Notification systems and methods enabling user entry of notification trigger information based upon monitored mobile vehicle location

1. A system for tracking vehicles, comprising:

means for receiving data identifying a particular location from a user interface device;

means for automatically translating said received data received into a set of location values;

means for storing said set of location values;

means for monitoring travel data associated with a vehicle based upon location values produced by a location sensor that senses vehicle location;

means for comparing said set of said location values produced by said location sensor to said set of stored location values;

means for determining when said vehicle is within a predefined proximity of said particular location; and

means for causing a notification communication to be transmitted to a user communications device in response to a determination that said vehicle is within said predefined proximity of said particular location.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising means for causing display of a map on said user interface device including symbols representing various locations, said particular location associated with one of the symbols.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising means for transmitting data defining said map across the Internet to said user interface.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

means for selecting said symbol associated with said particular location; and

means for transmitting said data identifying said particular location.

5. A system for tracking vehicles, comprising:

means for receiving data identifying a plurality of locations;

means for automatically defining a plurality of routes based on said data identifying a plurality of locations;

means for associating each of said plurality of locations with one of said routes;

means for automatically translating said data identifying said plurality of locations into location values;

means for storing a set of said location values, said set of location values identifying a particular location;

means for monitoring travel of a vehicle based on location values produced by a location sensor that senses vehicle location;

means for comparing said set of said location values produced by said location sensor to said set of stored location values;

means for determining when said vehicle is within a predefined proximity of said particular location; and

means for causing a notification message to be transmitted to a user communications device in response to a determination in said determining step that said vehicle is within said predefined proximity of said particular location.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising: means for displaying a map including at least one symbol, said one symbol representing said location; and

means for enabling a user to select said one symbol,

wherein said received data includes data transmitted in response to a user selection of said one symbol.

7. A method for tracking vehicles, comprising:

receiving data identifying a particular location from a user interface device;

translating said received data received into a set of location values;

storing said set of location values;

monitoring travel data associated with a vehicle based upon location values produced by a location sensor;

comparing said set of said location values produced by said location sensor to said set of stored location values;

determining when said vehicle is within a predefined proximity of said particular location; and

causing a notification communication to be transmitted to a communications device in response to a determination that said vehicle is within said predefined proximity of said particular location.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of providing a map to the user interface device over the Internet.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of commencing the causing step when the vehicle has reached or is in a predefined proximity of the identified one or more locations or one or more regions.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predefined proximity is based upon a location, distance, or time information.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of using a notification computer system on the vehicle to perform the causing step.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of using a notification computer system at a location that is remote from the vehicle and the user communications device to perform the causing step.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of providing a map to the user communications device during the notification communication and indicating on the map a location of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of enabling of a location where a delivery or pickup is to take place.

15. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of generating the travel data based upon checkpoint locations to be traversed by the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of providing a message during the notification communication, the message indicative of the travel status of the vehicle.

17. A notification computer system that implements the steps of claim 7 .

18. The method of claim 7 wherein the user communications device is a computer, television, pager or telephone.

19. The method of claim 7 , wherein the notification communication is an email.

20. The method of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle is a plane, train, boat, or motor vehicle.