GB2318008A - Monitoring vehicle positions - Google Patents

Abstract

A data monitoring apparatus comprises a GPS receiver 400, micro controller 403, a plurality of sensors and actuators 407, a memory 402, a radio transmitter 405 and a data communication antennae 406. The apparatus accumulates real time data concerning position and time and other operational parameters of a geographically mobile object for example a vehicle, and periodically transmits the accumulated data to a monitoring station. Transmission channel use is improved.

Description

2318008 Monitoring Vehicle Positions A method and apparatus for monitoring

the position of a vehicle or group of vehicles.

INTRODUCTION

Systems are known in which a plurality of satellites in earth orbit are arranged to transmit signals such that a receiver located on the earth's surface is able, by triangulation techniques, to identify its location. Recently, with the advent of very large scale integration silicon integrated circuits it has become possible to produce circuitry to receive and identify positions is which can be included in small and relatively low cost equipment. As a result of these advances such technology is now in wide spread use in diverse equipment, for identification of the position of a vehicle or positions of fleets of vehicles belonging to a particular company.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of monitoring a geographically moveable object comprising the steps of; substantially continuously receiving a geographic position data at said geographically moveable object; storing said position data at intervals representing real time; accumulating said stored position data at said geographically moveable object; and transmitting said position data from said geographically moveable object.

2 Preferably said step of transmitting position data is activated in response to a stimulus signal generated in response to an operation of said moveable object.

Said positional data may be transmitted in response to a periodic or 5 an aperiodic stimulus signal.

Preferably the method comprises the step of accumulating a corresponding timeldate data associated with said position data.

Said step of transmitting may be activated in response to a received interrogation signal.

Said transmission of data from said geographically moveable object may commence in response to a received geographical position data.

Preferably said step of transmitting position data comprises transmitting accumulated position data.

Preferably said step of transmitting position data comprises is transmission over a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) channel.

Preferably said intervals representing real time comprises a period in the range 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of monitoring one or a plurality of geographically moveable objects, comprising the steps of; receiving accumulated position data from each of said one or plurality of geographically moveable objects, for each said moveable object said accumulated position data comprising historical data records 2s describing a plurality of geographical positions of said object; inputting map data describing a geographical map; and for accumulated position data corresponding to a respective said moveable object, processing said accumulated position data with said map data.

Preferably the method further comprises the step of displaying said accumulated position data and said map data in an interactive map display.

3 Preferably the method comprises displaying said position data and said map data in a two dimensional display in which said position data is displayed in response to a position of a toolbar cursor display.

Preferably for each position data displayed a corresponding time s data is displayed.

A range of movement of a said toolbar may represent a time dimension.

Preferably said step of processing said accumulated position data with map data comprises; identifying items of map data representing roads; comparing said position data with said items of map data representing roads; in response to a result of said comparison, modifying said position data to coincide with said map data representing roads.

is The invention includes apparatus for monitoring a geographically moveable object, comprising; a receiver for substantially continuously receiving a geographic position data signal; a data storage means for substantially continuously storing position data at predetermined intervals representing real time; a data accumulation means for accumulating said stored position data; and a transmission means for transmitting said position data from said moveable object.

Preferably the apparatus comprises a plurality of sensors for generating trigger signals in response to operations of said moveable object.

The invention includes an apparatus for monitoring one or a plurality of geographically moveable objects, comprising; means for receiving accumulated position data from each of said one or plurality of geographically moveable objects; means for storing map data describing a geographical map; 4 means for processing said accumulated position data with said map data; and means for displaying a result of said processing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings herein; Figure 1 illustrates a plurality of global positioning satellites in orbit around the earth; Figure 2 illustrates a plurality of moveable vehicles and an overview lo of a monitoring apparatus for monitoring the vehicles according to a preferred embodiment and method of the present invention; Figure 3 illustrates a vehicle fitted with a data collection unit and associated sensors and actuators comprising the preferred embodiment; Figure 4 illustrates an arrangement of the data collection unit of is Figure 3; Figure 5 illustrates a GPS receiver comprising the data collection unit of Figure 3; Figure 6 illustrates a method of operation of the data collection unit of Figure 3; Figure 7 illustrates transmission of positional signals from a prior art monitoring system; Figure 8 illustrates transmission of positional signals in accordance with a preferred method and the preferred embodiment according to the present invention; Figure 9 lists a selection of stimuli initiating processes of the preferred method; Figure 10 illustrates further operations of the data collection unit; Figure 11 illustrates an operation of the data collection unit in response to an aperiodic stimulus; Figure 12 illustrates a remote monitoring station apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 illustrates a functional overview of the remote monitoring station apparatus of Figure 12; Figure 14 illustrates an arrangement of data stored in the remote monitoring apparatus of Figure 12; Figure 15 illustrates a representation of map data and position data prior to processing by the data monitoring apparatus; Figure 16 illustrates an output display of the data monitoring apparatus after processing of data; Figure 17 illustrates a further output display of the data monitoring lo apparatus, after processing of positional data; and Figure 18 illustrates an alternative specific embodiment monitoring apparatus and method according to the present invention.

is DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment and method according to the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings identified above.

Figure 1 illustrates a section of the earth's surface 100, around which are continuously orbiting 24 operational satellites including 3 spare satellites of the Navstar type space based radio navigation system satellites developed by the US Department of Defence. The satellites are placed in six orbital planes at a distance of around 20,200 kilometres above the earth's surface. The satellites orbit with a 12 hour orbital period and an inclination angle of 55. Each satellite continuously broadcasts an RF signal at a centre frequency of 1575.42 MHz (L1 Band). The RF signal is modulated by a 10.23 MHz clock rate precise ranging signal, and by a 1.023 MHz clock rate coarse acquisition code rJinging signal. At any one time at a position 105 on the surface of the earth, a minimum of 5 satellites are in line of sight view.

At the position 105 on the earth's surface, provided there are at least 3 satellites within direct line of sight, then it is possible for a GPS receiver 6 equipment to calculate from the RF signals transmitted by the satellites a precise latitude and longitudinal geographical position from the satellite radio signal transmissions.

Referring to Figure 2 there is shown a plurality of moveable objects, s for example trucks 200-203 travelling over the earth's surface, and a monitoring apparatus comprising a base station 204 for receiving signals transmitted from the moveable objects 200-203, and a monitoring station 205 in communication with the base station 204 over the public switched telephone network 206.

Each truck communicates with the base station 204 via the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), operating in accordance with the Short Messaging System (SMS) protocol. The monitoring station 205 is in communication with the base station 204 over the PSTN 206 for sending signals from the monitoring station for transmission by the base station 204, is and for communicating SMS message signals received by the base station 204 back to the monitoring station 205.

Referring to Figure 3 herein, there is shown a truck fitted with items of monitoring apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Monitoring apparatus fitted to the truck comprises a data collection unit 300, a plurality of sensors 301-307 for sensing operations of the truck, the sensors connected to the data collection unit 300; and a transmitter receiver 308 of the GSM type.

The sensors positioned around the truck may sense operations of the truck such as fuel level; opening and closing of vehicle body doors; operation of a vehicle refrigeration unit; temperature within individual compartments of a vehicle body; engine oil temperature; oil pressure; tachograph readings; tyre pressure; odometer readings.

There may also be provided one or more actuators controlled by the data collection unit 300, for example an engine immobiliser unit, or an alarm unit actuator.

Referring to Figure 4 there is shown an arrangement of the data collection unit 300. The data collection unit 300 comprises a GPS receiver 7 400 connected to an antennae 401; a non volatile read-write memory 402, a micro controller 403, a radio receiver 404 and radio transmitter 405 connected to a data communication antennae 406; the micro controller being connected to a plurality of peripherals 407 comprising the aforementioned sensors and actuators.

Referring to Figure 5, there is shown a construction of the GPS receiver 400. The GPS receiver comprises an analogue front end amplification section 500 capable of receiving signals from 12 satellites simultaneously, and a digital signal processor 501 receiving signals from lo the analogue front end amplifier and outputting outputs a serial data stream at 9,600 baud rate, from output 502 the serial data including representations of geographical positional data in terms of latitude and longitude co-ordinates, and time and date data 503-506 respectively.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, an operation of the monitoring apparatus and method at the moveable trucks will now be described. The micro controller 403 continually receives the position and time data from the GPS receiver 400 as the trucks travel and park and periodically stores the position and time data at predetermined intervals, for example one minute intervals, five minute intervals, or such other interval as preset, in the memory 402. In the preferred embodiment, the memory 402 comprises a 32 kilobyte non volatile read write memory for example a 62256 static RAM with low leakage reservoir capacitor. The micro controller in the preferred embodiment comprises an Intel 80C51 micro controller. Sensor data from each of the sensors on the truck is available to the micro controller 403 2s either continuously, or in response to poll signals. The positional and time data is available from the GPS receiver updated every second. Position data comprising a latitude data and a longitude data, and a time and date data is abstracted from the byte stream data produced at the output 502 of GPS receiver 400 by the micro controller. The micro controller has a set of registers into which the position and time data is written once every second.

The register always contains the most recent position and timeldate data.

The micro controller is configured in accordance with settable control 8 instructions to transfer the current position and dateltime data from the register to a record in the non volatile read write memory 402. The read write memory 402 accumulates a set of records, each comprising a position data and a corresponding timeldate data. Each record, in addition to containing position and timeldate data may also include data concerning other operational parameters of the vehicle, for example a fuel level data, an engine temperature data, door open/close data, vehicle body temperature data, fridge operating/non-operating data or the like, as contained in signals received from the on-board sensors of the vehicle. A lo period at which the position and timeldate data is stored in the records of the memory 402 may be pre-set. In the preferred method, data is stored at intervals of one minute, but the interval can be varied in the range for example 30 seconds to ten minutes, with the object that the period for storing data in the memory 402 is selected to represent substantially real time data logging of position and operational parameters of the vehicle.

Additionally, position data may be stored in the memory 402 in response to an aperiodically occurring event such as a sensor signal. In this case, a record of position data, time data and sensor signal data is stored in memory 402.

The data stream issuing from the GPS receiver 400 contains absolute geographical positional data in terms of data describing a full latitude and longitude co-ordinate uniquely defining a position on the earth's surface. However, the information stored in the memory 402 comprises latitude and longitude difference data between successively stored positions calculated by the micro controller 403. By storing difference data instead of absolute latitude and longitude positional data, the memory requirement for storing a record can be reduced. An absolute positional data may be stored in the memory in response to an aperiodic stimuli for example a signal issued by the truck ignition when the ignition is turned on, and used as a reference from which to determine absolute position data from the difference data.

9 Referring to Figure 6, at step 601 the micro controller 403 determines whether position and timeldate data is to be stored in a record. In practice this requires the micro controller 403 to be set up such that a timer within the micro controller generates an interrupt after a pre-set period of time.

s Thus in process 601 the micro controller determines whether or not it is time to record samples by responding to an interrupt generated by an internal clock timer of the micro controller 403.

In step 602, the micro controller identifies a current time from the data output by the GPS receiver 400. In step 603, sensor data from one or lo a plurality of sensors positioned around the truck is identified for recording in the memory 402. In step 604, there is calculated by the micro controller data corresponding to an absolute geographical position corresponding to the previously stored position from the last position record stored in the memory 402. This data is compared with the data representing the current is geographical position, obtained from the GPS receiver 400. The micro controller calculates the difference between the present positional data and the last record stored previous position data. In step 605, the micro controller stores the differential data from step 604 together with the identified sensor data from step 603 in a record of the memory 402.

Referring to Figure 7 herein, there is shown a method of operation of a prior art real time vehicle mounted position monitor apparatus. Positional information comprising latitude and longitude data is transmitted at regular intervals 700 in real time. In order to enable a remote monitoring station to obtain real time data and track the vehicles in real time, the regular interval 2s 700 between successive transmission events must be relatively short, eg one minute intervals. Thus, a communication channel is opened for each transmission event. Every time a communication channel is opened, the communication channel must exchange protocols in order to open the channel. Where transmission is effectively in real time, such as at one minute intervals, a channel may be continuously kept open, tying up the channel continuously, or the channel can be opened and closed at one minute intervals, in which case the transmission time overhead of the protocol exchanges in creating the channel is significant in relation to the actual transmission time required for transmission of positional, time and sensor data.

Referring to Figure 8 herein, there is shown transmission of data in accordance with the preferred method herein. In a preferred method herein, real time positional and timeldate data together with optional sensor data are accumulated in the memory records 402 on board the vehicle. The data collection unit 300 accumulates data substantially in real time until a transmission of accumulated data is triggered. Triggering of the lo transmission of accumulated data may occur in response to a periodic stimulus or in response to an event occurring. The events may occur substantially periodically, or aperiodically. For example, triggering of a transmission may occur when sufficient data has been accumulated to fill a 320 byte GSM communication system SMS data packet. By accumulating enough data to fill an SMS data packet, the number of transmission events may be reduced.

Alternatively, position and timeldate data and sensor data may be accumulated in the memory 402 for transmission as a packet of data comprising all records currently in the memory 402 at a predetermined transmission period. For example the predetermined transmission period may be set for transmission of the contents of the memory 402 at every hour or other settable interval.

In addition to the transmission of stored real time data from the memory 402 at the regular periodic transmission intervals, as aforementioned, data may be transmitted under control of the processor from the memory 402 in response to aperiodic events or operations of the vehicle. Such events or operations which occur aperiodically, may include events such as opening of the rear doors of the vehicle, a temperature of a vehicle body exceeding a predetermined limit, fuel levels exceeding a predetermined limit, turning on or turning off the ignition of the vehicle, or other predetermined events measured by sensors attached to the vehicle. Examples of such conditions are shown in Figure 9.

11 Referring to Figure 10 herein, in step 1001, the micro controller 403 determines whether a transmission is to be effected in accordance with the periodic predetermined transmission period, or in response to a signal describing a predetermined amount of data, ie 320 bytes. In step 1002 s transmission of stored data records is effected through the radio transmitter 405 and data communication antennae 406. Thereafter, control is directed to step 1001.

Referring to Figure 11 herein, in step 1101 the micro controller 403 may receive an aperiodic stimulus, such as a sensor signal as lo aforementioned, and in step 1002 may transmit stored data from the memory 402 via the radio transmitter 405 and data communication antennae 406.

By transmission of the contents of the memory 402 in accordance with the above conditions, data transmissions can be reduced. Thus, is occupancy of communication channels between the vehicles and the base stations may be optimised and the ratio of positional, time and sensor data transmitted in proportion to the protocol overhead of the transmission channel can be improved. It will be appreciated that where there are a large number of moveable objects to be monitored, reduction in the amount of connections and disconnections of communication channels per unit of data transmitted is desirable from a technical point of view in simplifying processing requirements and complexity of equipment.

Referring to Figure 12, there is shown an arrangement of the monitoring apparatus at the monitoring station 205. The apparatus comprises a modem 1201 for receiving data over the public switch telephone network 206 from a base station 204, a central processor 1202 for processing received data, a storage device 1203 for storing the received data and map data, and a user interface 1204 comprising a display device in the form of a monitor, a keyboard entry device, and a pointing device.

Referring to Figure 13 herein, there is shown a functional overview of the monitoring apparatus of Figure 12. A geographical map 1301 is stored in the form of map data in the storage device 1203. A map engine 1302 in 12 the form of an application of control signals stored in the memory is used for controlling the central processor 1202 to process the map data and the received data from the modem 1201. The received data may be stored in data base 1303 from where it is input to the map engine 1302. The received data may comprise real time data transmitted from the vehicle in response to an aperiodic stimulus or may comprise accumulated real time data 1305 transmitted from the vehicle at a periodic or substantially periodic transmission interval.

At any one time the monitoring apparatus may be storing received lo data from a plurality of individual vehicles of a fleet of vehicles. The number of vehicles in the fleet may be in order of magnitude of hundreds. Received data is arranged in the data base 1303 as shown in Figure 14. Each truck is accorded a separate file in the database 1303. In the file is stored the records of real time data which has been accumulated in the data capture unit on the truck and transmitted at the transmission interval to be received by the monitoring apparatus. In each file is listed historical positional data, timeldate data, and corresponding historical data concerning operations of the truck as monitored by the sensors fitted to the truck. For example, for truck A, are stored data records at positions P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 etc, stored in real time at the data capture unit, and accumulated prior to transmission to the base station.

The signals received from the GPS satellites have added noise in order to reduce the spatial resolution of positional information available from the GIPS system. Although the GPS system is capable of giving resolutions down to the order of one metre, since this information is militarily sensitive, for commercial use the GIPS signals are deliberately corrupted in order to reduce the accuracy of the positional data available to an order of 10 to 30 metres. Furthermore the map data 1301 may contain inaccuracies and misplacements of roads in real geographical co-ordinates. Thus, when the received positional data is compared by the processor 1202 with the map data, a mismatch between map data representing roads, and positional data representing the position of a truck may occur as shown in Figure 15.

13 For example in Figure 15, individual positions 1501, 1502, 1503, 1504, 1505 determined from the transmitted positional data are represented as not coinciding with the road 1506 along which the vehicle actually travelled, as determined from the map data.

In the preferred method, the processor 1202 processes the received positional data with the map data in order to assign the positional data to road data representing the road 1506. Processing of the positional data and map data occurs by comparing individual position locations represented by the positional data with road data representing roads in the map data, by lo searching for road data within pre-determined distances from the position data, and assigning the position data to a road data in accordance with an heuristic road assignment algorithm. The algorithm comprises routines for ensuring continuity of progression between successive position data records in relation to road data. For example the algorithm, when is processing position data point 1502, which could be on road M1 or road B5044, will process data representing one or more neighbouring position data points 1501, 1503 to determine whether to assign position point 1502 to road data representing road M1 or road B5044. Since position data points 1501 and 1503 are closer to road data representing M1 than to road data representing B5044, the algorithm assigns position data 1502 to coincide with road data of road M1.

Referring to Figure 16, there is shown a visual display on a display device of user interface 1204, of a map data and positional data in relation to a vehicle at position 1601 at time 7:56 am. The time of the vehicle at position 1601 is displayed in display element 1602. An icon of a vehicle at position 1601 is matched with a display of a road 1603, placement of the vehicle icon on road 1603 is made in accordance with the heuristic algorithm. A user of the monitoring apparatus may interactively follow the progress of a vehicle from the historical accumulated data by moving a tool bar cursor 1604 using the pointing device of the user interface 1204, for example by sliding the cursor 1604 along the toolbar 1605 the vehicle icon 1601 is seen to move along the road 1603 in response to movement of the 14 cursor 1604. For each position along the road 1603, in the display element 1602 is displayed the corresponding time at what the vehicle was at that position on the road. With the cursor 1604 at the left-hand extreme of the toolbar 1605, the vehicle icon 1601 is positioned on the map display at a s position corresponding to the start of a journey. As the cursor 1604 is moved along the toolbar, for example to the position 1606, the vehicle icon 1601 moves correspondingly to the position 1607 as shown. Movement, of the cursor may represent the passage of time.

In addition to the display shown in Figure 16, an output of historical lo data describing vehicle movement and other parameters may be output in different format as shown in Figure 17. In Figure 17, there is displayed in column 1701 a time during the journey. In column 1702 there is shown a calculated distance from start of journey; in column 1703 there is displayed a movement information of the vehicle; in column 1704 there is displayed a is road on which the vehicle travelled, and in column 1705 there is displayed a distance along the road which the vehicle travelled. Details of the particular vehicle, the date of movement, and the driver of the vehicle are displayed in row 1706.

The monitoring station apparatus may be configured to report events concerning operations or movements of the trucks immediately if these are received in response to an aperiodic event triggered transmission, for example if the fridge unit is disabled, resulting in a transmission from a vehicle, or if a tyre pressure reaches a predetermined lower limit, indicating a puncture. Such events may result in a specific display being presented in 2s real time on the user interface 1204.

In Figure 18 there is shown schematically an alternative embodiment monitoring apparatus. In the alternative embodiment, instead of using the GSM communication system, accumulated data stored on board the vehicle by the data capture unit is downloaded by UHF radio transmission link to a local transceiver 1801 connected with monitoring station 1802.

Accumulated data is transmitted from the on-board vehicle data capture unit over the UHF communication link in response to an interrogation signal transmitted by the local transceiver 1801. Thereafter, the accumulated historical data may be processed as previously described. In this embodiment, the GSM communications system is not used at all, and data is transferred when the vehicles arrive at the monitoring station 1802. In the s embodiment described with reference to Figure 18, real timedata is accumulated in the data capture unit on board the vehicle and no data transmission occurs during the course of the journey of the vehicle. Accumulated data is downloaded at the end of the journey or journey section, in the vicinity of the monitoring station 1802.

Vehicles located within the compound shown in Figure 18 may be surrounded by a security fence 1804 having a gate 1803. Thus, it is possible to identify whether or not a vehicle is located within the security compound using the GPS navigation system.

As shown in Figure 4, the micro controller 403 may control a is peripheral 407. Such a peripheral may be a deactivation circuit which prevents a vehicle from operating. Thus, it is possible to supply instructions to the data capture unit on board the vehicle such that if the vehicle is found to be located outside the compound fence 1804 during certain hours of the day, its engine will be disabled and it will be impossible to drive the vehicle away, if this has not been authorised.

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Claims (14)

1. A method of monitoring a geographically moveable object comprising the steps of; substantially continuously receiving a geographic position data at said geographically moveable object; storing said position data at intervals representing real time; accumulating said stored position data at said geographically moveable object; and transmitting said position data from said geographically moveable object.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which said step of transmitting position data is activated in response to a stimulus signal is generated in response to an operation of said moveable object.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said positional data is transmitted in response to a periodic or an aperiodic stimulus signal.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising the step of accumulating a corresponding timeldate data associated with said position data.

5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said step of transmitting is activated in response to a received interrogation signal.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmission of data from said geographically moveable object commences in response to a received geographical position data.

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7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said step of transmitting position data comprises transmitting accumulated position data.

8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said step of transmitting position data comprises transmission over a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) channel.

9. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, lo wherein said intervals representing real time comprises a period in the range 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

10. A method of monitoring one or a plurality of geographically moveable objects, comprising the steps of; receiving accumulated position data from each of said one or plurality of geographically moveable objects, for each said moveable object said accumulated position data comprising historical data records describing a plurality of geographical positions of said object; inputting map data describing a geographical map; and for accumulated position data corresponding to a respective said moveable object, processing said accumulated position data with said map data.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising the step of displaying said accumulated position data and said map data in an interactive map display.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11, comprising displaying said position data and said map data in a two dimensional display in which said position data is displayed in response to a position of a toolbar cursor display.

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13. A method as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12, in which for each position data displayed a corresponding time data is displayed.

14. Apparatus according to any of claim 10 to 13, including means for determining the operational status of cooling apparatus, wherein said additional storage means is configured to store data representing the 25 operation or non-operation of said cooling apparatus.

1

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein a range of s movement of a said toolbar represents a time dimension.

15. A method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 14, in which said step of processing said accumulated position data with map data comprises; identifying items of map data representing roads; comparing said position data with said items of map data representing roads; in response to a result of said comparison, modifying said position data to coincide with said map data representing roads.

is 16. Apparatus for monitoring a geographically moveable object, comprising; a receiver for substantially continuously receiving a geographic position data signal; a data storage means for substantially continuously storing position data at predetermined intervals representing real time; a data accumulation means for accumulating said stored position data; and a transmission means for transmitting said position data from said moveable object.

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, comprising a plurality of sensors for generating trigger signals in response to operations of said moveable object.

18. An apparatus for monitoring one or a plurality of geographically moveable objects, comprising; means for receiving accumulated position data from each of said one or plurality of geographically moveable objects; means for storing map data describing a geographical map; means for processing said accumulated position data with said map data; and means for displaying a result of said processing.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A method of monitoring the position of a road vehicle, comprising steps of determining position data at a vehicle with reference to s signals received from orbiting satellites; storing said position data at intervals representing real-time at said road vehicle; and transmitting said stored position data from said road vehicle.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which time/date data is associated with said position data.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which data concerning other operational parameters of the vehicle are also stored. is 4. A method according to claim 3, in which data representing fuel level is stored.

5. A method according to claim 3 or claim 4, in which data 2o representing engine temperature is stored.

6. A method according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein data representing body temperature is stored.

7. A method according to any of claims 3 to 6, wherein data representing the operation or non-operation of a fridge is stored.

8. Road vehicle monitoring apparatus, comprising means for determining a position of a vehicle with reference to signal received from orbiting satellites; storing means for storing positional data at intervals representing real time; and 1 21 transmitting means for transmitting said stored positional data from said road vehicle.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said storage means is s configured to associate time/date data with said position data.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, including additional storage means for storing data relating to other operational parameters of the vehicle.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, including means for measuring fuel level, wherein additional storage means is configured to store data representing said fuel level.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 or claim 11, including means 1 5_) for measuring engine temperature, wherein additional storage means is configured to store data representing engine temperature.

13. Apparatus according to any of claims 10 to 12, including means for measuring body temperature, wherein said additional storage means is 20 configured to store data representing said body temperature.