Animal training and tracking system using RF identification tags

• US 7,937,042 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dot Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dot Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Roberts, Jon L., Light, Elliott D., Boesch, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US11/113,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20050217607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 455/69, 455/88, 455/67.11, 455418-421, 119719-721
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/021 Electronic training devices specially adapted for dogs or cats

Abstract

An animal training device for administering audio stimulus and physical encouragement to an animal. The trainer has a transmitter with variable signal strength. The animal worn device had a receiver that senses the signal strength. If the signal strength drops to a preset limit indicative of distance from the transmitter, a tone is sounded. Further signal drop results in a shock being delivered. Alternatively, a trainer module comprises an RFID poller and an animal module comprises an RFID tag. The poller sends a polling signal to the RFID tag. The polling signal is reflected back to the trainer module where the reflective signal is used to determine a separation distance. If the separation distance exceeds a preset threshold, an encouragement command is sent from the trainer module to the animal module.

Claims

1. A wireless tracking device, comprising:

an REID tag query manager configured to send a polling signal at a first time;

an RFID receiver configured to receive a reflected signal produced by an REID tag in response to the polling signal at a second time;

an object identification manager configured to obtain an identifier of the RFID tag from the reflected signal; and

a separation manager configured to (a) determine a separation distance between the REID tag and the wireless tracking device based on a difference between the first time and the second, and (b) transmit a physical encouragement command to the REID tag via a transmission link corresponding to the identifier of the REID tag when the separation distance exceeds a predetermined threshold associated with the REID tag.

2. The wireless tracking device of claim 1 wherein the separation distance is determined based on a combination of the difference between the first time and the second time and aattribute comprises at least one of signal strength of the reflected signal and time of reception.

3. The wireless tracking device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of REID receivers having a plurality of identifiers, and wherein the object identification manager is configured to obtain the identifiers.

4. The wireless tracking device of claim 1 wherein the polling signal is adjustable to adjust the predetermined threshold associated with the RFID tag.

5. The wireless tracking device of claim 1 wherein the encouragement command is configured to cause a sound to be emitted.

6. The wireless tracking device of claim 5 wherein the volume of the sound is varied as the separation distance varies.

7. The wireless tracking device of claim 1 wherein the RFID tag query manager is located on a first device and the RFID tag is located on a second device.

8. The wireless tracking device of claim 7 wherein the separation manager is located on the first device.

9. The wireless tracking device of claim 7 wherein the separation manager is located on the second device.

10. A method for tracking a remote unit, the method comprising:

transmitting a polling signal from a location at a first time;

receiving a reflected signal produced by an RFID tag in response to the polling signal at a second time, the REID tag being attached to a remote object;

identifying the remote object based on data represented in the reflected signal;

determining a separation distance between the REID tag and the location based on a time difference between the first and second times; and

transmitting a command to the REID tag via a transmission link corresponding to the identified remote object when the separation distance between the RFID tag and the location exceeds a predetermined threshold associated with the remote object.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the location comprises a first portable device and the remote object comprises a second portable device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein determining the separation distance between the REID tag and the location further comprises detecting a signal strength of the reflected signal and the predetermined threshold comprises a strength threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the command contains instructions to sound an alarm.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of RFID tags attached to a plurality of remote objects, wherein identifying the remote objects comprises identifying the plurality of remote objects.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the remote objects has a name, and wherein transmitting a command comprises transmitting instructions to sound an alarm based on the name.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the alarm comprises a voice synthesizer configured to speak the name.