein said first signal and said second signal are distinguished from each other and are each encoded so as to be each distinguishable from other first and second signals of other said combination radio wave receivers and trackable transmitters.

3. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system as recited in claim 1, wherein said radio wave transmitting source for transmitting said first signal is a ground based transmitting station able to transmit at least one signal at a time encoded so as to be distinguishable by only a corresponding specific said radio wave receiver.

4. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system as recited in claim 3, wherein said first signal is relayed from said ground based transmitting station to a satellite so as to be retransmitted to said radio wave receiver.

5. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means for detecting the location of said trackable transmitter is a network of at least two remote receiving stations, and means for communicating data to a base station equipped with a microprocessor computer for interpreting said data.

6. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system as recited in claim 5, wherein said at least two remote receiving stations, further each comprise an Automatic Direction Finder, a Remote Telecommunication Interface, a MODEM, and a Data Coupler.

7. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system as recited in claim 5, wherein said base station is further equipped with one data coupler and one MODEM for each said remote receiving station.

8. A remote controlled tracking transmitter and tracking support system as recited in claim 5, wherein a base station, and a radio wave transmitting source for transmitting said first signals to said radio wave receiver are both housed at the same location.