Bark control system for pet dogs

• US 5,927,233 A
• Filed: 03/10/1998
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Albert L. IV, Mainini, Christopher E.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US09/040,487
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 119/718-721, 119/908, 119/174, 119/905, 340/573
• US Class Current: 119/718
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/022 Anti-barking devices

Abstract

A bark control system for training a pet dog not to bark. The bark control system includes a vibration sensor and a microphone either operating independently or in tandem with the vibration sensor gating the microphone. The output of the vibration sensor and the microphone are processed to discriminate the target dog'"'"'s bark from other noises. When the discrimination result indicates that the sound is a bark, a stimulus delivery device applies a corrective stimulus. To improve bark discrimination, a memory device stores an exemplary bark for comparison. Each bark sampled replaces the bark previously stored permitting the bark control system to adapt to any repetitive bark sequence of the target dog. Finally, a stimulus intensity selection circuit provides variable intensity corrective stimulus.

Claims

1. A bark control system for training a target dog not to bark, said bark control system comprising:

an enclosure;

a mounting device for attaching said enclosure to a target dog;

a vibration sensor carried by said enclosure for detecting a vibration emitted by the target dog, said vibration sensor operating continuously;

a microphone carried by said enclosure for sampling an ambient sound;

a processing device carried by said enclosure for generating an identification result indicating whether said vibration detected by said vibration sensor and said ambient sound sampled by said microphone represent a bark from the target dog; and

a stimulus delivery device responsive to said processing device, said stimulus delivery device carried by said enclosure for delivering a corrective stimulus to the target dog upon determination that both said vibration and said ambient sound are indicative of a bark from the target dog.

2. The bark control system of claim 1 wherein said microphone operates continuously and independently from said vibration sensor.

3. The bark control system of claim 1 wherein said microphone is activated when said vibration sensor detects a vibration.

4. The bark control system of claim 1 wherein said processing device is in communication with at least one memory device for storing an exemplary bark for comparison to said ambient sound, said processing device comparing said ambient sound to said exemplary bark and generating a matching result, said matching result indicating whether said ambient sound correlates with said previously stored sample within a predefined tolerance level, wherein said processing device signals said stimulus delivery device to deliver said corrective stimulus to the target dog where said matching result indicates correlation between said ambient sound and said exemplary bark.

5. The bark control system of claim 1 wherein said processing device is in communication with at least one memory device and wherein said identification result indicates a bark from the target dog, said processing device comparing said ambient sound to a previously stored sample and generating a matching result, said matching result indicating whether said ambient sound correlates with said previously stored sample within a predefined tolerance level, wherein said processing device signals said stimulus delivery device to deliver said corrective stimulus to the target dog where said matching result indicates correlation between said ambient sound and said previously stored sample, said ambient sound then being stored in said memory device to replace said previously stored sample, said ambient sound thus becoming said previously stored sample to be compared to a subsequent said ambient sound.

6. The bark control system of claim 1 wherein said processing device and said stimulus delivery circuit are in communication with a stimulus level intensity circuit for varying an intensity level of said corrective stimulus.

7. The bark control system of claim 6 wherein said stimulus level intensity circuit varies said intensity level of said corrective stimulus between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level through a predetermined sequence upon each successive application of said corrective stimulus within a predetermined time period.

8. The bark control system of claim 6 wherein said stimulus level intensity circuit provides multiple intensity levels for said corrective stimulus, selectable by the pet owner.

9. The bark control system of claim 1 wherein said corrective stimulus includes at least one of an electrostatic shock, an ultrasonic pulse, an irritant, a vibration, and an audible deterrent each being offensive to the target dog.

10. A bark control system for training a target dog not to bark, said bark control system comprising:

an enclosure;

a mounting device for attaching said enclosure to a target dog;

a vibration sensor carried by said enclosure for detecting a vibration emitted by the target dog, said vibration sensor operating continuously;

a microphone carried by said enclosure for sampling an ambient sound, said microphone operating continuously and independently of said vibration sensor;

a processing device carried by said enclosure for generating an identification result indicating whether said vibration detected by said vibration sensor and said ambient sound sampled by said microphone represents a bark from the target dog;

a stimulus delivery device responsive to said processing device, said stimulus delivery device carried by said enclosure for delivering a corrective stimulus to the target dog, said corrective stimulus including at least one of an electrostatic shock, an ultrasonic pulse, an irritant, a vibration, and an audible deterrent each being offensive to the target dog; and

a stimulus level intensity circuit in communication with said processing device and said stimulus delivery device for varying an intensity level of said corrective stimulus.

11. The bark control system of claim 10 wherein said processing device is in communication with at least one memory device for storing an exemplary bark for comparison to said ambient sound, said processing device comparing said ambient sound to said exemplary bark and generating a matching result, said matching result indicating whether said ambient sound correlates with said previously stored sample within a predefined tolerance level, wherein said processing device signals said stimulus delivery device to deliver said corrective stimulus to the target dog where said matching result indicates correlation between said ambient sound and said exemplary bark.

12. The bark control system of claim 10 wherein said processing device is in communication with at least one memory device and wherein said identification result indicates a bark from the target dog, said processing device comparing said ambient sound to a previously stored sample and generating a matching result, said matching result indicating whether said ambient sound correlates with said previously stored sample within a predefined tolerance level, wherein said processing device signals said stimulus delivery device to deliver said corrective stimulus to the target dog where said matching result indicates correlation between said ambient sound and said previously stored sample, said ambient sound then being stored in said memory device to replace said previously stored sample, said ambient sound thus becoming said previously stored sample to be compared to a subsequent said ambient sound.

13. The bark control system of claim 10 wherein said stimulus level intensity circuit varies said intensity level of said corrective stimulus between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level through a predetermined sequence upon each successive application of said corrective stimulus within a predetermined time period.

14. The bark control system of claim 10 wherein said stimulus level intensity circuit provides multiple intensity levels for said corrective stimulus, selectable by the pet owner.

15. A bark control system for training a target dog not to bark, said bark control system comprising:

an enclosure;

a mounting device for attaching said enclosure to a target dog;

a vibration sensor carried by said enclosure for detecting a vibration emitted by the target dog, said vibration sensor operating continuously;

a microphone carried by said enclosure for sampling an ambient sound, said microphone being activated when said vibration sensor detects a vibration;

a processing device carried by said enclosure for generating an identification result indicating whether said vibration detected by said vibration sensor and said ambient sound sampled by said microphone represents a bark from the target dog;

a stimulus delivery device responsive to said processing device, said stimulus delivery device carried by said enclosure for delivering a corrective stimulus to the target dog, said corrective stimulus including at least one of an electrostatic shock, an ultrasonic pulse, an irritant, a vibration, and an audible deterrent each being offensive to the target dog; and

a stimulus level intensity circuit in communication with said processing device and said stimulus delivery device for varying an intensity level of said corrective stimulus.

16. The bark control system of claim 15 wherein said processing device is in communication with at least one memory device for storing an exemplary bark for comparison to said ambient sound, said processing device comparing said ambient sound to said exemplary bark and generating a matching result, said matching result indicating whether said ambient sound correlates with said previously stored sample within a predefined tolerance level, wherein said processing device signals said stimulus delivery device to deliver said corrective stimulus to the target dog where said matching result indicates correlation between said ambient sound and said exemplary bark.

17. The bark control system of claim 15 wherein said processing device is in communication with at least one memory device and wherein said identification result indicates a bark from the target dog, said processing device comparing said ambient sound to a previously stored sample and generating a matching result, said matching result indicating whether said ambient sound correlates with said previously stored sample within a predefined tolerance level, wherein said processing device signals said stimulus delivery device to deliver said corrective stimulus to the target dog where said matching result indicates correlation between said ambient sound and said previously stored sample, said ambient sound then being stored in said memory device to replace said previously stored sample, said ambient sound thus becoming said previously stored sample to be compared to a subsequent said ambient sound.

18. The bark control system of claim 15 wherein said stimulus level intensity circuit varies said intensity level of said corrective stimulus between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level through a predetermined sequence upon each successive application of said corrective stimulus within a predetermined time period.

19. The bark control system of claim 15 wherein said stimulus level intensity circuit provides multiple intensity levels for said corrective stimulus, selectable by the pet owner.

20. A bark control system for training a target dog not to bark, said bark control system comprising:

an enclosure;

a mounting device for attaching said enclosure to a target dog;

a vibration sensor carried by said enclosure for detecting a vibration emitted by the target dog, said vibration sensor operating continuously;

a microphone carried by said enclosure for sampling an ambient sound, said microphone being activated when said vibration sensor detects a vibration;

a processing device carried by said enclosure for generating an identification result indicating whether said vibration detected by said vibration sensor and said ambient sound sampled by said microphone represents a bark from the target dog;

a stimulus delivery device responsive to said processing device, said stimulus delivery device carried by said enclosure for delivering a corrective stimulus to the target dog, said corrective stimulus including at least one of an electrostatic shock, an ultrasonic pulse, an irritant, a vibration, and an audible deterrent each being offensive to the target dog;

at least one memory device in communication with said processing device, wherein said identification result indicates a bark from the target dog, said processing device comparing said ambient sound to a previously stored sample and generating a matching result, said matching result indicating whether said ambient sound correlates with said previously stored sample within a predefined tolerance level, wherein said processing device signals said stimulus delivery device to deliver said corrective stimulus to the target dog where said matching result indicates correlation between said ambient sound and said previously stored sample, said ambient sound then being stored in said memory device to replace said previously stored sample, said ambient sound thus becoming said previously stored sample to be compared to a subsequent said ambient sound; and

a stimulus level intensity circuit in communication with said processing device and said stimulus delivery device for varying an intensity level of said corrective stimulus, said stimulus level intensity circuit varying said intensity level of said corrective stimulus between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level through a predetermined sequence upon each successive application of said corrective stimulus within a predetermined time period.