Most of these systems, however, have their shortcomings and are limited by the need for a fast reaction on the part of the user. If you should discover, one fine Monday morning, that your car is not in its usual spot, your traditional tracking system could give you a good idea of where it is.
You simply call the company's central office and they will give you directions according to the latest information sent from your car.
If you car, which was patiently awaiting your return in the airport parking lot, is stolen while you are gone, the chances of finding it are seriously reduced. The thief has probably taken it far from where it was stolen and has the time to strip it down. It would then be almost impossible to find.
There are however solutions in this situation. The idea behind this new system is simple. By using GPS (Global Positioning System), a cellular phone or a pager and a central tracking office, the position of your car can be monitored at all times. Even better, since the system retains a history of its movement, no matter when the car is stolen the data has been recorded on the company's computer system. With just a glance at a map, your car can be found immediately.
This is a very simplified application of the tracking system which has enormous possibilities, largely because of the communications network but also thanks to developments made possible through the use of a GPS processor which is installed directly into the vehicle. This means that when using this type of system, the owner can follow the movements of the car himself.
At the same time, a theft detection system, which calculates your normal driving patterns using a complex algorithm, allows the central office to detect any unusual situation and to advise the owner within minutes. In other words you are driving an intelligent car which sends out its own distress signal.
With its remote starter the system lets you start the car over the internet, to unlock electric doors or even, for someone a little whimsical, to lower the roof on a convertible to let the sun warm it up before getting in.
These are only a few of the things you can do; things that the average person will use most. No more worries that your car will disappear. Even better, no more useless little beeps of the horn which resound everyday from the alarm systems of parked cars.
