Collecting and reporting information concerning mobile assets

A system for collecting and remotely reporting mobile platform related information, comprising:

• a GPS receiver system operable to collect mobile platform position related information;
• a database storing the collected position related information;
• a processor operable to control operation of the GPS receiver system to collect position related information for database storage at a first rate, the processor further controlling actions to remotely communicate any interim collected position information from the mobile platform to a remote location at a second rate, wherein the first rate is a positive integer multiple of the second rate greater than one;
• a transceiver operable to remotely communicate the position related information over a wireless communications link to the remote location at the second rate;
• and
• a timer associated with the processor and operable to time the first and second rates, the processor operating responsive to timer expiration of the first rate to control information collection and storage and responsive to time expiration of the second rate to control remote communication of the information.

A mobile asset tracking system for use with a plurality of mobile platforms, comprising:

• a central data collection center monitoring the plurality of mobile platforms;
• and
• each of the plural mobile platforms including:
• a GPS receiver system operable to collect mobile platform position related information;
• a sensor operable to collect mobile platform operational information;
• a database storing the collected position related information and mobile platform operational information;
• a processor operable to control operation of the GPS receiver system and sensor to collect position related information and mobile platform operational information for database storage at a first rate, the processor further controlling actions to remotely communicate any interim collected position information and mobile platform operational information from the mobile platform to the central data collection center at a second rate, wherein the first rate is a positive integer multiple of the second rate greater than one;
• and
• a transceiver operable to remotely communicate the position related information and mobile platform operational information over a wireless communications link to the central data collection center at the second rate.

A mobile asset tracking system for use with a plurality of mobile platforms, comprising:

• a central data collection center monitoring the plurality of mobile platforms;
• and
• each of the plural mobile platforms including:
• a GPS receiver system operable to collect mobile platform position related information;
• a database storing the collected position related information;
• a processor operable to control operation of the GPS receiver system to collect position related information for database storage at a first rate, the processor further controlling actions to remotely communicate any interim collected position information from the mobile platform to the central data collection center at a second rate, wherein the first rate is a positive integer multiple of the second rate greater than one;
• and
• a transceiver operable to remotely communicate the position related information over a wireless communications link to the central data collection center at the second rate;
• wherein the processor in each mobile platform delays remote communication of its collected information following expiration of each consecutive second rate by an offset time period selected by that mobile platform.

A mobile asset tracking system for use with a plurality of mobile platforms, comprising:

• a central data collection center monitoring the plurality of mobile platforms;
• and
• each of the plural mobile platforms including:
• a GPS receiver system operable to collect mobile platform position related information;
• a database storing the collected position related information;
• a processor operable to control operation of the GPS receiver system to collect position related information for database storage at a first rate, the processor further controlling actions to remotely communicate any interim collected position information from the mobile platform to the central data collection center at a second rate, wherein the first rate is a positive integer multiple of the second rate greater than one;
• a trasceiver operable to remotely communicate the position related information over a wireless communications link to the central data collection center at the second rate;
• and
• a timer associated with the processor and operable to time the first and second rates, the processor operating responsive to timer expiration of the first rate to control information collection and storage and responsive to time expiration of the second rate to control remote communication of the information.

A mobile asset tracking system for use with a plurality of mobile platforms, comprising:

• a central data collection center monitoring the plurality of mobile platforms and
• each of the plural mobile platforms including:
• a GPS receiver system operable to collect mobile platform position related information;
• a database storing the collected position related information;
• a processor operable to control operation of the GPS receiver system to collect position related information for database storage at a first rate, the processor further controlling actions to remotely communicate any interim collected position information from the mobile platform to the central data collection center at a second rate, wherein the first rate is a positive integer multiple of the second rate greater than one;
• and
• a transceiver operable to remotely communicate the position related information over a wireless communications link to the central data collection center at the second rate;
• wherein the second time period is set to be the same in each of the plural mobile platforms, and wherein the processor in each mobile platform delays remote communication of its collected information following expiration of each consecutive second rate by an offset time period individually selected by that mobile platform.

A mobile asset tracking system for use with a plurality of mobile platforms, comprising:

• a central data collection center monitoring the plurality of mobile platforms;
• and
• each of the plural mobile platforms including:
• a GPS receiver system operable to collect mobile platform position related information;
• a database storing the collected position related information;
• a processor operable to control operation of the GPS receiver system to collect position related information for database storage at a first rate, the processor further controlling actions to remotely communicate any interim collected position information from the mobile platform to the central data collection center at a second rate, wherein the first rate is a positive integer multiple of the second rate greater than one;
• and
• a transceiver operable to remotely communicate the position related information over a wireless communications link to the central data collection center at the second rate;
• wherein the central data collection center specifies for each of the plural mobile platforms the first and second rates.

A system for collecting and remotely reporting mobile platform related information, comprising:

• a sensor operable to collect mobile platform operational information;
• a database storing the collected operational information;
• a processor operable to control operation of the sensor to collect operational information for database storage at a first rate, the processor further controlling actions to remotely communicate any interim collected operational information from the mobile platform to a remote location at a second rate, wherein the first rate is a positive integer multiple of the second rate greater than one;
• a transceiver operable to remotely communicate the operational information over a wireless communications link to the remote location at the second rate;
• and
• a timer associated with the processor and operable to time the first and second rates, the processor operating responsive to timer expiration of the first rate to control information collection and storage and responsive to time expiration of the second rate to control remote communication of the information.