Wireless fencing system with tetherless leash

• US 20040108939A1
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Salvatore John Giunta
• Original Assignee: Salvatore John Giunta
• Inventors: Giunta, Salvatore John
• Application Number:
  US10/313,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20040108939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices

Abstract

A tetherless leash and fencing system comprising a wireless locator, a mapper that maps a perimeter based on a positional reading obtained by the wireless locator, a calculator that determines a vector of movement and position of the wireless locator relative to the perimeter, and a stimulator that generates a stimulus as a function of the vector of movement and the position of the wireless locator relative to the perimeter. If the perimeter is violated, the system determines a further perimeter and the calculator determines a vector of movement and position relative to the second perimeter and not the first perimeter. Also, no stimulation is applied when the first perimeter is crossed from the outside.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless locator, wherein said wireless locator receives signals and, from those signals, determines its position, and wherein said position is defined by positional coordinates;

a mapper, wherein said mapper maps at least a first perimeter based on said position of said wireless locator;

a calculator, wherein said calculator determines a vector of movement of said wireless locator; and

a stimulator, wherein said stimulator generates a stimulus based, at least in part, on a relative likelihood of said wireless locator crossing said first perimeter, wherein said likelihood comprises a function of said vector of movement and said position of said wireless locator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wireless locator receives signals from orbiting transmitters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said wireless locator receives signals from terrestrial transmitters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein mapper maps said first perimeter using a single set of said positional coordinates from said wireless locator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mapper maps a first perimeter having an arbitrary shape using a plurality of sets of said positional coordinates from said wireless locator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mapper maps an outer perimeter for containment and an inner perimeter for exclusion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mapper maps a second perimeter when said satellite positioning system is beyond said first perimeter.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stimulus is a sound.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stimulus is an electric shock.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stimulus further comprises an electric shock.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a severity of said stimulus is a function of said likelihood of crossing said first perimeter.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

said wireless locator is within said first perimeter; and

a direction of said vector of movement is toward said first perimeter;

then

a severity of said stimulus increases as a magnitude of said vector of movement increases.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at a relatively lower likelihood of crossing said first perimeter, said stimulus is said sound, and at a relatively higher likelihood of crossing said first perimeter, said stimulus comprises said electric shock.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stimulator stops generating said stimulus when said wireless locator crosses said first perimeter.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stimulator does not generate a stimulus when said wireless locator is approaching said first perimeter from beyond said first perimeter.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a fixed reference to improve accuracy of said wireless locator.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a receiver, wherein said receiver receives a positional correction signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first side is within said first perimeter and said second side is outside of said first perimeter.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first side is outside of said first perimeter and said second side is within said first perimeter.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver, wherein said receiver receives signals from a plurality of transmitters;

means for determining a position of said receiver from said received signals;

a calculator, wherein, based on said position, said calculator determines if said receiver is beyond a first perimeter; and

a mapper, wherein said mapper;

maps said first perimeter based on at least one set of positional coordinates determined by said means; and

maps a second perimeter when said receiver is determined to be beyond said first perimeter.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said calculator calculates a vector of movement of said receiver.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said receiver is at a position within said first perimeter, said apparatus further comprising a stimulator, wherein said stimulator generates a stimulus as a function of said vector of movement and said position.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said stimulator stops generating said stimulus when said receiver crosses said first perimeter heading toward said second perimeter.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless locator, wherein said wireless locator is capable of determining its position;

a mapper, wherein said mapper maps a first perimeter based on at least one position of said wireless locator; and

a stimulator, wherein;

said stimulator generates a stimulus when said wireless locator is within a first distance of said first perimeter and is heading toward said first perimeter from a first side of said first perimeter; and

said stimulator does not generate a stimulus when said wireless locator is within said first distance of said first perimeter and is heading toward said first perimeter from a second side of said first perimeter.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless locator, wherein said wireless locator is capable of determining its position;

a mapper, wherein said mapper maps a first perimeter based on at least one position of said wireless locator; and

a stimulator, wherein;

said stimulator generates a stimulus when said wireless locator is within a stimulation zone;

a distance between a beginning of said stimulation zone and said first perimeter is variable in distance; and

said distance is determined as a function of a vector of movement and position of said RF receiver.

26. A method comprising:

establishing a first perimeter based on positional coordinates of a wireless locator;

calculating a vector of movement and a position of said wireless locator relative to said first perimeter; and

generating a stimulus based on said vector of movement and said position of said wireless locator relative to said first perimeter.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising establishing a second perimeter if said wireless locator is outside of said first perimeter.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising not generating a stimulus when said wireless locator approaches said first perimeter from outside of said first perimeter.

29. The method of claim 26 further comprising varying a severity of said stimulus as a function of a likelihood of crossing said first perimeter from inside of said first perimeter.