INTEGRATED APPARATUS AND METHOD TO COMBINE A WIRELESS FENCE COLLAR WITH GPS TRACKING CAPABILITY
An integrated apparatus and method is provided for a collar that is configured to operate as part of a wireless fence system that contains and monitors the location of a dog within a containment area defined by the wireless fence system and further configured to provide GPS tracking capability when the dog has escaped from the containment area. As long as the dog remains in the area defined by the wireless fence, the collar operates solely in a wireless fence mode, communicating with the transmitters used as part of the wireless fence system. The GPS tracking function remains “asleep” and is not activated unless and until the dog escapes. Once GPS mode is activated, fence mode is shut down and operation of the GPS enables the dog owner or other individual to receive SMS messages and/or email with information on the dog's location on a smart-phone, tablet or PC.
1 . A dog collar having a strap and a housing held by the strap comprising:
a fence module configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one transmitter within a wireless fence dog containment system to track a dog's location within a containment area defined by a wireless fence;
a GPS module configured to wirelessly transmit dog location data from the collar to a first device to provide remote dog location tracking capability at said first device;
said fence module being operationally active and said GPS module being inactive as long as the dog remains within the containment area so that the collar operates in a wireless fence mode, said fence module being configured to power up the GPS module upon detecting that the dog is no longer in the containment area so that the collar operates in a GPS mode.
2 - 22 . (canceled)