Multi-channel radio-controlled robotic jockey/monitor

Claim 2

Apparatus for remote control of a reined animal by an operator, comprising: rein manipulating means attached to reins of the animal; rein control means comprising operator-controllable electronic rein input means and rein driving means responsive to said rein input means, said rein driving means comprising means for driving said rein manipulating means to selectively pull at least one of said reins; side contact means comprising side contact members, said side contact members comprising spurs respectively disposed adjacent opposite sides of said animal in locations corresponding to the lower limbs of a rider and being movable toward and away from said animal to selectively contact the sides of said animal; side contact control means comprising operator-controllable electronic side contact input means and side contact driving means responsive to said side contact input means for moving said side contact members; mounting means for mounting on said animal said rein manipulating means, said rein driving means, said side contact means and said side contact driving means; and remote housing means, remote from said animal, for housing said rein input means and said side contact input means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising emergency animal control means comprising: emergency animal manipulating means, other than said rein control means and rein driving means, for physically manipulating said animal into a predetermined posture in which said animal is inhibited from straying from its location, said emergency animal manipulating means being resettable and being operable on a one-time basis without being reset; and operator-controllable electronic emergency input means housed in said remote housing means for actuating said resettable emergency animal manipulating means, said emergency animal manipulating means being responsive to operation of said emergency input means to manipulate the animal into said predetermined posture.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said emergency animal control means further comprises an electric power supply dedicated to the operation thereof.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said emergency animal manipulating means further comprises a head-pulling member attached at an end thereof to the head of said animal and electrically-actuated retracting means, other than said rein manipulating means, disposed on said mounting means for pulling the head of the animal toward the body of the animal and maintaining it there by retracting said head-pulling member to a retracted state and maintaining said retracted state, said retracting means being responsive to an electronic emergency signal; and said operator-controllable emergency input means further comprises means for generating said electronic emergency signal.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising electronic means for establishing audio communication from said animal to said operator.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising electronic means for establishing audio communication from said operator to said animal.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, futther comprising electronic means for establishing video communication from said animal to said operator.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising electronic means for establishing video communication from said animal to said operator.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a crop, a crop servomotor drivingly mounting said crop and being attached to said mounting means, said crop servomotor comprising means for causing said crop to move toward and contact said animal, and operator-controllable crop input means in said remote housing means for selectively causing operation of said crop servomotor.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 1, said side contact members further comprising knee pads respectively disposed adjacent opposite sides of said animal in locations corresponding to the lower limbs of a rider and being movable toward and away from said animal to selectively contact the sides of said animal.

Claim 12

Apparatus for remote control of a reined animal by an operator, comprising: rein manipulating means attached to reins of the animal; rein control means comprising operator-controllable electronic rein input means and rein driving means responsive to said rein input means, said rein driving means comprising means for driving said rein manipulating means to selectively pull at least one of said reins; side contact means comprising side contact members, said side contact members comprising knee pads respectively disposed adjacent opposite sides of said animal in locations corresponding to the lower limbs of a rider and being movable toward and away from said animal to selectively contact the sides of said animal; side contact control means comprising operator-controllable electronic side contact input means and side contact driving means responsive to said side contact input means for moving said side contact members; mounting means for mounting on said animal said rein manipulating means, said rein driving means, said side contact means and said side contact driving means; and remote housing means, remote from said animal, for housing said rein input means and said side contact input means.

Claim 13

Apparatus for remote control of a reined animal by an operator, comprising: rein manipulating means attached to reins of the animal; rein control means comprising operator-controllable electronic rein input means and rein driving means responsive to said rein input means, said rein driving means comprising means for driving said rein manipulating means to selectively pull at least one of said reins; side contact means comprising side contact members, said side contact members comprising knee pads respectively disposed adjacent opposite sides of said animal in locations corresponding to the lower limbs of a rider and being movable toward and away from said animal to selectively contact the sides of said animal; side contact control means comprising operator-controllable electronic side contact input means and side contact driving means responsive to said side contact input means for moving said side contact members; mounting means for mounting on said animal said rein manipulating means, said rein driving means, said side contact means and said side contact driving means; and remote housing means, remote from said animal, for housing said rein input means and said side contact input means.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising emergency animal control means comprising: emergency animal manipulating means, other than said rein control means and rein driving means, for physically manipulating said animal into a predetermined posture in which said animal is inhibited from straying from its location, said emergency animal manipulating means being resettable and being operable on a one-time basis without being reset; and operator-controllable electronic emergency input means housed in said remote housing means for actuating said resettable emergency animal manipulating means, said emergency animal manipulating means being responsive to operation of said emergency input means to manipulate the animal into said predetermined posture.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said emergency animal control means further comprises an electric power supply dedicated to the operation thereof.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein: said emergency animal manipulating means further comprises a head-pulling member attached at an end thereof to the head of said animal and electrically-actuated retracting means, other than said rein manipulating means, disposed on said mounting means for pulling the head of the animal toward the body of the animal and maintaining it there by retracting said head-pulling member to a retracted state and maintaining said retracted state, said retracting means being responsive to an electronic emergency signal; and said operator-controllable emergency input means further comprises means for generating said electronic emergency signal.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising electronic means for establishing audio communication from said animal to said operator.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising electronic means for establishing audio communication from said operator to said animal.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising electronic means for establishing video communication from said animal to said operator.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising electronic means for establishing video communication from said animal to said operator.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a crop, a crop servomotor drivingly mounting said crop and being attached to said mounting means, said crop servomotor comprising means for causing said crop to move toward and contact said animal, and operator-controllable crop input means in said remote housing means for selectively causing operation of said crop servomotor.

Claim 22

Apparatus for remote control of a reined animal by an operator, comprising: rein manipulating means attached to reins of the animal; rein control means comprising operator-controllable electronic rein input means and rein driving means responsive to said rein input means, said rein driving means comprising means for driving said rein manipulating means to selectively pull at least one of said reins; side contact means comprising side contact members respectively disposed adjacent opposite sides of said animal in locations corresponding to the lower limbs of a rider and being movable toward and away from said animal to selectively contact the sides of said animal; side contact control means comprising operator-controllable electronic side contact input means and side contact driving means responsive to said side contact input means for moving said side contact members; mounting means for mounting on said animal said rein manipulating means, said rein driving means, said side contact means and said side contact driving means; and remote housing means, remote from said animal, for housing said rein input means and said side contact input means, wherein said side contact driving means comprises two side servomotors respectively disposed on opposite sides of said animal, and said side contact means further comprises two side contact arms, each side contact arm having first and second ends and being drivingly engaged with a respective one of said side servomotors at a location of said side contact arm intermediate said first and second ends, there being one of said side contact members disposed at said first end of each side contact arm and one of said side contact members disposed at said second end of each side contact arm.

Claim 23

Apparatus for remote control of a reined animal by an operator, comprising: rein manipulating means attached to reins of the animal; rein control means comprising operator-controllable electronic rein input means and rein driving means responsive to said rein input means, said rein driving means comprising means for driving said rein manipulating means to selectively pull at least one of said reins; side contact means comprising side contact members respectively disposed adjacent opposite sides of said animal in locations corresponding to the lower limbs of a rider and being movable toward and away from said animal to selectively contact the sides of said animal; side contact control means comprising operator-controllable electronic side contact input means and side contact driving means responsive to said side contact input means for moving said side contact members; mounting means for mounting on said animal said rein manipulating means, said rein driving means, said side contact means and said side contact driving means; and remote housing means, remote from said animal, for housing said rein input means and said side contact input means, wherein said side contact driving means comprises two side servomotors respectively disposed on opposite sides of said animal, and said side contact means further comprises two side contact arms, each side contact arm having first and second ends and being drivingly engaged with a respective one of said side servomotors at a location of said side contact arm intermediate said first and second ends, there being one of said side contact members disposed at said first end of each side contact arm and one of said side contact members disposed at said second end of each side contact arm.