Patent Application
20230301273
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The disclosure relates to training devices and more particularly pertains to a new training device for leash-less training of a domesticated animal. The device includes a base unit that is wearable on a user and a shock unit that is wearable on an animal's collar. The base unit broadcasts a location signal to the shock unit and the shock unit delivers an electrical shock to the animal when the animal moves beyond a predetermined distance from the base unit. In this way the animal is encouraged to stay near the user. Additionally, the base unit emits an audible alert when the shock unit shocks the animal to alert the user that the animal has received a shock.
The prior art relates to training devices including a tracking device for wirelessly tracking the location of a pet. The prior art discloses a method of wirelessly updating firmware on an animal tracking device. The prior art discloses a wireless alarm for emitting an audible alert when a pet has been left unattended in a vehicle. The prior art discloses a virtual boundary system which employs data from a global positioning system to indentify the location of an object with respect to a specified boundary. The prior art discloses a wireless lost object location device which emits an alert when an object moves beyond a pre-determined distance from a user. The prior art discloses a pet correction device that includes a stimulation unit that is integrated into a dog collar and a personal electronic device that is in wireless communication with the stimulation unit. The prior art discloses an animal aversion device that includes a pair of shock units that are each wearable on a respective pair of dogs and which shock the dogs when the dogs come too close to each other.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a belt that can be worn around a user's waist and a base unit is provided which is releasably attachable to the belt. The base unit broadcasts a location signal which corresponds to a predetermined distance from the base unit. A collar is provided which can be worn around a neck of an animal. A shock unit is coupled to the collar such that the shock unit is in electrical communication with the animal. The shock unit is in remote communication with the base unit such that the shock unit receives the location signal from the base unit. The shock unit delivers an electrical shock to the animal when the shock unit determines that the shock unit has moved beyond the predetermined distance from the base unit to persuade the animal to move closer to the user.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A base unit 24 is provided that is releasably attachable to the belt 12 such that the base unit 24 is accessible to the user 14. The base unit 24 broadcasts a location signal and the location signal has an adjustable intensity. In this way the location signal can be adjusted to correspond to a predetermined distance from the base unit 24. The predetermined distance may range between approximately 3.0 feet to 12.0 feet. The base unit 24 comprises a base housing 26 that has a front wall 28, a back wall 30 and an outer wall 32 extending between the front wall 28 and the back wall 30, and the outer wall 32 has a first lateral side 34, a second lateral side 36 and a bottom side 38. The outer wall 32 has a slot 40 extending through the first lateral side 34 and the second lateral side 36, and the belt 12 is extendable through the slot 40 for mounting the base housing 26 to the belt 12.
The base unit 24 includes a base control circuit 42 is integrated into the base housing 26 and the base control circuit 42 receives a correction input. A base transceiver 44 is integrated into the base housing 26 and the base transceiver 44 is electrically coupled to the base control circuit 42. The base transceiver 44 broadcasts the location signal and the base transceiver 44 is actuatable to broadcast a correction signal. The base transceiver 44 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like with an operational range of at least 100.0 feet.
The base unit 24 includes an intensity button 46 is slidably integrated into the base housing 26 and the intensity button 46 is electrically coupled to the base control circuit 42. The intensity button 46 adjusts an intensity of the location signal between a minimum intensity and a maximum intensity. The base unit 24 includes a base speaker 48 that is integrated into the base housing 26 to emit an audible alert. The base speaker 48 is electrically coupled to the base control circuit 42 and the base speaker 48 is turned on when the base control circuit 42 receives the correction input.
The base unit 24 includes a correction button 50 that is movably integrated into the front wall 28 of the base housing 26. The correction button 50 is electrically coupled to the base control circuit 42 and the base transceiver 44 broadcasts the correction signal when the correction button 50 is depressed. The base unit 24 includes a display 52 that is coupled to the front wall 28 of the base housing 26 such that the display 52 is visible to the user 14. The display 52 is electrically coupled to the base control circuit 42 and the display 52 displays indicia 54 comprising words and numbers for communication various operational parameters of the base unit 24. The display 52 may comprise a liquid crystal display or other type of electronic display.
The base unit 24 includes a toggle button 56 that is movably integrated into the front wall 28 of the base housing 26. The toggle button 56 is electrically coupled to the base control circuit 42 and the display 52 is actuated to display 52 varying menus when the toggle button 56 is depressed. The base unit 24 includes a base power supply 58 that is integrated into the base housing 26. The base power supply 58 is electrically coupled to the base control circuit 42 and the base power supply 58 comprises at least one battery. The base unit 24 may include an antenna 60 that is coupled to and extends upwardly from the base housing 26 and the antenna 60 may be electrically coupled to the base transceiver 44 for enhancing the operational range of the base transceiver 44.
A collar 62 is provided that can be worn around a neck 64 of an animal 66. The collar 62 has a first end 68, a second end 70 and a back surface 72 extending between the first end 68 and the second end 70, and a coupler 74 is movably disposed on the first end 68. The coupler 74 releasably engages a respective one of a plurality of engagement points 76 that is each integrated into the collar 62 such that the collar 62 forms a closed loop. The coupler 74 may comprise a belt buckle or other similar type of releasable, mechanical coupler and each of the plurality of engagement points 76 may comprise a series of holes extending through the collar 62.
A shock unit 78 is coupled to the collar 62 such that the shock unit 78 is in electrical communication with the animal 66. The shock unit 78 is in remote communication with the base unit 24 such that the shock unit 78 receives the location signal from the base unit 24. Furthermore, the shock unit 78 delivers an electrical shock to the animal 66 when the shock unit 78 determines that the shock unit 78 has moved beyond the predetermined distance from the base unit 24. In this way the shock unit 78 can persuade the animal 66 to move closer to the user 14.
The shock unit 78 comprises a shock housing 80 that has a front wall 82 and a back wall 84, and the back wall 84 is attached to the back surface 72 of the collar 62. The shock unit 78 includes a shock control circuit 86 that is integrated into the shock housing 80, and the shock control circuit 86 receives a shock input and a de-actuate input. The shock unit 78 includes a shock transceiver 88 that is integrated into the shock housing 80 and the shock transceiver 88 is electrically coupled to the shock control circuit 86. The shock transceiver 88 is in wireless communication with the base transceiver 44 and the shock transceiver 88 receives the location signal and the correction signal from the base transceiver 44. The shock transceiver 88 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like which has an operational range of at least 100.0 feet.
The shock transceiver 88 broadcasts an alert signal to the base transceiver 44 when the shock control circuit 86 receives the shock input. Additionally, the base control circuit 42 receives the correction input when the base transceiver 44 receives the alert signal. The shock unit 78 includes a signal analyzer 90 that is integrated into the shock housing 80. The signal analyzer 90 is electrically coupled to the shock control circuit 86 and the signal analyzer 90 analyzes the location signal received from the base transceiver 44. The shock control circuit 86 receives the shock input when the signal analyzer 90 determines that the signal strength of the location signal has fallen below a pre-determined trigger threshold or when the shock transceiver 88 receives the correction signal. Furthermore, the shock control circuit 86 receives the de-actuate input when the signal analyzer 90 determines that the signal strength of the location signal has fallen below a pre-determined minimum signal strength. In this way the shock control circuit 86 will not receive the shock input when the user 14 and the animal 66 are accidentally separated for a long period of time.
A pair of electrodes 92 is each coupled to and extends away from the front wall 28 of the shock housing 80. Each of the electrodes 92 is comprised of an electrically conductive material such that each of the electrodes 92 is in electrical communication with the animal 66 when the collar 62 is worn around the animal's neck 64. Each of the electrodes 92 is electrically coupled to the shock control circuit 86 and the shock control circuit 86 discharges an electrical charge into each of the electrodes 92 after a pre-determined duration of time passes when the shock control circuit 86 receives the shock input. Subsequently each of the electrodes 92 can deliver the electrical charge into the animal 66.
A plurality of cones 94 is each of the cones 94 is releasably attachable to a respective one of the electrodes 92. Each of the cones 94 is comprised of an electrically conductive material and each of the cones 94 has a unique length with respect to each other. Each of the cones 94 facilitates the electrodes 92 to be in electrical communication with animals of varying sizes. Each of the cones 94 may have a threaded portion 96 on an outer surface 98 of the cones 94 which threadably engages the shock housing 80.
A shock speaker 100 is integrated into the shock housing 80 such that the shock speaker 100 emits audible sounds outwardly from the shock housing 80. The shock speaker 100 is electrically coupled to the shock control circuit 86 and the shock speaker 100 is actuated when the shock control circuit 86 receives the shock input. In this way the shock speaker 100 audibly alerts the animal 66 of the impending shock that will be delivered by the electrodes 92. Thus, the animal 66 is given the opportunity to correct its behavior prior to receiving the electrical shock. The pre-determined duration of time may be approximately 5.0 seconds. A shock power supply 102 is integrated into the shock housing 80, the shock power supply 102 is electrically coupled to the shock control circuit 86 and the shock power supply 102 comprises at least one battery.
In use, the toggle button 56 on the base unit 24 is depressed a pre-determined number of times to set the intensity of the shock unit 78 between a minimum intensity and a maximum intensity, depending on the size of the animal 66 being trained. Additionally, the intensity button 46 is manipulated to establish the distance that the animal 66 can move away from the user 14 without receiving a shock from the shock unit 78. The shock unit 78 delivers the shock to the animal 66 when the animal 66 moves beyond the distance from the user 14 established with the intensity button 46. Additionally, the base speaker 48 emits an audible alert to notify the user 14 that the animal 66 has received the shock. In this way the animal 66 is encouraged to move closer to the user 14 thereby training the animal 66 to remain near the user 14 while the animal 66 is being walked outdoors. Additionally, the shock unit 78 is disabled in the event that the animal 66 moves beyond a predetermined maximum distance. In this way the animal 66 does not continually receive the shock when the user 14 and the animal 66 are accidentally separated for an extended period of time.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
