# US 8,787,823 B2 · Recovery system with repeating communication capabilities > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,823 B2 - Document ID: US8787823B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/229,736 - Filed: 2005-09-19 - Published: 2007-03-22 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2005-09-19 - Assignees: LoJack Corporation - Applicants: James A. Justice; Sampath Krishna; George Liu; Ira Cohen - Inventors: James A. Justice; Sampath Krishna; George Liu; Ira Cohen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787823B2 ## CPC - 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 - B60R 25/33: of global position, e.g. by providing GPS coordinates - G07C 5/008: {communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C)} - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract A recovery system and method with repeating communication functionality includes a station configured to send a first message and at least a first remote transmitting unit responsive to the central station and configured to transmit a second message to a locating unit. At least a second remote transmitting unit includes a receiver which receives the second message, a controller configured to process the second message, and a transmitter for transmitting a third message to the locating unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A recovery system with repeating communication capabilities for facilitating recovery of a vehicle equipped with a locating unit, the system comprising: a central station configured to send a first message; at least a first communication tower including a first remote transmitting unit, wherein, responsive to the first message from the central station, the first remote transmitting unit transmits a second message to activate the locating unit in the vehicle; and at least a second communication tower including a second remote transmitting unit, the second remote transmitting unit including: a receiver which receives the second message for activating the locating unit of the vehicle from the first remote transmitting unit in the at least first communication tower, a controller configured to process the second message, and a transmitter, responsive to the second message, for transmitting a third message to activate the locating unit in the vehicle, wherein the controller is programmed to: transmit the third message only upon receipt of two or more instances of the second message, transmit the third message only for a predetermined time period, and ignore any second message received by the receiver having a signal strength below a predetermined signal strength. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which said first remote transmitting unit includes a land line connection to the central station for receiving the first message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 in which the first remote transmitting unit includes an RF transmitter for sending the second message to the locating unit and to the receiver of the second remote transmitting unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the first message, the second message, and the third message include identical information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which there are N second remote transmitting units. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 in which there are M first remote transmitting units. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6 in which M is less than N. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which said first message includes a first code representing a locating unit identifier and a second code which activates the locating unit to transmit a signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 in which the first remote transmitting unit is configured to repeat the transmission of the second message which includes the first and second codes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 in which the second remote transmitting unit is configured to repeat the transmission of the third message which includes the first and second codes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the first message includes a first code representing a locating unit identifier and a third code which adjusts a transmission schedule of the locating unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which said first message includes a first code representing a locating unit identifier and fourth code which deactivates the vehicle locating unit. ### Claim 13 A system with repeating communication capabilities for facilitating recovery of a vehicle equipped with a locating unit, said system comprising: a central station configured to send a first message; at least a first communication tower including a first remote transmitting unit in communication with the central station via a first data link, wherein, responsive to the first message from the central station, the first remote transmitting unit transmits a second message to activate the locating unit in the vehicle via a second data link that is different from the first data link; and at least a second communication tower including a second remote transmitting unit, said second remote transmitting unit including: a receiver which receives the second message to activate the locating unit of the vehicle from the first remote transmitting unit transmitted via the second data link, a controller configured to process the second message transmitted via the second data link, and a transmitter, responsive to the second message, for transmitting a third message to activate the locating unit in the vehicle via the second data link, wherein the controller is programmed to: transmit the third message only upon receipt of two or more instances of the second message, transmit the third message only for a predetermined time period, and ignore any second message received by the receiver having a signal strength below a predetermined signal strength. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 in which the first data link is a land line and the second data link is wireless. ### Claim 15 A method for locating a vehicle equipped with a locating unit, the method comprising: transmitting a first message to at least a first communication tower including a first remote transmitting unit, the first message including a first code representing a locating unit identifier; transmitting a second message from the first remote transmitting unit to activate the locating unit corresponding to the locating unit identifier; receiving the second message transmitted by the first remote transmitting unit at a second remote transmitting unit; in response to receipt of two or more instances of the second message, transmitting for a predetermined time period a third message from the second remote transmitting unit to activate the locating unit corresponding to the locating unit identifier; and ignoring any second message received by the second remote transmitting unit having a signal strength below a predetermined signal strength. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which said first remote transmitting unit includes a land line connection to a station for receiving the first message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which the first remote transmitting unit includes an RF transmitter for sending the second message to the locating unit and to a receiver of the second remote transmitting unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which the first message, the second message, and the third message include identical information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which there are N second remote transmitting units. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 in which there are M first remote transmitting units. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 in which M is less than N. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which said first message includes second code which activates the locating unit to transmit a signal and said second and third messages include said first and second codes. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which the first remote transmitting unit repeats the transmission of the second message. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which the second remote transmitting unit repeats the transmission of the third message. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which the first, second, and third messages include a code which adjusts a transmission schedule of a locating unit. ### Claim 26 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 in which said first, second, and third messages include a code which deactivates the locating unit. ### Claim 27 A recovery system with repeating communication capabilities for facilitating recovery of a vehicle equipped with a locating unit, the system comprising: a central station configured to send a first message; at least a first communication tower including a first remote transmitting unit, wherein, responsive to the first message from the central station, the first remote transmitting unit transmits a second message to activate the locating unit in the vehicle; and at least a second communication tower structured and arranged as is said first communication tower, said second communication tower including a second remote transmitting unit, said second remote transmitting unit including: a receiver which receives the second message transmitted from the first remote transmitting unit of the first communication tower, a controller configured to process said second message, and a transmitter, responsive to said second message, for transmitting a third message to activate the locating unit in the vehicle, wherein the at least first remote transmitting unit and the at least second transmitting unit transmit a message to activate the locating unit of the vehicle via a common medium, and wherein the controller is programmed to: transmit the third message only upon receipt of two or more instances of the second message, transmit the third message only for a predetermined time period, and ignore any second message received by the receiver having a signal strength below a predetermined signal strength.