Method and apparatus for remote control of animal training stimulus

Claim 1

A training apparatus comprising in combination: (a) a transmitter including means for selectively producing and terminating first and second rf control signals and means for transmitting the first and second rf control signals; (b) a receiver-stimulator unit remote from the transmitter, the receiver-stimulator unit including a harness or collar and first and second electrodes that extend from the harness or collar through fur to skin of an animal to apply electrical stimulation thereto; (c) first circuit means in the receiver-stimulator unit for beginning and terminating first and second stimulation control signals in immediate response to beginning and terminating of the first and second rf control signals, respectively; (d) second circuit means for (1) beginning and terminating a first signal burst including a first number of current pulses per second in response to the first stimulation control signal, and (2) beginning and terminating a second signal burst including a second number of current pulses per second in response to the second stimulation control signal, the second number being substantially greater than the first number; and (e) a transformer having a primary winding coupled to the second circuit means to conduct the current pulses, and a secondary winding, the secondary winding having first and second terminals coupled to first and second electrodes, respectively, the primary winding, secondary winding, and the second circuit means co-acting to cause a sufficiently high open circuit voltage difference between the first and second electrodes for current pulses of either of the first and second signal bursts to produce electrical arcs that jump across a gap between the skin of the animal and the first and second electrodes, respectively, to apply electrical stimulation to the animal despite the presence of the gap in response to either of the first and second stimulation control signals.

Claim 7

A method of training an animal, comprising the steps of: (a) producing a first control signal to begin a first degree of electrical stimulation; (b) producing a first signal including a first number of current pulses per second in response to the first control signal and conducting the first signal through a primary winding of a transformer and producing an output voltage between a pair of electrodes connected, respectively, to a pair of secondary winding terminals of the transformer; (c) pressing the electrodes against skin of the animal and producing a first output current including a number of output current pulses per second equal to the first number to flow through the pair of electrodes and the skin and producing the first degree of electrical stimulation, and producing the output voltage large enough to produce the first degree of electrical stimulation across a small gap between one of the electrodes and the skin; (d) if the animal continues undesired activity, immediately producing a second control signal to begin a second degree of electrical stimulation, the second degree of stimulation being substantially higher than the first; (e) producing a second signal including a second number of current pulses per second larger than the first number in response to the second control signal and conducting the second signal through the primary winding to produce a second output current including a number of output current pulses per second equal to the second number to flow through the electrodes and the skin to produce the second degree of electrical stimulation, and causing the output voltage to be large enough to produce the second degree of electrical stimulation across a small gap between one of the electrodes and the skin; and (f) when the animal stops the undesired activity, immediately producing a third control signal and immediately terminating the second signal in response to the third control signal to thereby terminate the second degree of electrical stimulation as soon as the animal stops the undesired activity, whereby immediate control of the degree of electrical stimulation independently of the time of termination thereof is achieved, and any selected degree of electrical stimulation continues despite occurrence of small gaps between the electrodes and the skin.

Claim 8

A method of training an animal, comprising the steps of: (a) producing a first control signal to begin a first degree of electrical stimulation; (b) producing a first signal including a first number of current pulses per second in response to the first control signal and conducting the first signal through a primary winding of a transformer and producing an output voltage between a pair of electrodes connected, respectively, to a pair of secondary winding terminals of the transformer; (c) pressing the electrodes against skin of the animal and producing a first output current including a number of output current pulses per second equal to the first number to flow through the pair of electrodes and the skin and producing the first degree of electrical stimulation, and producing the output voltage large enough to produce the first degree of electrical stimulation across a small gap between one of the electrodes and the skin; (d) if the animal continues undesired activity, immediately producing a second control signal to begin a second degree of electrical stimulation, the second degree of stimulation being substantially higher than the first; (e) producing a second signal including a second number of current pulses per second larger than the first number in response to the second control signal and conducting the second signal through the primary winding to produce a second output current including a number of output current pulses per second equal to the second number to flow through the electrodes and the skin to produce the second degree of electrical stimulation, and causing the output voltage to be large enough to produce the second degree of electrical stimulation across a small gap between one of the electrodes and the skin; and (f) when the animal stops the undesired activity, immediately producing a third control signal and immediately terminating the second signal in response to the third control signal to thereby terminate the second degree of electrical stimulation as soon as the animal stops the undesired activity, whereby immediate control of the degree of electrical stimulation independently of the time of termination thereof is achieved, and any selected degree of electrical stimulation continues despite occurrence of small gaps between the electrodes and the skin.