Electronic tether for portable objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic tether for an animal comprising:
- an animal worn monitoring module comprising a portable transmitter adapted for transmitting a signal, wherein monitoring module further comprises a first clock and the audio signal comprising a first clock time T1 as measured by the first clock at the time of transmission of the signal; and
an alert module comprising a receiver wirelessly connected to the portable transmitter and a second clock, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive the signal from the transmitter, wherein the first clock and the second clock are referenced to a common time T0 and wherein the alert module is adapted to;
receive the signal from the monitoring module, wherein the signal is received at time T2;
determine a signal propagation time indicative of the time for the signal to reach the alert module from the monitoring module, wherein the signal propagation time is equal to T2=T1;
determine a separation distance between the animal worn monitoring module and the alert module based on the propagation time and a propagation speed of the signal, andissue an alert when the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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Abstract
A system and method for issuing an alarm when the separation distance between a monitoring module associated with an object (animate or inanimate) and an alert module exceeds a preset threshold distance thereby forming a leadless electronic tether between the object and the object owner. A monitoring module comprises a portable transmitter provides a signal to an alert module comprising a receiver and a processor. The alert module is adapted to determine a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module based on an attribute of the signal. When the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, the alert module issues an alert.
122 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An electronic tether for an animal comprising:
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an animal worn monitoring module comprising a portable transmitter adapted for transmitting a signal, wherein monitoring module further comprises a first clock and the audio signal comprising a first clock time T1 as measured by the first clock at the time of transmission of the signal; and an alert module comprising a receiver wirelessly connected to the portable transmitter and a second clock, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive the signal from the transmitter, wherein the first clock and the second clock are referenced to a common time T0 and wherein the alert module is adapted to; receive the signal from the monitoring module, wherein the signal is received at time T2; determine a signal propagation time indicative of the time for the signal to reach the alert module from the monitoring module, wherein the signal propagation time is equal to T2=T1; determine a separation distance between the animal worn monitoring module and the alert module based on the propagation time and a propagation speed of the signal, and issue an alert when the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for monitoring an animal using electronic tether comprising:
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sending a signal from an animal worn monitoring module, wherein the signal comprises a first clock time T1 as measured by a first clock in the monitoring module at the time of transmission of the signal; receiving the signal from the animal worn monitoring module at an alert module; determining an arrival time T2 of the signal at the alert module as measured by a second clock in the alert module, wherein the first clock and the second clock are referenced to a common time T0; determining a signal propagation time indicative of the time for the signal to reach the alert module from the monitoring module, wherein the signal propagation time is equal to T2−
T1;determining a separation distance between the animal worn monitoring module and the alert module based on the propagation time and a propagation speed of the signal; and issuing an alert when the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method for monitoring object location using an electronic tether comprising:
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sending a signal from a monitoring module, wherein the signal comprises a first clock time T1 as measured by a first clock in the monitoring module at the time of transmission of the signal; receiving the signal from the monitoring module at an alert module; determining an arrival time T2 of the signal at the alert module as measured by a second clock in the alert module, wherein the first clock and the second clock are referenced to a common time T0; determining a signal propagation time indicative of the time for the signal to reach the alert module from the monitoring module, wherein the signal propagation time is equal to T2−
T1;determining a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module based on the propagation time and a propagation speed of the signal; and issuing an alert when the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic tether comprising:
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a monitoring module comprising a first clock, wherein the monitoring module is adapted to send a signal comprising a first clock time T1 as measured by the first clock at the time of transmission of the signal; and an alert module comprising a second clock, wherein the first clock and the second clock are referenced to a common time T0 and the alert module is adapted to; receive the signal from the monitoring module, wherein the signal is received at time T2; determine a signal propagation time indicative of the time for the signal to reach the alert module from the monitoring module, wherein the signal propagation time is equal to T2−
T1;determine a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module based on the propagation time and a propagation speed of the signal; and issue an alert when the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An anti-theft alert device comprising:
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a monitoring module comprising a portable transmitter adapted for transmitting an audio signal, wherein the monitoring module further comprises a first clock and the audio signal comprising a first clock time T1 as measured by the first clock at the time of transmission of the signal; and an alert module comprising a receiver wirelessly connected to the portable transmitter and a second clock, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive the signal from the transmitter, wherein the first clock and the second clock are referenced to a common time T0 and wherein the alert module is adapted to; receive the signal from the monitoring module, wherein the signal is received at time T2; determine a signal propagation time indicative of the time for the signal to reach the alert module from the monitoring module, wherein the signal propagation time is equal to T2−
T1;determine a separation distance between the monitoring module and the alert module based on the propagation time and a propagation speed of the signal, and issue an alert when the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification