Patent ID: 7072668

Claim:
An apparatus for globally tracking assets from a central tracking facility comprising: a processor module; a location module coupled to the processor module, the location module for providing a position accuracy at all times within an approximately 20 meter radius of an actual location of the apparatus; a communication module coupled to the processor module, the communication module for selecting the most cost-effective, available mode of communication to the central tracking facility; and an antenna module coupled to the processor module and to the communication module, the antenna module comprising a plurality of antennas including a GPS antenna, at least one antenna for low frequency RF, at least one antenna for multi-band terrestrial wireless communication networks, and at least one antenna for satellite communications, each of the antennas for sending and receiving signals and an antenna controller for continuously checking for validity of signals from each of the plurality of antennas to determine availability of communications therethrough, the antenna for low frequency RF being adiustable for different frequencies of communication to maximize communication through a specific channel, the antenna for multi-band terrestrial wireless communication networks including commercial cellular networks or digital wireless networks, where exchange of information received from the GPS antenna and wireless communications through the antenna for low frequency RF, antenna for multi-band terrestrial wireless communication networks, and antenna for satellite communications occurs in the processor module.