Wireless location assisted zone guidance system incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation

• US 10,165,756 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPSip, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GPSip, Inc.
• Inventors: Landers, Rodney P., Nieuwsma, Kevin L., James, Chad R., Pongratz, Troy, Waddell, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Monica L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodziwicz, Aaron M
• Application Number:
  US14/662,232
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 119721
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/008 incorporating GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/021 Electronic training devices specially adapted for dogs or cats
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices

Abstract

A collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit includes a body. Quick-mount retention clips extend from the superior and inferior lateral edges, bend in a 90 degree angle towards the center, and extend for a short distance before terminating. The preferred embodiment collar mounted GPS unit is preferably slightly wider than a standard nylon dog collar. The collar is made of a flexible material, such as nylon, leather and most other common collar materials, and can operatively be pinched to fit in between the quick-mount clips, then released to expand into normal shape within the space between the retention clips and the ends of the collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit. A special stimulation unit is used in combination to protect the animal from harm.

Claims

1. A collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation, comprising:

a body having a first major surface, a second major surface spaced from said first major surface, a superior lateral edge adjoining said first and second major surfaces, an inferior lateral edge distal and inferior to said superior lateral edge, a first longitudinal end, and a second longitudinal end distal to said first longitudinal end;

a plurality of stimulation electrodes within an exposed electrode plane substantially parallel with and immediately adjacent to said body second major surface;

a GPS sensor and associated electronics contained within said body, wherein said associated electronics further comprises a capacitive detector coupled to said plurality of stimulation electrodes, said capacitive detector configured to detect a capacitance of fur adjacent to said plurality of stimulation electrodes when said body is properly secured to a dog and configured to turn on said GPS sensor responsive to said fur capacitance detection;

a first quick-mount retention clip extending from said superior lateral edge adjacent to said first longitudinal end to a first clip termination and defining a first gap between said first clip termination and said first longitudinal end, said first gap configured to receive and retain a first collar portion between said first quick-mount retention clip and said first longitudinal end;

a second quick-mount retention clip extending from said inferior lateral edge adjacent to said first longitudinal end to a second clip termination and defining a second gap between said second clip termination and said first longitudinal end, said second gap configured to receive and retain a second collar portion between said second quick-mount retention clip and said first longitudinal end;

said first and second clip terminations spaced from each other by a distance less than a distance between said first and second quick mount retention clips adjacent to said first longitudinal end and thereby configured to operatively entrap a collar therebetween;

a third quick-mount retention clip extending from said superior lateral edge adjacent to said second longitudinal end to a third clip termination and defining a third gap between said third clip termination and said second longitudinal end, said third gap configured to receive and retain a third collar portion between said third quick-mount retention clip and said second longitudinal end; and

a fourth quick-mount retention clip extending from said inferior lateral edge adjacent to said second longitudinal end to a fourth clip termination and defining a fourth gap between said fourth clip termination and said second longitudinal end, said fourth gap configured to receive and retain a fourth collar portion between said fourth quick-mount retention clip and said second longitudinal end;

said third and fourth clip terminations spaced from each other by a distance less than a distance between said third and fourth quick mount retention clips adjacent to said second longitudinal end and thereby configured to operatively entrap said collar therebetween.

2. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 1, wherein said collar further comprises a flexible material having a generally rectangular cross-section, said collar configured to be deformed to a non-rectangular cross-section and subsequently inserted between said first, second, third, and fourth quick-mount retention clips, and then subsequent to said insertion be released to return to said generally rectangular cross-section within said first, second, third, and fourth gaps.

3. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 1, wherein said second major surface is opposed to said first major surface.

4. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 1, wherein said first quick-mount retention clip extends generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of said body from said superior lateral edge adjacent to said first longitudinal end and has a bend between said superior lateral edge and said first termination to thereby extend generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said body between said bend and said first termination and thereby define said first gap between said first clip termination and said first longitudinal end.

5. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 4, wherein said bend between said superior lateral edge and said first termination further comprises a 90 degree angle.

6. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 1, further comprising a first major surface plane defined by said first major surface and a second major surface plane defined by said second major surface, wherein said quick-mount retention clips are located between said first and second major surface planes.

7. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 6, wherein said first and second major surface planes are generally parallel and spaced apart, said first and second longitudinal ends defining first and second end planes, respectively, said first and second end planes generally parallel to each other and spaced apart, said first and second end planes generally perpendicular to said first and second planes, said body and first, second, third, and fourth quick-mount retention clips configured to locate a snug collar first portion generally parallel to said second major surface plane adjacent to and displaced from said first and second quick-mount retention clips and displaced from said body, and configured to locate a snug collar second portion parallel and adjacent to said first longitudinal end, and configured to locate a snug collar third portion generally parallel to and adjacent to said first major surface plane, and configured to locate a snug collar fourth portion generally parallel and adjacent to said second longitudinal end, and configured to locate a snug collar fifth portion generally parallel to said second major surface plane adjacent to and displaced from said third and fourth quick-mount retention clips and displaced from said body.

8. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 1, wherein said body is a rectangular parallelepiped.

9. The collar-mounted GPS and stimulation unit incorporating a rapid collar mount and non-necrotic stimulation of claim 1, wherein said body is wider than said collar.