Global locating and tracking method and system

Claim 3

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of receiving global position data signals includes the steps of: activating the remote unit to receive data signals from the global positioning satellite; transmitting satellite position, velocity, and doppler shift data from the satellite to the remote unit; and receiving the satellite position, velocity, and doppler shift data by the remote unit.

Claim 4

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of relaying the geographic position signal and the unique code further includes the step of encoding the geographic position and the unique code to produce an encrypted signal.

Claim 5

The method as in claim 3 wherein the step of displaying the geographic position is preceded by the step of decrypting the encrypted signal.

Claim 6

The method as claimed in claim 1 further including the steps of: (g) providing an interval timer within the remote unit programmed to inhibit the remote unit from transmitting and receiving signals for a predetermined time interval; and (h) returning to step (a) upon expiration of the predetermined time interval.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 further including the step of sending electronic mail messages to selected electronic addresses previously stored in the network database server system.

Claim 8

A global locating and tracking system comprising: a housing; a transceiver assembly held within the housing including: a receiver adapted for receiving global position signals transmitted from a global positioning satellite, the data signals being indicative of a geographic location of the transceiver assembly; a transmitter adapted for encoding the global position data signals with a unique code associated with the transceiver assembly and for transmitting the encoded global position data signals to a central control center via a satellite so as to update the geographic location of the transceiver assembly, the central control center adapted to determine the geographic position of the transceiver assembly according to the encoded global position data signals received from the transmitter; an interval timer adapted to inhibit the transceiver assembly from transmitting and receiving signals during predetermined intervals of time; a power supply for powering the transmitter and receivers; a computer network database server system adapted to receive the geographic position of the transceiver assembly relayed thereto by the central control center, the network database server system adapted to store personal information associated with the unique code such that the network database server system is adapted to associate the personal information with the encoded global position data signals; and wherein said network database server system includes means for displaying the geographic position and the associated personal information on an Internet web site having hypertext links to related web sites.

Claim 9

A global locating and tracking system comprising: a housing; a transceiver assembly held within the housing including: a receiver adapted for receiving global position signals transmitted from a global positioning satellite, the data signals being indicative of a geographic location of the transceiver assembly; a transmitter adapted for encoding the global position data signals with a unique code associated with the transceiver assembly and for transmitting the encoded global position data signals to a central control center via a satellite so as to update the geographic location of the transceiver assembly, the central control center adapted to determine the geographic position of the transceiver assembly according to the encoded global position data signals received from the transmitter; an interval timer adapted to inhibit the transceiver assembly from transmitting and receiving signals during predetermined intervals of time; a power supply for powering the transmitter and receivers; a computer network database server system adapted to receive the geographic position of the transceiver assembly relayed thereto by the central control center, the network database server system adapted to store personal information associated with the unique code such that the network database server system is adapted to associate the personal information with the encoded global position data signals; and wherein said network database server system includes means for displaying the geographic position and the associated personal information on an Internet web site having hypertext links to related web sites.

Claim 10

A locating and tracking system as in claim 7 wherein the network database server system includes means for displaying the geographic position at a network location, the geographic position first being decrypted, whereby a search operation can be initiated and monitored by persons having access to the network location.