Portable motion-activated position reporting device
AssigneeTrimble Navigation Limited
InventorsDennis Workman, Jeffery Allen Hamilton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is a portable motion-activated position reporting device. In one embodiment, a controller is coupled with an interrogator component, a position determining component, a wireless communications component, and an initiating component. In one embodiment, the initiating component detects motion of the position reporting device and generates a signal to the controller indicating the motion. The controller, in response to the signal, activates the interrogator component and the position reporting device.
Claims31
A portable motion-activated position reporting device comprising:
- a controller;
- an interrogator component coupled with said controller for automatically receiving an identity which is unique to an asset;
- a position determining component coupled with said controller and for determining a geographic location of said position reporting device;
- a wireless communications component coupled with said controller and for transmitting a message conveying said identity and said geographic location;
- and
- an initiating component coupled with said controller for generating a signal to said controller when said initiating component detects movement of said position reporting device, wherein said controller activates said interrogator component and said position reporting device in response to said signal.
A position tracking system comprising:
- a data storage device disposed upon an asset for storing an identity which is unique to said asset;
- a position tracking service provider;
- and
- a position reporting device comprising:
- a controller;
- an interrogator component coupled with said controller for automatically communicating with said data storage device and receiving said identity;
- a position determining component coupled with said controller and for determining a geographic location of said position reporting device using a position determining system;
- a wireless communications component coupled with said controller and for transmitting a message conveying said identity and said geographic location to said position tracking service provider;
- and
- an initiating component coupled with said controller for generating a signal to said controller when said initiating component detects movement of said position reporting device, wherein said controller activates said position reporting device in response to said signal.
A method for monitoring the geographic position of an asset, said method comprising:
- detecting motion of a portable position reporting device using an initiating component disposed within said portable position reporting device;
- indicating said motion to a controller disposed within said portable position reporting device;
- activating said portable position reporting device in response to said indicating;
- and
- automatically receiving an identity which is unique to said asset using an interrogator component disposed within said portable position reporting device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.