Jul 15, 2002 – Digital Angel Corporation said it has significantly miniaturized the footprint of its wireless GPS location and alert transmitters, combining the chip sets and antenna in a package the size of a matchbook.
Digital Angel Corp.’s lightweight one-piece unit, complete with an ambient temperature monitor, is expected to stimulate development of numerous applications for industrial, medical and consumer use. The small unobtrusive size of the device, which employs standard Internet-accessible GPS mapping programs, makes it an ideal component for products intended for use in tracking the whereabouts of people, objects and even pets.
Up to now, GPS location and alert transmitting devices have been considered too bulky for everyday consumer use; for example, such devices have been too heavy to incorporate into a pet’s collar and often not concealable enough to be effective in applications for tracking personal assets.
The new Digital Angel device also incorporates Assisted GPS technology and transmits-receives with GSM or CDMA protocols, making it usable worldwide.
Assisted GPS, which is currently being deployed by several large cellular providers, enables GPS signals to be delivered to devices inside buildings as well as to other areas where reception has been difficult. The technology makes GPS usable in any place where a cell phone works.
Digital Angel Corp.’s existing 24/7 network operation centres will handle location alerts generated by the new transmitter devices.
Having now filed patents covering its systems and device enhancements, believed to be unique and proprietary, Digital Angel Corp. is commencing talks with a number of potential commercial partners concerning product customisation and marketing opportunities for its leading-edge technology.
Last month, the company announced a partnership with BI Incorporated to develop Digital Angel tracking systems for monitoring the whereabouts of community-based parolees, of which there are currently more than 4.5 million in the US, according to recent reports from the US Department of Justice. BI is a leader in the electronic monitoring of parolees and community-based prisoners.
