Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for minimizing potential security problems and battery power usage in a tracking device used in tracking an associated product while being transported along a route wherein wireless communication may be nonexistent or intermittent. This is accomplished in part by having an accessible database of signal quality and strength at a large plurality of locations along given transportation routes whereby adjustments can be made as to the times for the tracking device to obtain GPS location information as well as for times to report any location and or product status data to a remotely located central station. The ability to predict when, along a transportation route communication problems may occur provides the opportunity to notify appropriate authorities in advance of arriving at the communication gap zones whereby arrangements can be made to alleviate potential problems during transportation through wireless communication “gap or dead” zones.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for sensing a given situation such as the presence of operational aircraft for deactivation, or other modification, of a device such as wireless communication circuitry signal transmission circuitry while in the presence of the operational aircraft. The sensing of a situation may be by the presence of a predetermined signal, the arrival at a given location, a measurable change in air pressure and so forth. The sensor circuitry, upon detecting conditions suggestive of operational aircraft, operates to activate, deactivate or otherwise modify the performance of a device while in the presence or immediate vicinity of aircraft or other predetermined situation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for electronically and wirelessly monitoring a plurality of ID tags of assets as a service for a plurality of tagged asset users and notifying the tagged asset user and/or other authorized entities when conditions sensed by tag circuitry exceeds predetermined boundaries. Typically, the tag will include wireless GPS and/or other sensing circuitry along with telephone type circuitry for communicating sensed data, such as location, to the monitoring service. The notification may further include advertising or other information specifically helpful to the owner of the tagged asset.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for individually checking, sanitizing and/or otherwise altering data bits of a plurality of memory chips via one or more processes where the memory chips being processed at any given time may be of different unformatted memory capacities, may be of different memory types, and may have the process started at different times. The method utilizes a computer based program capable of multithreaded operation whereby a new procedure thread is initiated upon a determination by the main program that a given reader port is in recent initial communication with a memory chip.

Abstract: The present invention uses two interconnected baluns with the balanced output of one feeding a balanced input of the other. When this filter is used in conjunction with a signal frequency converter, the balun pair not only provides extremely effective bandpass filtering so as to pass the RF frequencies and not the IF frequencies but, in addition, provides a condition which appears to the IF as a nearly open circuit and thus provides a large amount of reflection or return of the IF signals to the signal converter. Through the use of additional grounding stubs, additional coupling means, increased separation between coupling means and separated ground planes each singularly or in combination, improved performance has been obtained as compared to the prior art.

Abstract: Circuitry for evaluating a serial binary number after each of several modifications with respect to given constants and further modifying the result in connection with the sign of the result obtained by the previous modification to provide serial binary to BCD conversion. Further circuitry is illustrated for converting from a BCD word to a serial binary word by adding together one or more serial binary words each representative of the value of the logic ones appearing in the BCD word.