Innotek, Inc.

Innotek Pet Products, Inc.

Solstice Medical, LLC

Hyper Electric Marine Inc.

Michael D Westrick

Greg Van Curen

Daniel L Sands

Matthew R Williams

Clyde W Sprowl

Steven V Werling

Kaleb J Reinhart

Griff Suelzer

Scott A Brune

Matthew R LaFontaine

Scott E Maddox

Timothy J Hacha

Peter F Johnson

A watercraft includes: a watercraft body; a pontoon frame system coupled with the watercraft body, the pontoon frame system including: a plurality of pontoons spaced apart from one another; and a chassis coupled with and at least partially supporting the watercraft body, the chassis supported by and coupling together the plurality of pontoons, the chassis including a cross-hatched assembly.

Pontoon/tritoon watercraft with cross-hatched chassis

A watercraft includes: a watercraft body; and a pontoon frame system coupled with the watercraft body, the pontoon frame system including: a plurality of pontoons spaced apart from one another and including a forward end, a rearward end, a first outboard pontoon, and a second outboard pontoon; and a chassis coupled with and at least partially supporting the watercraft body, the chassis supported by and coupling together the plurality of pontoons, the chassis including a composite body coupled with the first outboard pontoon and the second outboard pontoon at the forward end and the rearward end.

Pontoon/tritoon watercraft with composite chassis

A storage container assembly includes a container having a metal side wall, and a passive wireless repeater mounted on the side wall. The repeater includes a first antenna on one side of the side wall, a second antenna on an opposite side of the side wall, and an electrical connection between the first antenna and the second antenna. The electrical connection may be in the form of a first connector mounted to the first antenna and a second connector mounted to the second antenna.

RF passive repeater for a metal container

An RFID tagged implement assembly includes a metallic implement, and a wireless RFID transponder. The RFID transponder includes a housing; an inductive coupler within the housing, and an RFID chip coupled with the inductive coupler. The inductive coupler is inductively coupled with the metallic implement.

RFID coupler for metallic implements

An RFID tag includes a circuit board assembly having a substrate comprised of a material with a high dielectric constant of greater than approximately 4 and having a first side and a second side. A patch antenna is mounted to the first side of the substrate. A metallic ground plane is mounted to the second side of the substrate, and an RFID circuit is at the second side of the substrate. A shorting wall includes a plurality of through holes extending through the substrate and interconnecting the antenna with the ground plane. The plurality of through holes are generally linearly arranged relative to each other along an edge of the ground plane. An electrically conductive via extends through the substrate and interconnects the antenna with the RFID circuit. The via is at a distance from the shorting wall whereby an impedance of the RFID circuit approximately matches an impedance of the antenna. A backplane is coupled with the ground plane, on a side of the ground plane opposite the substrate.

Side loaded shorted patch RFID tag

An RFID tag includes a circuit board assembly having a circuit board, an RFID circuit, an antenna, and a metallic ground plane. The circuit board has a first side and a second side. The circuit board carries the antenna on the first side and the ground plane on the second side. The RFID circuit is coupled with each of the antenna and the ground plane. A backplane is coupled with the ground plane, on a side of the ground plane opposite the circuit board. An overmolded housing surrounds and hermetically seals the circuit board assembly. The housing is comprised of a material which is both autoclavable and has a low dielectric constant of between approximately 1 to 5.

Reusable, hermetic, medical grade RFID tag

An RFID tag includes a substrate made of a material with a high dielectric constant of greater than approximately 4 and having a first side and a second side. A patch antenna is mounted to the first side of the substrate. A metallic ground plane is mounted to the second side of the substrate, and includes a feed through hole. A metallic backplane is coupled with the ground plane, on a side of the ground plane opposite the substrate. The backplane and/or the ground plane includes a recess. An RFID circuit is positioned within the recess. A shorting wall includes a plurality of through holes extending through the substrate and interconnecting the antenna with the ground plane. The plurality of through holes are generally linearly arranged relative to each other along an edge of the ground plane. An electrically conductive via extends through the substrate and the feed through hole of the ground plane. The via has a diameter which is slightly less than the feed through hole. The via interconnects the antenna with the RFID circuit. The via is at a distance from the shorting wall whereby an impedance of the RFID circuit approximately matches an impedance of the antenna.

Small gamma shielded shorted patch RFID tag

A method of providing wireless animal confinement includes the steps of selecting a location of a transmitter assembly; attaching a receiver assembly to the animal, the receiver assembly being adapted to selectively provide a corrective stimulation to the animal; selecting a first distance between the transmitter assembly and the receiver assembly to define a first zone within which no corrective stimulation is provided to the animal by the receiver assembly; selecting a second distance between the transmitter assembly and the receiver assembly to define a second zone beyond the first zone within which the corrective stimulation is provided to the animal by the receiver assembly; and selecting a third distance between the transmitter assembly and the receiver assembly to define a third zone beyond the second zone within which the animal will receive no further corrective stimulation from the receiver assembly.

Wireless confinement and training system for an animal

A method of applying at least one of a stimulus and a warning signal to an animal includes selecting a maximum desired distance between the animal and a transmitter, transmitting a radio frequency signal from the transmitter at a first point in time, and receiving the radio frequency signal with a receiver attached to the animal. An ultrasonic frequency signal is transmitted from the transmitter at a second point in time. A first time difference between the second point in time and the first point in time varies inversely with the selected maximum desired distance. The ultrasonic frequency signal is received with the receiver at a third point in time. A second time difference between the third point in time and the first point in time is calculated. It is determined whether the animal is beyond the maximum desired distance from the transmitter by comparing the second time difference with at least one threshold time difference. A stimulus and/or a warning signal is selectively applied to the animal dependent upon the determining step.

Wireless pet confinement system

A system for locating movable objects and detecting the failure of the object to visit a designated area within a predetermined time, including a base unit, a transceiver attached to the movable object, and a locating device. The base unit includes a transmitter circuit which generates a first signal for substantially continuous transmission within a zone, which encompasses the designated area. When the movable object enters the zone, the receiver portion of the transceiver receives the first signal and resets a timer within the transceiver. If the movable object fails to revisit the zone within the predetermined time, based on predictions of the movable object's movements, the timer times out and switches the transceiver transmitter into an active mode wherein the transceiver emits a second signal. The second signal, which may contain information identifying the movable object, can be detected by using a portable locating device having a directional antenna which is used to track down and recover the movable object. In an alternate embodiment, a fixed mast-mounted locator receiver detects the second signal and provides information regarding the approximate location of the movable object.

Pet locator system

A method of training an animal includes generating an electrical correction stimulus having a duration that extends between a first time and a second later time, and having a first magnitude at the first time and a second greater magnitude at the second time. The electrical correction stimulus includes a substantially continuous waveform. The electrical correction stimulus is applied to an animal failing to conform to desired behavior. The electrical correction stimulus is removed from the animal upon conformance with the desired behavior by the animal.

Stimulation device and technique

A combined animal confinement and bark inhibitor system includes a confinement circuit which receives a confinement transmitter signal and outputs a confinement control signal, a sensor which detects the vibration of an animal's vocal cords and outputs a sensor control signal in response to that vibration, a stimulation device which provides a stimulus to the animal, and a controller associated with the confinement circuit, sensor, and the stimulation device, to selectively enable the stimulation device in response to a confinement control signal, a sensor control signal, or both.

Combination confinement system and bark inhibitor

An animal training system has a stimulation unit for administering an electrical stimulation to an animal, a receiver for receiving a control signal, and a controller for processing the control signal and activating the stimulation unit for a predetermined duration. The electrical stimulation administered to the animal has a first magnitude at a first time in the stimulation duration, and a second greater magnitude at a second time in the duration. The system further includes a transmitter for transmitting the stimulation control signal, with the duration of the stimulation duration being selectable at the transmitter. The electrical stimulation signal preferably comprises a number of electrical pulses.

A collar mounted animal control device which administers a stimulus to an animal. The control device includes at least one photovoltaic member that produces energy for the administered stimulus and an energy storage device that can be charged by the at least one photovoltaic member. A charging circuit can be coupled between the photovoltaic member and the energy storage device and used to accumulate and periodically supply energy to the energy storage device.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Wayne, IN, United States of America

Michael D Westrick