Electronic alarm for avoiding collision with animals in a non-destructive manner

• US 5,278,537 A
• Filed: 07/27/1992
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Winner International Royalty LLC
• Original Assignee: Winner International Incorporated
• Inventors: Shives, Michael J., Garner, Jon E., Carlo, Louis D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US07/919,248
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 340/425.5, 340/904, 340/384 R, 340/384 E, 340/405, 340/406, 340/573, 367/139, 116/22 A, 116/137 R
• US Class Current: 340/384.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 29/18 using ultrasonic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

An electronic alarm is disclosed for use in a moving vehicle which generates ultrasonic sound for preventing animals from moving into the path of the vehicle. The device includes a simplified driver circuit for generating electrical impulses in the form of square waves having constant peak-to-peak voltages. The driver generates the square waves with periodic, sequentially increasing wave frequencies followed by sequentially decreasing wave frequencies. A coupling transformer converts the square waves into electrical sine wave voltages having high peak-to-peak voltages to cause a piezo-electric transducer to emit intense, ultrasonic sounds of periodically increasing frequencies followed by periodically decreasing frequencies simulating the warble effect of a siren without excessive heating and premature failure of the transducer. The ultrasonic warble effect confuses the animal to prevent inadvertent movement by the animal into the oncoming vehicle'"'"'s path without injury to the animal.

Claims

1. A device for dispersing, in a non-destructive manner, animals capable of hearing sounds at ultrasonic frequencies, said device comprising:

a) a sound transducer operable to generate sounds at ultrasonic frequencies;

b) electrical means for electrically actuating said transducer to generate, in a sequential manner, at least first and second pluralities of sound waves at predetermined, varying ultrasonic frequencies, said electrical means generates said first pluralities of ultrasonic sound waves at varying frequencies for a predetermined first discrete time period followed by said second plurality of ultrasonic sound waves at varying frequencies for a second predetermined discrete time period, said first and second time periods being equal, whereby an ultrasonic warble effect of a siren is generated by said transducer to confuse and disperse said animal; and

,

c) a source of electrical power for actuating said electrical means.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said electrical means generates a predetermined time delay between said first and second discrete time periods.

2. A device for dispersing, in a non-destructive manner, animals capable of hearing sounds at ultrasonic frequencies, said device comprising:

a) a sound transducer operable to generate sounds at ultrasonic frequencies;

b) electrical means for electrically actuating said transducer to generate, in a sequential manner, at least first and second pluralities of sound waves at predetermined, varying ultrasonic frequencies, said electrical means generates said first pluralities of ultrasonic sound waves at varying frequencies for a predetermined first discrete time period followed by said second plurality of ultrasonic sound waves at varying frequencies for a second predetermined discrete time period, the time duration of said first plurality of ultrasonic waves produced by said transducer being about equal to the time duration of said second plurality of ultrasonic waves produced by said transducer and said time durations are predetermined at discrete time periods, whereby an ultrasonic warble effect of a siren is generated by said transducer to confuse and disperse said animal; and

,

c) a source of electrical power for actuating said electrical means.

4. A device for dispersing, in a non-destructive manner, animals capable of hearing sounds at ultrasonic frequencies, said device comprising;

a) a sound transducer operable to generate sounds at ultrasonic frequencies, said transducer being a piezo-electric transducer;

b) electrical means for electrically actuating said transducer to generate, in a sequential manner, at least first and second pluralities of sound waves at predetermined, varying ultrasonic frequencies whereby an ultrasonic warble effect of a siren is generated by said transducer to confuse and disperse said animal, said electrical means includes means to generate constant peak-to-peak voltage levels as a continuous sine wave applied to said transducer whereby said transducer can emit sound levels at intensities correlated to said voltage levels higher than that possible with other voltage wave forms without over heating; and

,

c) a source of electrical power for actuating said electrical means.

5. A device for dispersing, in a non-destructive manner, animals capable of hearing sounds at ultrasonic frequencies, said device comprising;

a) a sound transducer operable to generate sounds at ultrasonic frequencies;

b) electrical means for electrically actuating said transducer to generate, in a sequential manner, at least first and second pluralities of sound waves at predetermined, varying ultrasonic frequencies, said electrical means to generate said sound waves further includes

coupling transformer means for generating electrical current as sine wave voltages applied to said transducer;

capacitor means in parallel with and sized with respect to said transformer means for supplying a continuous peak to peak sine wave voltage to said transducer, and

driver means for supplying electrical current to the primary side of said transformer means at voltage wave frequencies correlated to said first and second ultrasonic frequencies, whereby an ultrasonic warble effect of a siren is generated by said transducer to confuse and disperse said animal; and

,

c) a source of electrical power for actuating said electrical means.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein said driver means includes microprocessor means for generating a plurality of electrical waves at sequentially varying frequencies and timing means operable in conjunction with said microprocessor means for periodically varying said frequencies from increasing to decreasing frequencies at discrete time periods.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said timing means operates to cause said microprocessor means to generate a plurality of electrical pulses in a predetermined voltage wave form which sequentially increase in frequency from about 19 to about 24 kHz. and sequentially decrease in frequency from about 24 to about 19 kHz.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said timing means causes said microprocessor means to switch said generation of said electrical waves from increasing frequencies to decreasing frequencies at about every 200 milliseconds.

12. The device of claim 5 wherein the resonant frequency of said transformer means and said capacitor means is about 22.5 kHz.

6. A device for dispersing, in a non-destructive manner, animals capable of hearing sounds at ultrasonic frequencies, said device comprising;

a) a sound transducer operable to generate sounds at ultrasonic frequencies;

b) electrical means for electrically actuating said transducer to generate, in a sequential manner, at least first and second pluralities of sound waves at predetermined, varying ultrasonic frequencies whereby an ultrasonic warble effect of a siren is generated by said transducer to confuse and disperse said animal, said electrical means to generate said sound waves includes

(i) coupling transformer means for generating electrical current as sine wave voltages applied to said transducer;

(ii) capacitor means in parallel with and sized with respect to said transformer means for supplying a continuous peak to peak sine wave voltage to said transducer, said capacitor means includes a capacitor sized to be at resonance at the mid-point of the frequencies of said sine wave voltage,

(iii) driver means for supplying electrical current to the primary side of said transformer means at voltage wave frequencies correlated to said first and second ultrasonic frequencies; and

,

c) a source of electrical power for actuating said electrical means.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said driver means includes operational amplifier means for operating in a Class "C" amplifier cycle.

11. A device for dispersing in a non-destructive manner, animals capable of hearing sounds at ultrasonic frequencies, said device comprising;

a) a sound transducer operable to generate sounds at ultrasonic frequencies;

b) electrical means for electrically actuating said transducer to generate, in a sequential manner, at least first and second pluralities of sound waves at predetermined, varying ultrasonic frequencies whereby an ultrasonic warble effect of a siren is generated by said transducer to confuse and disperse said animal, said electrical means to generate said sound waves further includes

(i) coupling transformer means for generating electrical current as sine wave voltages applied to said transducer;

(ii) capacitor means in parallel with and sized with respect to said transformer means for supplying a continuous peak to peak sine wave voltage to said transducer, and

(iii) driver means for supplying electrical current to the primary side of said transformer means at voltage wave frequencies correlated to said first and second ultrasonic frequencies, said driver means further includes microprocessor means for generating a plurality of predetermined electrical waves at sequentially varying frequencies and timing means operable in conjunction with said microprocessor means for periodically varying said frequencies from increasing to decreasing frequencies at discrete time periods, said timing means operates to cause said microprocessor means to generate a plurality of electrical pulses in a predetermined voltage wave form which sequentially increase in frequency from about 19 to about 24 kHz. and sequentially decrease in frequency from about 24 to about 19 kHz, said timing means causes said microprocessor means to switch said generation of said electrical waves from increasing frequencies to decreasing frequencies at about every 200 milliseconds, wherein the frequency of said predetermined electrical waves equals the frequency of said sound waves emitted by said transducer; and

,

c) a source of electrical power for actuating said electrical means.

13. An electronic device for use in a motor vehicle to disperse, without injury, animals capable of hearing ultrasonic sounds, said device comprising:

a) driver means sequentially generating first and second electrical pulses in predetermined, voltage varying first and second electrical wave forms;

b) a coupling transformer receiving at its primary side said first and second electrical waves;

c) a capacitor in parallel with the secondary side of said transformer; and

d) a piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said capacitor and said transformer for generating first and second varying pluralities of ultrasonic sounds correlated in wave length to said first and second electrical waves whereby said transducer generates periodically repeating varying ultrasonic sounds in the warble effect of a siren to confuse and disorient said animal whereby collision by said animal with said motor vehicle is avoided.

14. An electronic device for use in a motor vehicle to disperse, without injury, animals capable of hearing ultrasonic sounds, said device comprising:

a) driver means sequentially generating first and second electrical pulses in predetermined, voltage varying first and second electrical wave forms;

b) a coupling transformer receiving at its primary side said first and second electrical waves;

c) a capacitor in parallel with the secondary side of said transformer; and

d) a piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said capacitor and said transformer for generating first and second varying pluralities of ultrasonic sound waves, correlated in wave length to said first and second electrical waves, said electrical wave forms having the same frequency as said ultrasonic sound waves produced by said ultrasonic piezo-electric transducer whereby said transducer generates periodically repeating varying ultrasonic sounds in the warble effect of a siren to confuse and disorient said animal whereby collision by said animal with said motor vehicle is avoided.

15. An electronic device for use in a motor vehicle to disperse, without injury, animals capable of hearing ultrasonic sounds, said device comprising:

a) driver means sequentially generating first and second electrical pulses in predetermined, voltage varying first and second electrical wave forms;

b) a coupling transformer receiving at its primary side said first and second electrical waves;

c) a capacitor in parallel with the secondary side of said transformer; and

,

d) a piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said capacitor and said transformer for generating first and second varying pluralities of ultrasonic sound waves correlated in wave length to said first and second electrical waves, said frequencies of said electrical waves and said ultrasonic sound waves vary anywhere from about 19 kHz to about 30 kHz whereby said transducer generates periodically repeating varying ultrasonic sounds in the warble effect of a siren to confuse and disorient said animal whereby collision by said animal with said motor vehicle is avoided.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said frequencies vary anywhere between about 20 kHz to about 25 kHz.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein said frequencies vary anywhere between about 21 to about 24 kHz.

18. An electronic device for use in a motor vehicle to disperse, without injury, animals capable of hearing ultrasonic sounds, said device comprising:

a) driver means sequentially generating first and second electrical pulses in predetermined, voltage varying first and second electrical wave forms;

b) a coupling transformer receiving at its primary side said first and second electrical waves;

c) a capacitor in parallel with the secondary side of said transformer; and

,

d) a piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said capacitor and said transformer for generating first and second varying pluralities of ultrasonic sounds correlated in wave length to said first and second electrical waves, said first plurality of varying ultrasonic sounds are generated for a first discrete time period and said second plurality of varying ultrasonic sounds are generated for a second discrete time period whereby said transducer generates periodically repeating varying ultrasonic sounds in the warble effect of a siren to confuse and disorient said animal whereby collision by said animal with said motor vehicle is avoided.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein said first and second discrete time periods are equal to one another.

20. The device of claim 18 wherein said second plurality of ultrasonic sounds immediately follow said first ultrasonic sounds and said first plurality of ultrasonic sounds immediately follow said second plurality of ultrasonic sounds.

21. The device of claim 18 wherein said first plurality of ultrasonic sounds follow said second plurality of ultrasonic sounds after a third discrete delay period where no sound is transmitted.

22. An electronic device for use in a motor vehicle to disperse, without injury, animals capable of hearing ultrasonic sounds, said device comprising:

a) driver means sequentially generating first and second electrical pulses in predetermined, voltage varying first and second electrical wave forms, said driver means includes operational amplifiers operating in a class C cycle;

b) a coupling transformer receiving at its primary side said first and second electrical waves;

c) a capacitor in parallel with the secondary side of said transformer; and

,

d) a piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said capacitor and said transformer for generating first and second varying pluralities of ultrasonic sounds correlated in wave length to said first and second electrical waves whereby said transducer generates periodically repeating varying ultrasonic sounds in the warble effect of a siren to confuse and disorient said animal whereby collision by said animal with said motor vehicle is avoided.

23. An electronic device for use in a motor vehicle to disperse, without injury, animals capable of hearing ultrasonic sounds, said device comprising:

a) driver means sequentially generating first and second electrical pulses in predetermined, voltage varying first and second electrical wave forms, said driver means produces said predetermined voltage wave forms as square waves;

b) a coupling transformer receiving at its primary side said first and second electrical waves;

c) a capacitor in parallel with the secondary side of said transformer; and

,

d) a piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said capacitor and said transformer for generating first and second varying pluralities of ultrasonic sounds correlated in wave length to said first and second electrical waves whereby said transducer generates periodically repeating varying ultrasonic sounds in the warble effect of a siren to confuse and disorient said animals whereby collision by said animal with said motor vehicle is avoided.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein said driver means includes operational amplifiers means for generating said wave forms and microprocessor means for generating a plurality of electrical waves at sequentially varying frequencies and timing means operable in conjunction with said microprocessor means for periodically varying said frequencies from increasing to decreasing at discrete time periods.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein said timing means operates to cause said microprocessor means to generate a pulse of electrical waves which sequentially increase from about 19 to about 24 kHz. and sequentially decrease from about 24 to about 19 kHz.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein said timing means causes said microprocessor means to switch said generation of said electrical waves from increasing frequencies to decreasing frequencies at about every 200 milliseconds.

27. In a motor vehicle, an anti-collision, ultrasonic sounding alarm preventing animals capable of detecting ultrasonic sounds from colliding with said motor vehicles, said alarm comprising:

a) means from said vehicle to provide a source of electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s battery to actuate said alarm;

b) electrical driver means for converting said electrical power into a plurality of electrical pulses having voltage wave forms of sequenced, varying frequencies; and

,

c) piezo-electric transducer means receiving said electrical pulses and in response thereto generating ultrasonic sound waves at the varying sequenced frequencies of said voltage wave forms, said transducer means further including

i) a coupling transformer;

ii) a capacitor in parallel with said transformer, and an

iii) ultrasonic sound generating piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said transformer, said ultrasonic sound waves sequenced to simulate the warble effect of a siren whereby said animal, hearing said ultrasonic siren simulated sound, becomes confused and disoriented.

28. The alarm of claim 27 further including said driver means controlling the generating of a first sequence of voltage wave forms having increasing frequencies followed by a second sequence of voltage wave forms having decreasing frequencies so that said transducer means produces a first series of ultrasonic sound waves for a first fixed time duration having increasing frequencies immediately followed by a second series of ultrasonic sound waves having decreasing frequencies for a second fixed time duration.

29. The alarm of claim 28 wherein said driver means is further effective to cause a delay for a third fixed time period after said second series of sound waves have been emitted and prior to emitting said first ultrasonic series of sound waves.

30. The alarm of claim 29 wherein said first and second time periods are equal.

35. The alarm of claim 27 wherein said transducer means includes a light emitting diode which is actuated when said transducer means are operational.

31. In a motor vehicle, an anti-collision, ultrasonic sounding alarm preventing animals capable of detecting ultrasonic sounds from colliding with said motor vehicles, said alarm comprising:

a) means from said vehicle to provide a source of electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s battery to actuate said alarm;

b) electrical driver means for converting said electrical power into a plurality of electrical pulses having first and second voltage wave forms of sequenced, varying frequencies; and

,

c) piezo-electric transducer means receiving said electrical pulses and in response thereto generating ultrasonic sound waves at the varying sequenced frequencies of said first and second voltage wave forms, said transducer means further including

i) a coupling transformer;

ii) a capacitor in parallel with said transformer, said capacitor sized to be at resonant frequency at the mid-point of the frequencies of said first and second voltage wave forms, and

iii) an ultrasonic sound generating piezo-electric transducer in parallel with said transformer, said ultrasonic sound waves sequenced to simulate the warble effect of a siren whereby said animal, hearing said ultrasonic siren simulated sound, becomes confused and disoriented.

32. In a motor vehicle, an anti-collision, ultrasonic sounding alarm preventing animals capable of detecting ultrasonic sounds from colliding with said motor vehicle, said alarm comprising:

a) means from said motor vehicle to provide a source of electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s battery to actuate said alarm;

b) electrical driver means for converting said electrical power into a plurality of first and second electrical pulses having voltage wave forms of sequenced, varying frequencies, said driver means including operational amplifiers operating in a Class C cycle and microprocessor means for combining, timing and regulating the output of said operational amplifiers to produce said first and second pulses in a varying sequential manner inputted to said transformer, said operational amplifiers being square wave generating operational amplifiers; and

,

c) piezo-electric transducer means receiving said electrical pulses and in response thereto generating ultrasonic sound waves at the varying sequenced frequencies of said voltage wave forms, said ultrasonic sound waves sequenced to simulate the warble effect of a siren whereby said animal, hearing said ultrasonic siren simulated sound, becomes confused and disoriented.

33. In a motor vehicle, an anti-collision, ultrasonic sounding alarm preventing animals capable of detecting ultrasonic sounds from colliding with said motor vehicles, said alarm comprising:

a) means from said vehicle to provide a source of electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s battery to actuate said alarm;

b) electrical driver means for converting said electrical power into a plurality of electrical pulses having voltage wave forms of sequenced, varying frequencies, said driver means comprises a circuit, said circuit including a motion detector, said motion detector shorting said circuit in the absence of vibrations imparted thereto from movement of said vehicle or vibrations from the operating engine thereof; and

,

c) piezo-electric transducer means receiving said electrical pulses and in response thereto generating ultrasonic sound waves at the varying sequenced frequencies of said voltage wave forms, said ultrasonic sound waves sequenced to simulate the warble effect of a siren whereby said animal, hearing said ultrasonic siren simulated sound, becomes confused and disoriented.

34. In a motor vehicle, an anti-collision, ultrasonic sounding alarm preventing animals capable of detecting ultrasonic sounds from colliding with said motor vehicles, said alarm comprising:

a) means from said vehicle to provide a source of electrical power from said vehicle'"'"'s battery to actuate said alarm;

b) electrical driver means for converting said electrical power into a plurality of electrical pulses having voltage wave forms of sequenced, varying frequencies;

c) piezo-electric transducer means receiving said electrical pulses and in response thereto generating ultrasonic sound waves at the varying sequenced frequencies of said voltage wave forms, and further comprising an ultrasonic sound generating circuit, said ultrasonic sound waves sequenced to simulate the warble effect of a siren whereby said animal, hearing said ultrasonic siren simulated sound, becomes confused and disoriented; and

d) said driver means comprises a circuit, said circuit including a low battery detector circuit, said low battery detector circuit operational to disarm said ultrasonic sound generating circuit when said motor vehicle'"'"'s battery is discharged.

36. A method for preventing animals from running into the path of an oncoming vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic driver powered by the vehicle'"'"'s battery for generating a first plurality of voltage wave forms having increasing frequencies followed by a second plurality of voltage wave forms having decreasing frequencies;

providing said vehicle with a piezo-electric transducer capable of producing ultrasonic sounds; and

,

inputting said voltage wave forms to said transducer to cause said transducer to emit a first plurality of ultrasonic sounds sequenced to having increasing frequencies followed by a second plurality of ultrasonic sounds in a sequence of decreasing frequencies whereby the warble effect of a siren is created to cause said animal to avoid moving into the path of said vehicle,

said driver produces a square voltage wave form and said method includes the additional steps of providing a transformer converting said square wave into a sinusoidal wave form and inputting said sinusoidal wave to said transducer to cause said transducer to emit intense sounds without overheating.