Electronic fence system and controlling method thereof

• US 20060226994A1
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SOS Co., Inc. (Dogtra Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ho-Yun So
• Inventors: So, Ho Yun
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.300
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices

Abstract

An electronic fence system comprises a fence wire which radiates a radio signal for defining a boundary; a transmitter electrically connected to the fence wire and transmitting a boundary radio signal including a mode selection signal; and a receiver attached to the pet, which receives the boundary defining signal with respect to a pet'"'"'s approach to the fence wire, and which, depending on receiving the shock mode, applies an electrical shock only to the pet depending on receiving the shock mode, or depending on the shock after vibration mode which indicates a mode giving a shock after vibration, after vibration or vibration with a sound, applies an electrical shock to the pet if the boundary defining signal is continuously received or does not apply an electrical shock to the pet if the boundary defining signal is not received. If the pet has a hearing loss, or the circumference is noisy, a warning signal can be given through a touch to the skin of the pet. Since a vibration is applied first, and the shock follows it, no severe shock need be applied to the pet that will return into the confined area after having received a vibration. A pet'"'"'s activity is restricted in a predetermined area.

Claims

1. An electronic fence system, comprising:

(a) a fence wire buried in a yard along a boundary of a confined area within which a pet may move about freely, wherein the fence wire radiates a radio signal for defining a boundary;

(b) a transmitter electrically connected to the fence wire and transmitting a boundary radio signal to the fence wire for defining the boundary, the boundary radio signal including a mode selection signal for selecting a direct shock mode or a combination shock mode; and

(c) a receiver attached to and in communication with the pet, wherein the receiver receives the boundary defining signal with respect to an approach to the fence wire by the pet, wherein the receiver generates;

(i) if set to the direct shock mode, an electrical shock only;

or

(ii) if set to the combination shock mode, at least one of;

(A) a vibration; and

(B) a vibration with a sound;

the combination shock mode further generating an electrical shock if the pet continues approaching to the fence wire, or no electrical shock if the pet does not continue approaching to the fence wire.

2. The electronic fence system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter further includes:

a power supply unit which receives alternating current power source and supplies constant voltage;

a mode selector for selecting the mode selection signal comprising;

the direct shock mode;

or

the combination shock mode, the combination shock mode further selectively comprising;

a combination of electrical shock and vibration;

or

a combination of electrical shock and vibration as well as sound to the pet;

a disconnection display for sensing a breaking of the fence wire, generating a disconnection signal, and displaying a disconnection;

a shock level selector for selecting a level of shock to the pet;

a transmitter controller for controlling the mode selector, the shock level selector, and for transmitting the boundary radio signal to the fence wire, the boundary radio signal including a data comprising the level inputted from the shock level selector and the mode transmitted from the mode selector, wherein the transmitter controller displays a disconnection status according to the disconnection signal transmitted from the disconnection display; and

an amplifying unit for amplifying the boundary radio signal transmitted to the fence wire from the transmitter controller.

3. The electronic fence system of claim 1, wherein the receiver further comprises:

a first and a second sensor unit for transforming the boundary radio signal radiated from the fence wire into binary data;

a power supplier including a voltage regulator, a recharge battery, and a charger;

a power switch for applying power to the power supplier while the user pushes the power switch;

a low voltage display for sensing a voltage of the recharge battery and for displaying its low voltage status;

a vibration generator for applying a vibration to the pet according to the command of the receiver controller;

a receiver controller for receiving the boundary radio signal sent from the transmitter through the first and the second sensor, the power supplier, the power switch, the low voltage display and the vibration generator and controlling the first and second sensors such that, depending on;

if receiving shock after vibration mode included in the radio boundary signal, after producing vibration or vibration with sound;

if the signal is not continuously received, does not produce an electrical shock subsequently;

if it is continuously received, produces an electrical shock subsequently,

if receiving shock mode, applies an electrical shock to the pet;

a sound signal generator for generating a sound according to the boundary radio signal of the receiver controller;

a shock generator for giving the electrical shock to the pet according to the boundary radio signal of the receiver controller; and

a power actuator for continually applying power to the power supplier according to a power hold signal received from the receiver controller.

4. The electronic fence system of claim 3, wherein the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit comprise a first and a second cylindrical coil sensor, a first and a second filter, a first and a second amplifier, and a first and a second waveform generator, respectively.

5. The electronic fence system of claim 4, wherein one of the first and the second cylindrical coil sensor is uprightly mounted on a part side of a printed circuit board in a proximity of an edge, and a second of the first and the second cylindrical coils is horizontally mounted in a lay down posture.

6. A method for controlling an electronic fence for a pet, the method comprising:

a transmitter that emits a radio signal through a fence wire provided along a boundary of a confined area, the radio signal including a mode selection signal and a shock level signal;

a mode selector which chooses either shock mode only or a combination mode comprising a vibration followed by shock depending on a mode chosen by a user, and

a receiver attached to a body of the pet, wherein the receiver receives the radio signal, and applies to the pet one of;

(a) a shock only;

(b) a vibration, and after the vibration, if the signal is not continuously received, does not apply a shock to the pet; and

(c) a vibration, and after the vibration, if the signal is continuously received, applies a shock to the pet;

wherein, if applied, the shock depends on the mode data embedded in the signal, wherein a level of shock depends on a data of shock level embedded in the radio signal.

7. A method for controlling the receiver of an electronic fence for a pet, the method comprising:

(a) determining whether a power switch has an ON status for a predetermined time, and if the ON status is detected for the predetermined time, driving a power supplier;

(b) determining whether or not a radio signal is received through a first sensor unit and a second sensor unit, and if the radio signal is not received, proceeding to step (e), or if it is received, reading both a mode and a shock level data included in the radio signal;

(c) determining whether the mode is “

shock only”

or “

a shock after vibration (or vibration with accompanying sound)”

, and if it is “

a shock after vibration (or vibration with accompanying sound)”

, after a vibration (or vibration accompanied by sound) is generated first for about 1 second, determining whether or not the radio signal is continuously received, and sequentially, if it is not continuously received, proceeding to step (e) and not applying a shock to the pet, if it is continuously received, the shock is generated at a set level;

(d) producing only a shock at the predetermined level during the predetermined time if the mode determining result of the step (c) is “

shock only”

, and if the shock keeps on being produced during more than the predetermined time, stopping the shock;

(e) determining whether the power switch has an ON status for a predetermined time, and if the ON status is not detected for the predetermined time, returning to the step (b), or if the ON status is detected during the predetermined time, turning the power off and terminating the execution of a program.

8. The electronic fence system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined continuation time during which the power switch has ON status for driving the power supplier and turning the power off is about 0.5 seconds.

9. The electronic fence system of claim 7, wherein the predetermined continuation time during which the shock keeps on being produced for stopping the shock is about 8 seconds.