> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.drivequant.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.drivequant.com/stolen-vehicle-locator/how-it-works.md).

# How it works

The Stolen Vehicle Locator component uses Bluetooth Low Energy beacons embedded in vehicles and your users' smartphones to form a collaborative detection mesh, enabling rapid localisation of any stolen vehicle.

The feature relies on a Bluetooth beacon emitting an iBeacon signal — the same hardware used by the Trip Analysis component for trip detection and vehicle identification. A single beacon serves both purposes.

Here's how it works:

* **Vehicle identification:** An iBeacon beacon is placed in each user's vehicle. It continuously broadcasts a unique identifier (UUID + Major + Minor) detectable by both Android and iOS smartphones.
* **Theft reporting:** You report the theft via the API by providing the iBeacon identifiers associated with the stolen vehicle.
* **Collaborative search:** Every smartphone in your user base that has opted in passively scans for iBeacon signals matching vehicles in the community fleet. Scanning runs in background, is energy-efficient, and requires no action from the user.
* **Detection:** When a smartphone detects a beacon matching a vehicle under search, it automatically transmits to the server: the smartphone's GPS location, the beacon signal strength (RSSI), and a timestamp.
* **Vehicle location alerts:** Each detection event — including position and timestamp — can be shared to your platform via a push service. A separate endpoint allows you to request a refined position calculated by cross-referencing detections from multiple users, with increasing accuracy as more detections are collected.