LARGE AREA POSITION/PROXIMITY CORRECTION DEVICE WITH ALARMS USING (D)GPS TECHNOLOGY

• US 20080278309A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Research Institute, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Research Institute, Inc.
• Inventors: Troxler, Robert Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 7,920,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/023 Power management, e.g. system sleep and wake up provisions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0261 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect trespassing over a fixed physical boundary, e.g. the end of a garden
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]

Abstract

A collar to be worn on an object or a large or small animal has been designed incorporating (D)GPS technology. The operation of the device includes programming the three dimensional boundary into the memory of the device and simply installing the collar on the animal. As the animal approaches the preprogrammed boundary, a first alarm sounds when the subject is within an arbitrary user defined distance, and a second more drastic alarm such as a shock correction is applied when the subject approaches a second position closer to the boundary. Means to easily program the device are also included in the system. The device has the capability to call or transmit important information such as location, speed, identity, and medical parameters, etc. to a station automatically or when polled. All necessary analog and digital circuitry, microprocessor, programming, communications hardware are integrated into the collar. The device also has applications in land, air and sea navigation, farming, construction, tracking stolen vehicles, and keeping track of children. This device could also be embedded in a specialized lawnmower that would know where your yard ended and your neighbor'"'"'s began, and traverse around all obstacles in the yard. Important Military applications would include warning and directing soldiers of front line boundaries, minefield mapping and 3-D direction around MOA'"'"'s for aircraft.

Claims

1. A movable boundary detection device, comprising:

(a) a receiver operable to receive a positioning signal including actual position coordinates of a movable device in a first space;

(b) a memory module including a memory to store predefined position coordinates for defining a boundary between a second space and the first space;

(c) a processor module connected to the receiver and the memory module and operable to compare the actual position coordinates to the predefined position coordinates; and

(d) an indicator connected to the processor module and operable to indicate when the actual position coordinates are a predetermined distance from the boundary between the first space and the second space.