Electronic assembly for restricting animals to defined areas
First Claim
1. An animal restraining system comprising:
- (a) a radio frequency transmitter for generating radio signals and adapted to be located in or adjacent an area in which an animal is to be restrained;
(b) a transmitting antenna operatively connected to said transmitter for radiating radio frequency signals generated by said transmitter; and
(c) a unit adapted to be worn by the animal, said unit comprising;
(i) a multiplicity of radio signal receivers each having a receiving antenna with said receiving antennae of said multiplicity of receivers having their axes of maximum sensitivity oriented in different directions;
(ii) means for deriving a composite field strength based upon the field strengths of the radio signals received by said receiving antennae;
(iii) means for detecting when the composite field strength detected by said receiving antennae falls below a predetermined value; and
(iv) means in said unit responsive when the composite field strength falls below said predetermined value for generating warning signals to the animal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An animal restraining system includes a radio frequency transmitter adapted to be located adjacent an area in which the animal is to be restrained, a transmitting antenna, and a collar unit worn by the animal. The collar unit has a multiplicity of radio signal receivers each having a highly directional receiving antenna with the receiving antennae of the multiplicity of receivers having their axes of maximum sensitivity oriented in different directions, and an analyzer for determining a composite of the field strengths of the radio signals received by the receiving antennae, and detecting when the composite field strength at the receiving antennae falls below predetermined values. When the detected composite field strength falls below a first predetermined value, a first warning signal is generated to the animal, and a second and different warning signal is generated when the composite field strength falls below a second predetermined value.
129 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An animal restraining system comprising:
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(a) a radio frequency transmitter for generating radio signals and adapted to be located in or adjacent an area in which an animal is to be restrained; (b) a transmitting antenna operatively connected to said transmitter for radiating radio frequency signals generated by said transmitter; and (c) a unit adapted to be worn by the animal, said unit comprising; (i) a multiplicity of radio signal receivers each having a receiving antenna with said receiving antennae of said multiplicity of receivers having their axes of maximum sensitivity oriented in different directions; (ii) means for deriving a composite field strength based upon the field strengths of the radio signals received by said receiving antennae; (iii) means for detecting when the composite field strength detected by said receiving antennae falls below a predetermined value; and (iv) means in said unit responsive when the composite field strength falls below said predetermined value for generating warning signals to the animal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An animal restraining system comprising:
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(a) a radio frequency transmitter for generating radio signals and adapted to be located in or adjacent an area in which an animal is to be restrained; (b) a transmitting antenna operatively connected to said transmitter for radiating radio frequency signals generated by said transmitter; (c) a unit adapted to be worn by the animal, said unit comprising; (i) three radio signal receivers each having a highly directional receiving antenna with said receiving antennae of said multiplicity of receivers having their axes of maximum sensitivity orthogonally oriented; (ii) digital processing circuitry; (iii) means for determining a vector sum of the field strengths of the radio signals received by said receiving antennae, said vector sum of the detected field strength of the signals received by said antennae being derived from the square root of the sum of the squares of the field strengths of the signals received by the three receivers; (iv) means for detecting when the vector sum of field strengths detected by said receivers falls below first and second predetermined values; (v) first means in said unit responsive when the detected vector sum of said field strengths falls below said first predetermined value for generating a first warning signal to the animal; (vi) second means in said unit responsive when the detected vector field strength falls below said second predetermined value for generating a second and different warning signal to the animal; and (vii) means for analyzing the vector sum for a period of time before said warning signal generating means are activated. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification