System and method for tracking and locating an object

A system for monitoring and determining the location of an individual, pet, or item of personal property, comprising:

• a tracking transceiver unit adapted for broadcasting a first signal;
• a target transceiver unit adapted for receiving said first signal being broadcast by said tracking transceiver unit and broadcasting a second signal to said tracking transceiver unit, said target transceiver unit having means for securing said target transceiver unit to the individual, pet or item of personal property to be monitored;
• an antenna means connected to said tracking transceiver unit for omnidirectional and directional reception of the second signal being broadcast by said target transceiver unit, said antenna means comprising a plurality of adjoining generally flat sensor plates formed together in a generally spherical configuration, each of said plates having an outwardly facing spatial orientation that is different from the outwardly facing spatial orientation of each of the other of said plates;
• a response signal processor means having a memory component therein, said response signal processor means connected to the antenna means for receiving said second signal and comparing said second signal with a predetermined identifier programmed within said memory component, said predetermined identifier including a plurality of individual signal frequencies associated with each of said sensor plates such that for a given sensor plate, each of said individual signal frequencies is associated with a different predetermined direction relative to the orientation of said sensor plate wherein a second signal impacting said sensor plate at an angle of incidence normal to said plate produces the highest individual signal frequency corresponding to said plate thereby indicating the direction of the target transceiver unit from the tracking transceiver unit;
• a central processor means for correlating information processed through said response signal processor means, said information comprising said second signal, the identity of several said sensor plates upon which said second signal impacts and several said angles of incidence formed by said second signal and several said sensor plates at the points of impact, and analyzing said information to provide an indication of the distance and direction of said target transceiver unit from the position of said tracking transceiver unit wherein the determination of the distance is calculated by dividing by two the total elapsed time it takes said first signal to travel from said tracking transceiver unit to said target transceiver unit and the corresponding said second signal to travel from said target transceiver unit to said tracking transceiver unit less the time required to process said first and second signals through said target transceiver unit and said tracking transceiver unit;
• and
• a viewing means operably connected to said central processor means for displaying data indicating the distance and direction of said target transceiver unit from the position of said tracking transceiver unit.