Vehicle locating apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG.
1 illustrates the basic methodology underlying the Vehicle Locating Apparatus (103).
Twenty-four GPS satellites (100) orbit the earth, providing signals (104/105) that can be retrieved and converted into location coordinates.
GPS satellite signals (104/105) (also referred to herein as GPS location coordinates) from at least three GPS satellites (100) are necessary to establish a location bearing on earth.
The present invention utilizes GPS technology by incorporating a GPS receiver (302) into a handheld device (103) having the approximate dimensions of a key chain automobile alarm activator.
The GPS receiver (302) automatically retrieves GPS location coordinates (104) prior to the driver (102) leaving the parked vehicle (101) and stores these GPS location coordinates (104) in its memory (305).
A beeper alert (306) sounds a single audible beep if the GPS location coordinates (104) for the parked vehicle (101) are successfully retrieved; the apparatus (103) (103) then disengages to conserve battery life.
Should the GPS receiver (302) make two failed attempts to retrieve the GPS location coordinates (104) for the parked vehicle (101), a beeper alert (306) sounds several consecutive audible beeps to indicate failure, alerting the driver (102) that he/she should not rely on the Vehicle Locating Apparatus (103) to find his/her parked vehicle (101) on this outing.
The apparatus (103) disengages after the second failure to retrieve GPS location coordinates (104).
In the case of a second failure, the driver (102) may manually reengage the retrieval cycle as described above.
The driver (102) may make as many attempts to retrieve the GPS location coordinates (104) for the parked vehicle (101) as he/she desires.
Assuming the Vehicle Locating Apparatus (103) successfully retrieves GPS location coordinates (104) for the parked vehicle (101), the driver (102) may use the apparatus (103) to locate the parked vehicle (101) at a later time.
When thusly engaged, the apparatus' (103) GPS receiver (302) retrieves GPS location coordinates (105) for the current location of the driver (102)