Tracking control and logistics system and method

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are disclosed for monitoring, tracking, and logistics purposes that preferably includes a monitoring unit wherein data is processed using a microcontroller. The monitoring unit includes an interface with the target or asset to be tracked such that electrical signals may be sent between the target and monitoring unit to denote events from the target, e.g., air bag deployment and for activating features of the target, e.g., an alarm. The interface may be unique for each monitoring unit because unique information relating to each interface is stored in the system database, e.g., data may be related to a temperature in one unit and to a movement sensor indication in another. Therefore, the system may respond appropriately to signals having unique meanings from each different monitoring unit. A pager unit with a pager modem is controlled by the microcontroller to thereby encode the signals for transmission. A pager transmitter/receiver network is used for sending and receiving messages from the monitoring unit. The pager transmitter/receiver network is in communication with a server and the database. The server may be accessed by multiple clients over the Internet or other lines of communication so that the clients at numerous different remote locations may activate controls on their respective one or more remote targets/assets, find the locations thereof, and receive cumulative status reports.