Tri-tronics, Inc.

Garmin Switzerland Gmbh

Francisco J Napolez

Timothy T Duncan

Timothy J Crist

Sean M Hayes

David T Whetten

Kagum G Zakharyan

An accessory unit is provided for a remotely controlled animal training system. The accessory unit may include a battery, a receiver, a light source, functional unit, a connection and a control. In embodiments, the control may be operable to determine a function and an intensity for the light source based on the received signal and power the light source based on the determined function and intensity. The determined function may cause the light source to flash or illuminate at the highest intensity. The functional unit may be a pressure sensor unit, a GPS unit or a compass.

System and method for tracking, monitoring, and locating animals

A light accessory is provided for a remotely controlled animal training system, allowing visual tracking of an animal in low ambient light conditions. The light accessory may be a stand-alone accessory or be in conjunction with a wireless receiver. The light accessory may be controlled by an accessory channel that exists in the remotely controlled animal training system, or may be controlled by the presence of a generic proximate radio frequency transmission.

A remote controlled animal training system includes a wireless transmitter capable of transmitting a plurality of wireless signals non-concurrently. Each wireless signal of the plurality of signals is representative of one of a plurality of predetermined stimulus levels. A wireless receiver is capable of receiving the wireless signal from the transmitter. A demodulator is in communication with the RF receiver, demodulating the wireless signal to produce a digital signal. A microprocessor is in communication with the demodulator for receiving the digital signal from the demodulator and producing a pulse signal therefrom. A first output device is in communication with the microprocessor. The first output device produces a stimulus of intensity relative to a characteristic of the pulse signal.

Remote controlled animal training system with wireless communication system

An electronic apparatus () for control of vocalization by a dog includes first and second stimulus electrodes () connected to a surface () of the housing, a vibration sensor (), control circuitry in the housing having an input coupled to an output of the sensor, and a motion detector connected in substantially fixed relationship to the dog's neck for producing a motion detection signal in response to a characteristic movement of the dog's neck that accompanies barking and providing the motion detection signal as an input to the control circuitry. The control circuitry includes output terminals for producing aversive stimulus signals between the first and second stimulus electrodes in response to the motion detection signal and a signal produced by the vibration sensor.

Neck motion detector and method for bark control device

An electronic apparatus () supported against a dog's skin to control vocalizing by the dog electronically converts the vocalizing into a sequence of signals representing frequencies of the vocalizing, and operates a controller to determine if each measured frequency lies within any of a plurality of predetermined frequency sub-ranges and if so, increments cumulative totals of the frequencies which lie in the sub-ranges, respectively, to provide a plurality of cumulative totals that represent a frequency spectrum of the vocalizing. The controller is operated to determine whether the barking sounds constitute a valid bark by comparing the frequency spectrum to a predetermined valid bark frequency spectrum. Appropriate aversive stimulus signals are produced between first and second stimulus electrodes if the vocalizing sounds constitute a valid bark.

Frequency spectrum capture and compare technique for valid bark detection

An electronic apparatus () for training an animal is supported against the animal's skin, and includes stimulus electrodes () for electrically contacting the skin. A controller including output terminals producing aversive stimulus control signals, a first switch (Q) coupled to a winding to produce therein a burst of first current pulses in response to a first signal produced by the controller () and a second switch (Q) coupled to the first switch (Q) operative to synchronously shunt predetermined trailing portions of the first current pulses away from the winding in response to a second signal produced by the controller to reduce the amount of energy delivered to the winding by the switching transistor (Q) without substantially changing a peak value of a flyback voltage across the winding. The controller sets various values of time intervals during which portions of the first current pulses are shunted away from the winding in order to set various corresponding intensities of aversive stimulus.

Synchronized primary winding current shunting technique for controlling electro-stimulus level

A dog bark limiter includes a housing () supported against the dog's skin by a strap, stimulus electrodes (), and a sensor () for producing signals in response to vocalizing by the dog. The sensor includes a membrane () supported by the surface () for efficiently transmitting sound energy through the housing and a rigid nipple () engaging the membrane. Control circuitry in the housing has an input coupled to an output of the transducer and output terminals coupled to produce aversive stimulus signals between the first and second electrodes in response to the signals produced in response valid barking by the dog. A motion detector () produces a motion detection signal in response to a characteristic movement of the portion of dog that accompanies barking by the dog and aids in detecting a valid bark. A controller () executes a frequency capture routine to produce a frequency spectrum of the dog's vocalizations and compares it with a valid bark spectrum to determine if the vocalization constitutes a valid bark.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Francisco J Napolez