Method and system for tracking stolen property

• US 5,703,598 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ardath H. Emmons
• Original Assignee: Ardath H. Emmons
• Inventors: Emmons, Ardath H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/653,488
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 342/352, 342/357, 342/457
• US Class Current: 342/357.75
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/304 Boats
• 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: G01S 19/16 Anti-theft; Abduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2205/002 for traffic control, mobile tracking, guidance, surveillance or anti-collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile

Abstract

A method of tracking stolen property uses a continously powered radio receiver for receiving encoded signals from a central station. When the received signal corresponds to a unique code stored at the receiver, a GPS receiver and a radio transmitter located with the stolen property are connected for a predetermined period of time to a source of power so that a GPS signal received by the receiver is processed and the position data produced thereby is transmitted to the central station.

Claims

1. A method of locating a stolen piece of property using signals transmitted from a global position satellite system orbiting the earth, comprising the steps of

mounting a first radio receiver with said property, continuously connecting said first radio receiver to a source of electric power,

mounting a second radio receiver with said property, said second radio receiver being adapted to receive said signals from said global position satellite system and to process said signals to provide data corresponding to the geographical position of said second receiver,

transmitting from a location remote from said property a radio signal including a unique code associated with said piece of property and said first radio receiver,

when a radio signal is received by said first radio receiver which corresponds to said unique code, connecting said second radio receiver to a source of electric power for only a predetermined time period to permit said second radio receiver to receive said signals from said global position satellite system during said predetermined time period and to process said signals to provide geographical position data, and

transmitting said geographical position data derived from said signals from said global position satellite system to a central station.

2. A method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of

encoding said geographical position signal transmitted to said central station with said unique code to identify the source of the signal transmitted to said central station.

3. A system for tracking a piece of stolen property utilizing signals transmitted from a global position satellite system, comprising in combination

a first standby radio receiver mounted with said property, means for continuously energizing said standby radio receiver,

decoder means mounted with said property and connected to said standby receiver for comparing a coded signal received by said standby receiver with a unique identification code stored in said decoder means and for providing an output signal when said coded signal matches said identification code stored in said decoder means,

a second radio receiver for receiving said signals from said global position satellite system,

radio transmitter means responsive to an output from said second radio receiver for transmitting said data corresponding to the geographical position of said second radio receiver,

a source of electric power, and

switching means enabled when a coded signal received by said standby radio receiver matches said identification code stored in said decoder means for connecting said second radio receiver and said radio transmitter to said source of electric power and for disconnecting said second radio receiver from said source of electric power a predetermined time after said second radio receiver was connected to said source of power.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, comprising

central station means for transmitting said coded signal received by said standby receiver and for receiving and processing said signal transmitted by said transmitter to provide geographical data identifying the location of said property.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4, comprising

one or more patrol vehicles, and

means at said central station means for transmitting said geographical data to said one or more patrol vehicles.