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

• US 6,657,544 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• 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: Titus, John S., Barry, James R., Larson, Dennis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/774,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.3, 340/505, 340/10.1, 119/720, 119/721
• 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 providing a correction to an animal, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a first signal indicating that the animal has approached an inappropriate location;

a transmitter configured to provide a second signal indicating information about the portable unit; and

a receiver configured to detect a third signal having an instruction for the portable unit, and wherein the instruction of the third signal includes a degree of correction to apply to the animal.

2. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the first signal includes an identification of the source of the first signal.

3. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein a strength of the first signal indicates a zone in which the animal is located.

4. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the information of the second signal includes the source of the first signal.

5. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the information of the second signal includes the strength of the first signal.

6. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the information of the second signal includes an identification of the portable unit.

7. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the instruction of the third signal includes an identification of the source of the third signal.

8. The portable unit of claim 1, further comprising an audible correction means and an electrical correction means, and wherein the degree of correction to apply to the animal corresponds to an audible correction when a minimal correction is appropriate and corresponds to an electrical correction when a maximum correction is appropriate.

9. The portable unit of claim 1, further comprising a memory containing a profile table indicating correction to be applied to the animal, wherein the third signal includes correction information to be stored in the profile table and wherein the second signal is an acknowledgement of receiving the third signal.

10. The portable unit of claim 1, further comprising a tilt switch array linked to the sensor, wherein the sensor detects the first signal in response to the tilt switch array conducting the first signal in response to the animal approaching the inappropriate location.

11. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the first signal lies in a first frequency band and the second and third signals lie in a second frequency band.

12. The portable unit of claim 1, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are components of a transceiver.

13. A method for providing correction to an animal, comprising:

sensing a first signal at a sensor at a portable unit worn by the animal wherein the first signal is indicative of a location of the animal;

transmitting over the air a second signal from the portable unit worn by the animal to send information about the portable unit to a controller unit;

transmitting over the air a third signal from the controller unit to the portable unit to indicate the correction; and

receiving over the air the third signal at a receiver of the portable unit to provide the appropriate correction, wherein the correction is based at least on the source of the first signal, the source of the second signal, and the strength of the first signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second signal is provided in response to sensing the first signal at the portable unit, the first signal indicating that the animal has approached an inappropriate location, the second signal providing an indication to the controller unit that the animal has approached the inappropriate location, and wherein the third signal is provided to the portable unit from the controller unit in response to the controller unit receiving the second signal, the third signal providing the indication of the appropriate correction to apply to the animal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the portable unit has a memory for storing a profile table containing indications of the appropriate correction to apply, wherein the third signal contains the indications of the appropriate correction that are to be stored by the portable unit in response to receiving the third signal, and wherein the second signal is an acknowledgement of receiving the third signal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is broadcast by a unit to exclude the animal from at least a portion of a broadcast range surrounding the unit.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is provided on a wire by a unit to confine the animal to an area bounded by the wire.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is broadcast by a unit to confine the animal to at least a portion of a broadcast range surrounding the unit.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is provided on a wire by a unit to exclude the animal from an area bounded by the wire.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal lies in a first frequency band and the second and third signals lie in a second frequency band.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal indicates an identification of the source of the first signal.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the second signal indicates an identification of the source of the second signal.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the third signal indicates an identification of the source of the third signal.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the second signal indicates the strength of the first signal.