Apparatus and method for electronic exclusion and confinement of animals relative to a selected area

• US 6,600,422 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DAVID & MAURA-JEAN PAQUETTE
• Original Assignee: Joint Techno Concepts International Incorporated
• Inventors: Barry, James R., Larson, Dennis L., Titus, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/773,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.3, 340/551, 340/564, 340/552, 340/553, 340/573.4, 119/719, 119/721, 119/720
• US Class Current: 340/573.3
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for electronically deterring an animal from approaching an exclusion area around an exclusion unit or from entering or leaving an area bounded by a wire. The animal is provided with a collar unit, which includes a sensor adapted to sense the strength of electromagnetic signals generated by the exclusion unit or wire and a correction unit adapted to provide correction to the animal in response to a sensor output. The portable unit reports to a central controller which selects a correction strategy, such as level of correction to be applied to the animal approaching the perimeter. The controller provides warnings to the user, including warnings for when the battery in the collar unit goes low and when the animal stays in a correction zone for too long. The controller may control a number of exclusion units and/or power units, and may select an appropriate correction for one of a plurality of animals. The apparatus, with a central controller, may also be used to contain animals within one or more containment areas.

Claims

1. A portable unit for detecting whether an animal is inside or outside of a bounded area, comprising:

sensing circuitry configured to detect a boundary signal delineating the bounded area and configured to detect a polarity indicator of the boundary signal, the sensing circuitry further configured to provide a polarity signal in response to the polarity indicator, the polarity signal having a delay defined by the polarity of the polarity indicator;

a processor configured to receive the polarity signal and determine whether the animal is inside or outside of the bounded area by detecting the length of the polarity signal delay.

2. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuitry includes a rising edge detector configured to generate the polarity signal in response to receiving the rising edge of the polarity indicator.

3. The portable unit of claim 2, wherein the sensing circuitry includes a comparator configured to block a pulse of a first polarity received in response to the boundary signal from reaching the rising edge detector and to provide a pulse of a second polarity received in response to the boundary signal to the rising edge detector.

4. The portable unit of claim 3, wherein the sensing circuitry further includes an antenna system for receiving the pulses in response to the boundary signal and providing them to the comparator, the antenna system including a tilt switch array, wherein the polarity indicator received by the antenna system provides the pulse of the first polarity and the pulse of the second polarity, wherein a sequence of the pulse of the first polarity and the pulse of the second polarity depends on the polarity of the polarity indicator, and wherein the delay of the polarity signal is based on the sequence.

5. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the sensing circuitry includes sensitivity circuitry configured to provide an indication of the strength of the detected boundary signal.

6. The portable unit of claim 5, wherein a sensitivity of the sensitivity circuitry is selectable to determine a zone around the boundary wire where the portable unit is positioned.

7. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the boundary signal includes an identification of the source of the boundary signal and the processor is further configured to determine the identity of the source from the boundary signal.

8. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the boundary signal includes a command to the portable unit and the processor is further configured to determine the appropriate action to take in response to the command.

9. The portable unit of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting first information signals to a controller unit, the first information signals including information about whether the animal is inside or outside of the bounded area.

10. The portable unit of claim 9, further comprising a receiver for receiving second information signals from the controller unit, the second information signals including commands for correcting the animal.

11. A method for detecting whether an animal is inside or outside of a bounded area, comprising:

detecting a boundary signal delineating the bounded area with a portable unit worn by the animal;

detecting a polarity indicator of the boundary signal;

providing a polarity signal in response to the polarity indicator, the polarity signal having a delay defined by the polarity of the polarity indicator; and

determining whether the animal is inside or outside of the bounded area by detecting the length of the polarity signal delay.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the polarity signal includes generating the polarity signal in response to receiving a rising edge of the polarity indicator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the polarity indicator includes comparing a pulse of a first polarity received in response to the boundary signal to a reference voltage to prevent detection of a rising edge of the pulse of the first polarity and comparing a pulse of a second polarity received in response to the boundary signal to the reference voltage in preparation for detecting the rising edge of the pulse of the second polarity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the received polarity indicator provides the pulse of the first polarity and the pulse of the second polarity, wherein a sequence of the pulse of the first polarity and the pulse of the second polarity depends on the polarity of the polarity indicator, and wherein the delay of the polarity signal is based on the sequence.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an indication of the strength of the detected boundary signal.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting a sensitivity for the detection of the boundary signal to determine a zone around the boundary wire where the portable unit is positioned.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the boundary signal includes an identification of the source of the boundary signal, the method further comprising determining the identity of the source from the boundary signal.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the boundary signal includes a command to the portable unit, the method further comprising determining the appropriate action to take in response to the command.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting first information signals from the portable unit to a controller unit, the first information signals including information about whether the animal is inside or outside of the bounded area.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving into the portable unit second information signals from the controller unit, the second information signals including commands for correcting the animal.