Patent ID: 8294614

Claim:
A mobile communication device for transport by a user in movement over the earth to different locations comprising: a portable housing; a battery power supply mounted in the portable housing; a processing system and memory mounted in the housing; an antenna mounted in the housing; the processing system having a first communication system for receiving signals through the antenna from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites; the processing system having a second communication system for communication through the antenna with a communication satellite system; the processing system being arranged to periodically calculate from the GPS signals a calculated current position of the apparatus; the processing system being arranged periodically, at a set frequency, to calculate a difference between the calculated current position with a previously saved calculated current position to determine whether the apparatus has moved by a distance greater than a set trigger distance; the processing system being arranged, when activated, to transmit periodically through the second communication system at the set frequency a position signal indicative of the calculated current position; the processing system being arranged, in the event that at least one calculated difference between the calculated current position and the previously saved calculated current position is less than the set trigger distance, to place the processing system in an idle mode in which the processing system is halted from transmitting the position signal through the second communication system at the set frequency.