IP Library Granted Patent US 12,102,059
Granted Patent B2
US 12,102,059 · App. 18/230,769 · Granted Oct 1, 2024

Corrective collar utilizing geolocation technology

Inventors: Kenneth Scott Ehrman (Upper Saddle River, NJ); Michael Ehrman (Plano, TX)
Assignee: Protect Animals With Satellites, LLC
A01K29/005A01K15/02A01K27/001A01K27/009H04W4/021
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,102,059
App. No.
18/230,769
Granted
Oct 1, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosed technology includes a pet collar that can be configured to determine its geolocational position and evaluate that position with respect to the geo-fence of a predetermined, geo-fenced “safe” zone. If the collar determines that its position is inside a safe zone but is near the geo-fence, the collar may be configured to provide a warning correction. If the collar determines that it is outside a predetermined safe zone, the collar can also be configured to provide a stronger correction to discourage the pet from continuing away from the safe zone. The collar may also be configured to guide the pet back to the safe zone such as by varying the strength and/or type of correction provided based at least in part on the distance of the collar from the geo-fence.

Claims (51)

1. A collar comprising:

a strap configured to be worn by an animal;

a power source;

memory storing instructions;

a processor in communication with the memory;

a magnetometer configured to determine a direction in which the collar is oriented, the direction in which the collar is oriented being indicative of a direction in which the animal wearing the collar is facing; and

a geolocation sensor in communication with the processor,

wherein the collar is configured to:

receive geo-fence data indicative of a predetermined geographical area in which it is permissible for the collar to be located;

output a corrective action responsive to determining that the animal wearing the collar is located outside the predetermined geographical area and is facing away from the predetermined geographical area.

2. The collar of claim 1 , wherein the collar is further configured to prevent the output of the corrective action responsive to determining that the animal wearing the collar is located outside the predetermined geographical area and is facing toward the predetermined geographical area.

3. The collar of claim 1 , wherein the collar is further configured to determine a return path to the predetermined geographical area and output one or more directional commands based on the return path to guide the animal wearing the collar toward the predetermined geographical area.

4. The collar of claim 3 , wherein the collar is further configured to provide a positive feedback responsive to determining that the animal wearing the collar has followed the one or more directional commands.

5. The collar of claim 1 , wherein the collar is further configured to:

determine a distance of the collar from a boundary of the predetermined geographical area;

output a first corrective action having a first intensity responsive to determining that the collar is located outside the predetermined geographical area and within a predetermined distance from the boundary; and

output a second corrective action having a second intensity responsive to determining that the collar is located outside the predetermined geographical area and beyond the predetermined distance, the second intensity being greater than the first intensity.

6. The collar of claim 1 , wherein the collar is further configured to output the corrective action responsive to determining that:

the collar is located (i) inside the predetermined geographical area and (ii) within a predetermined distance from a boundary of the predetermined geographical area.

7. The collar of claim 6 , wherein the collar is further configured to output the corrective action responsive to further determining that the animal wearing the collar is facing the boundary of the predetermined geographical area.

8. The collar of claim 6 , wherein the collar is further configured to output the corrective action responsive to further determining that the animal wearing the collar is moving toward the boundary of the predetermined geographical area.

9. The collar of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined geographical area is automatically determined based on property lines within which the collar is located.

10. The collar of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined geographical area is automatically determined based on property lines associated with a mailing address.

11. The collar of claim 1 , further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit and receive data; and

wherein the collar is further configured to:

determine a distance between the collar and a user device; and

output a corrective action responsive to determining that the distance between the collar and the user device exceeds a predetermined distance.

12. The collar of claim 11 , wherein the collar is further configured to:

determine a direction in which the collar and the user device are moving; and

output the corrective action responsive to determining that the collar and the user device are not moving in the same direction.

13. The collar of claim 11 ,

wherein the collar is further configured to output the corrective action responsive to determining that the animal wearing the collar is not facing the same direction as the direction in which the user device is moving.

14. The collar of claim 11 , wherein the collar is further configured to:

receive instructions from the user device to modify the predetermined distance; and

modify the predetermined distance based at least in part on the instructions from the user device.

15. The collar of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined distance is dependent on whether the animal wearing the collar is in front, behind, on a right side, or on a left side of the user device.

16. The collar of claim 11 , wherein the collar is further configured to:

determine a distance between the collar and a restricted zone, the restricted zone being an area determined to be unsafe for the animal wearing the collar; and

adjust the predetermined distance if the restricted zone is determined to be within the predetermined distance from the user device to prevent the animal wearing the collar from entering the restricted zone.

17. The collar of claim 16 , wherein the restricted zone is a road.

18. The collar of claim 16 , wherein the restricted zone is a body of water.

19. The collar of claim 1 , further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit and receive data; and

an accelerometer,

wherein the collar is further configured to:

determine, based at least in part on data received from the accelerometer, that the animal wearing the collar has defecated or urinated; and

output a notification to a user device indicative of the animal wearing the collar having defecated or urinated.

20. The collar of claim 19 , wherein the collar is further configured to:

determine a location of where the animal wearing the collar has defecated or urinated; and

output location data to the user device indicative of the location where the animal wearing the collar has defecated or urinated.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2026
From: PROTECT ANIMALS WITH SATELLITES LLC
To: CHICAGO ATLANTIC ADMIN, LLC AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 075021/0693 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2023
From: EHRMAN, KENNETH SCOTT; EHRMAN, MICHAEL
To: PROTECT ANIMALS WITH SATELLITES, LLC
Reel/Frame 065370/0200 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17738288 · May 6, 2022
Continuation 16352024 · Mar 13, 2019
Provisional Application 62642911 · Mar 14, 2018
Provisional Application 62779243 · Dec 13, 2018
Related Publication 20230371476A1 · Nov 23, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,290,050