Proximity Monitoring Devices and Methods

A portable electronic device comprising:

• a power source;
• a wireless communications module powered by the power source;
• an output device;
• and
• a processing unit powered by the power source, wherein the processing unit is configured to:
• implement a proximity monitoring process involving monitoring for the receipt of periodic advertisement transmissions from a monitored device through the wireless communications module;
• if, during implementation of the proximity monitoring process alarm criteria are satisfied, operate the output device to output an alarm;
• determine if the monitored device has been stationary for a threshold time period, and
• in response to determining that the monitored device has been stationary for the threshold time period:
• implement a power saving process in which the proximity monitoring process is suspended.

A computer-implemented method for operating a monitoring device to monitor the location of a monitored device, the method comprising:

• implementing a proximity monitoring procedure involving monitoring for the receipt of periodic advertisement transmissions from the monitored device;
• raising an alarm if alarm criteria are satisfied during implementation of the proximity monitoring procedure;
• determining if the monitored device has been stationary for a threshold time period;
• and
• in response to determining that the monitored device has been stationary for the threshold time period:
• implementing a power saving procedure in which the proximity monitoring procedure is suspended.