Patent ID: 8742908

Claim:
An object tracking apparatus comprising: a proximate-range circuit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one proximate-range communications device; wherein at start-up of the object tracking apparatus, the proximate-range communications device is present and the proximate-range circuit enters a wait mode; wherein in the proximate-range circuit remains in the wait mode if the proximate-range communications device is re-verified as present; wherein in the proximate-range circuit enters a tracking mode if the proximate-range communications device is not present; wherein in the proximate-range circuit provides an output indicative of an identification and the present or not present presence of the at least one proximate-range communications device; a position-assessment circuit configured and arranged to assess current position information of the object tracking apparatus using received wireless communications, and to provide an output indicative of the position information; a communications circuit coupled to receive the outputs from the proximate-range circuit and the position-assessment circuit, and configured to wirelessly communicate data including the position information via a distal-range communications station based upon the received outputs; and wherein in the communications circuit repeatedly transmits the current position to the distal-range communications station when the proximate-range circuit is in the tracking mode.