Tri-tronics, Inc.

Garmin Switzerland Gmbh

Timothy T Duncan

Timothy J Crist

Francisco J Napolez

Sean M Hayes

David T Whetten

Kent D Christensen

Robert D Rozanski

Steven R Fister

Kagum G Zakharyan

Stephen M Myers

Robert E Slater

Rodney J Morris

Paul A Kurimsky

Fransisco J Napolez

Ralph L Pelton

Stephan M Myers

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.

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

A remotely controlled device () for controlling a remotely controlled launcher for dog training includes receiving circuitry () for receiving control information signals from a remote transmitter (), controller () coupled to receive demodulated information from the receiving circuitry () and adapted to generate a control signal in response to the demodulated information, a coupling device (A) for coupling the control signal to a control input of the animal training device (-), and a test circuit () responsive to a test switch () for testing continuity of the coupling by the coupling device (A).

Control system and method for remote launchers

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.

Vibration sensor assembly and method for bark controller

An electronic apparatus () for control or training of an animal includes a housing () supported by a strap against the animal's skin, first and second stimulus probes () connected to a surface () of the housing, and control circuitry in the housing including output terminals selectively producing aversive stimulus. A stabilizing member () is connected to a location of the surface () of the housing that is offset from a straight line between the first and second stimulus electrodes () so that conductive tips of the first and second stimulus electrodes and a tip of the stabilizing post define a triangle, whereby the conductive tips of the first and second stimulus electrodes and the tip of the stabilizing member are pressed against the skin of the animal and prevent rocking of the conductive tips of the first and second stimulus electrodes against the skin of the animal to reduce the occurrence and/or severity of skin sores.

Stabilizing post and method for bark controller

A collar-mounted animal training device includes a piezoelectric transducer device ( ) attached to a mylar cone acoustic element mounted in a transducer housing ( ) configured as a resonant sound port. The piezoelectric transducer is driven by circuitry including a microcontroller ( ), a voltage booster circuit ( ), and driver circuitry coupled to the booster circuit and producing a boosted drive signal to the piezoelectric device ( ). The microcontroller stores data representing a plurality of sequential segments each having a start and stop time and a start and stop frequency. The microcontroller sequentially produces a plurality of output signals having a start and stop times and frequencies.

Remotely controlled beeper and method

A portable dog-training transmitter unit for controlling remote collar-mounted receiver/stimulus units includes first, second, and third switches for causing corresponding transmitted stimulus control signals to be recognized by corresponding first, second, or third receiver/stimulus units. A multiple-position switch sets the use of transmitted codes that control the amplitudes of stimulus signals produced by the recognizing receiver/stimulus unit. The transmitter unit is supported in a holster that is pivotally supported by a belt clip through the use of a pivot pin that is pivotally retained in a receiving slot of the belt clip. The transmitter unit includes a controller which polls the states of the various switches to produce a digital signal that is shaped by a buffer circuit, FM modulated, preamplified, and coupled by a simplified matching network to the input of a power amplifier. A single pi matching network is coupled to match an output of the power amplifier to an antenna of the transmitter unit.

Remote transmitter and method

Portable dog-training transmitter/holster assembly

Portable dog-training transmitter

An animal is trained using a remote transmitter and a collar-mounted receiver carried by the animal by selecting one of a plurality of desired stimulus levels by a stimulus level control of the transmitter. Information representative of the selected desired stimulus level is transmitted to the receiver and demodulated to produce a digital signal representative of the selected stimulus level. A microprocessor in the receiver operates to generate as an output a first stream of pulses of constant duration at a frequency representative of the selected stimulus level. The first stream of output pulses is filtered to produce a second stream of pulses the widths of which are representative of the selected stimulus level. The second stream of pulses is applied to the control electrode of a switch coupled in series with a primary winding of an output transformer of the receiver to repetitively turn the switch on for durations equal to the width of the pulse of the second stream and causes the amplitude of voltage pulses produced between contact electrodes connected to terminals of the secondary winding of the output transformer to be representative of the selected stimulus level.

Remote controlled animal training system

An improved antenna system for a collar-mounted receiver-stimulator unit of an electronic animal training apparatus includes a conductive antenna mounting connector for detachable connection of an external flex antenna to the receiver-stimulator unit, a ferrite core, and a first winding on the ferrite core is coupled to a receiver circuit of the receiver-stimulator unit, and constitutes an internal ferrite antenna thereof. A second winding on the ferrite core is connected to the antenna mounting conductor and coacts with the first winding to function as a matching transformer between a receiver antenna input terminal and an external high flex antenna connected to the antenna mounting connector. The longitudinal axis of the ferrite core is co-planar with a longitudinal axis of the flex antenna.

Antenna circuit and method for collar-mounted remote animal training

A leash training device includes a leash cord (3) and a stimulus collar (4,6) coupled to an end of the leash cord. The stimulus collar includes a strap (4) adapted to fit around the neck of an animal to be trained or controlled, and an electrical stimulus unit (6) supported by the strap. The electrical stimulus unit (6) includes a stimulus circuit (16). A transformer (17) coupled between the stimulus circuit (16) and a pair of electrodes (5) for contacting skin of the animal. A measurement device (101) is coupled to the leash cord to measure tension in the leash cord and produce a control signal (106) when the tension exceeds a predetermined threshold. The stimulus circuit (16) produces a drive signal in response to the control signal and applies the drive signal to a primary winding of the transformer (17). The measurement device (101) includes a first connector (103) connected to the second end of the leash cord (3) and to a first end of a spring (34) having a second end coupled in a fixed relationship to a second connector (102) so that the spring (34) resists movement of the second connector (102) relative to the first connector (103).

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Timothy T Duncan