Correcting necklace for animal behavior training

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes a collar comprising: a strap configured to be worn by an animal; an accelerometer configured to detect movement and output movement data; a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors in communication with the accelerometer and the memory. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, may be configured to cause the collar to detect a behavior of the animal selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors of the animal based at least in part on the movement data and to output one or more corrective actions based at least in part on detecting the behavior.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 522,861, filed June 23, 2023, pursuant to 35 USC § 119(e), the entire contents and substantive content of which are incorporated herein by reference as fully stated below. Background Technology

[0003] Pet owners living in properties without physical fences often rely on specialized collars to prevent their pets from leaving the property. Corrective collars, such as those that provide one or more electronic stimuli to the pet, are sometimes used, for example, to prevent animals from crossing property boundaries and / or wandering onto roads. Some corrective collars can be remotely activated, for example, by the pet owner using a handheld remote control. These systems typically require the pet owner to continuously observe the pet in order to activate the collar, for example, when the pet approaches the property boundary and / or road. The remote control for these systems typically uses a radio frequency (RF) transmitter to send an activation signal to the collar, and therefore, the usefulness of these systems depends on whether the pet remains within the range of the RF transmitter. If the pet moves out of the range of the RF transmitter, the pet owner will not be able to activate the collar.

[0004] Other corrective collar systems exist that don't require such vigilance from pet owners. For example, grounding systems typically involve wires buried along the property boundary, providing a precise electronic boundary that reflects the physical boundaries of the property, regardless of its shape. These systems usually signal from the buried wires, and when a pet approaches the wires (i.e., the boundary), the collar receives the signal, causing the collar to gently "correct" the pet (e.g., by making noises, emitting electronic stimuli, spraying liquids, and / or any other warnings). As the pet gets closer to the boundary, the intensity of the correction increases, designed to prevent the pet from crossing it. These systems have several drawbacks. For example, installing the wires is a labor-intensive process, meaning pet owners often hire a third party to install them. This adds to the already expensive cost of the system. Installation can also be difficult or impossible, for example, due to driveways, patios, rocks, and other structures or obstacles. Furthermore, the boundary lines of grounding systems can break due to lawn work (e.g., digging or mowing), tree growth or planting, or digging by third parties (e.g., utility companies). Additionally, these systems are often hardwired to the power supply and are therefore prone to power outages. If the power supply to the grounding system is interrupted, the pet can freely escape the property without correction. Furthermore, such systems are only useful at properties where they are installed, and the electrical boundaries are not easily adjusted (if any) after installation. Additionally, some pets can tolerate the initial discomfort of one or more corrections and are able to cross the boundary. The collar stops correcting the pet when it moves away from the electrical boundary of the grounding system without crossing the owner's property boundary. If the pet attempts to return home, it will inevitably approach the electrical boundary (from outside the property), causing the collar to correct the pet and discourage it from re-entering the property boundary. Therefore, if the pet initially escapes the owner's property, the grounding system may actually delay or prevent the pet from returning to the owner's property.

[0005] Other existing systems that do not require a grounding wire typically incorporate a cheaper wireless system. These systems usually emit a signal from a short-range RF transmitter installed in a base station. The signal is received by a receiver installed in the collar, and the collar corrects the pet when the receiver moves outside the predetermined range of the base station. In some systems, variable correction can be provided based on the distance between the receiver (and the collar and pet) and the base station. For example, at a first distance, the collar might emit a warning sound; at a second distance, a low-intensity electronic stimulus; and at a third distance, a higher-intensity electronic stimulus. These systems also have several drawbacks. For example, the range of these systems is limited due to various government regulations. Typically, the range of such systems is between 300 and 1,000 feet. Furthermore, the system's "boundaries" cannot be customized to reflect the physical boundaries of the pet owner's property. Instead, the theoretical boundary of the system is a circle with a radius equal to the predetermined distance from the base station. However, in practice, due to the nature of RF transmission, the actual boundary of the system is highly variable. In other words, the system's range (and therefore its boundaries) can be affected by factors including interference from other RF signals, multipath propagation, obstacles and other obstructions, reflections, etc. This can lead to unintended corrections and / or parts of the pet owner's physical property being outside the wireless system's boundaries, preventing the pet from enjoying the entire area of ​​the property. Furthermore, the wireless system's boundaries may extend beyond the property's physical boundaries, allowing the pet (by the system) to move outside the pet owner's property area. Additionally, such systems require both the base station and the collar to be fully functional, increasing the likelihood of system failure. If the base station malfunctions, the entire system may become inoperable.

[0006] Some systems possess geolocation capabilities (e.g., via the Global Positioning System (GPS)). Some geolocation-enabled systems include a geolocation tracking device (i.e., a tracking collar) mounted in a collar and a handheld remote control for the pet owner. Typically, such systems are used in the sports market (e.g., with hunting dogs) to allow dogs to roam freely in relatively unrestricted areas. The tracking collar's position is usually tracked and then transmitted to the remote control via short-range RF. While such systems may be useful in some situations (e.g., hunting with trained hunting dogs), they are not very useful for more common domestic pets. These tracking systems typically do not restrict the area where the pet can move freely, and once the pet moves out of the remote control's range, it can no longer be tracked. Furthermore, while some tracking systems may include a correction device in the collar that can be actuated via the remote control, the pet owner needs to continuously monitor the pet's position and manually trigger corrections if the pet moves to a location the owner dislikes.

[0007] Some geolocation-enabled systems utilize wide-area communication systems, such as cellular networks and / or wide-area networks (e.g., the Internet), to transmit a pet's location to its owner. Some geolocation-enabled systems allow owners to configure geofences, which are virtual boundaries for real-world geographic areas. Typically, in such systems, the system notifies the owner whenever the pet is outside the geofence. While such systems may help determine if a pet has escaped or otherwise left the geofence and assist in locating an escaped pet, they do not provide any initial deterrent to prevent the pet from leaving the geofence. Nor do they offer any corrective action to guide the pet back to the geofence. Therefore, these systems are typically used as secondary failover protection in cases where a pet escapes from a primary restraint system (e.g., a physical fence).

[0008] In addition, some existing collars incorporate correction techniques to correct undesirable animal behaviors, such as barking. These systems are typically configured to detect sounds (e.g., barking) and then apply correction. However, it should be understood that undesirable animal behaviors are not limited to barking and may include other behaviors, such as, as non-limiting examples, jumping onto people or furniture, urinating or defecating in undesirable locations, biting, scratching, chasing or fighting with other animals, running away from the owner during walks, and running away from the yard or other designated areas.

[0009] In addition, pet owners typically use leashes to restrain their pets outdoors. Existing leashes are usually physical restraints, such as ropes, cords, or straps, and are generally available in various lengths. Adjustable leashes are also available, allowing users to change the length as needed. For example, a short leash length may be appropriate in dangerous, busy areas, such as urban sidewalks, while a long leash length is permissible in less dangerous areas, such as outdoors along hiking trails. Leashes allow pet owners to keep their pets close without worrying about them escaping and enable them to maintain control of their pets. However, such leashes can place physical strain on both the owner and the pet. For example, pet owners may need to exert considerable force to control their pets, especially with large pets and / or when the pet is distracted and suddenly tries to escape (e.g., a dog trying to chase a squirrel). This can result in a sudden jerk or some other tension that can cause discomfort or injury to the owner (e.g., the owner's arm or shoulder) and / or the pet (e.g., the pet's neck or torso). Summary of the Invention

[0010] These and other problems can be addressed by embodiments of the techniques disclosed herein. The disclosed techniques may include collars and wireless fence systems that have geofencing capabilities and are configured to provide correction for animals wearing collars when they leave the geofenced area and / or to provide correction to guide the animals back to the geofenced area.

[0011] The disclosed technology may include a collar comprising: a strap configured for wearing by an animal or a human; a power source; a memory storing instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions. The collar may include at least one of a communication interface configured to transmit and receive data, an accelerometer communicating with the processor, and a geolocation sensor communicating with the processor.

[0012] The collar can be configured to receive at least one of first geofence data and second geofence data. The first geofence data can indicate permission for the collar to be positioned in a first predetermined geographic area therein. The second geofence data can indicate permission for the collar to be positioned in a second predetermined geographic area therein.

[0013] The collar can be configured to output a first corrective action in response to determining that the collar is located within a first predetermined geographic area and within a predetermined distance from the boundary of the first predetermined geographic area.

[0014] The first corrective action may be at least one of emitting light, vibration, outputting an audible warning via a speaker on the collar, and outputting a pre-recorded voice command via a speaker.

[0015] The collar can be configured to output a first corrective action in response to determining that: (i) the collar is positioned (a) within a first predetermined geographic area and (b) within a predetermined distance from the boundary of the first predetermined geographic area; and (ii) the animal wearing the collar is moving toward the boundary of the first predetermined geographic area.

[0016] The collar can be configured to output a first corrective action in response to determining that: (i) the collar is positioned (a) within a first predetermined geographic area and (b) within a predetermined distance from the boundary of the first predetermined geographic area; and (ii) the animal wearing the collar is facing the boundary of the first predetermined geographic area.

[0017] The collar can be configured to output a second corrective action in response to determining that the collar is located outside a first predetermined geographical area.

[0018] The collar can be configured to output a second corrective action in response to determining that the collar is located within a second predetermined geographical area.

[0019] The second corrective action may be at least one of providing electronic stimulation, spraying liquid, and outputting a pre-recorded voice command via a speaker on the collar.

[0020] The collar may include a magnetometer, which can be configured to determine the orientation of the animal wearing the collar.

[0021] The collar can be configured to determine that it is outside a first predetermined geographic area and to determine its current location and current orientation. The current orientation may correspond to the direction the collar is facing and may be at least partially based on data received from a magnetometer. The collar can be configured to determine a return path to the first predetermined geographic area and to instruct the collar-wearing animal to orient itself in a direction following the return path via one or more corrective actions.

[0022] The collar can be further configured to determine that the collar’s ​​current position has deviated from the return path and to instruct the collar-wearing animal, via one or more corrective actions, to orient itself in the direction of the return path and to move in the direction of the return path.

[0023] The collar can be configured to determine the accuracy of current geolocation data corresponding to the collar's current location, and to limit the output of any corrective actions in response to the determination that the accuracy is below a predetermined threshold.

[0024] The collar can be configured to output user-defined corrective actions based on instructions received from the user device.

[0025] The collar can be configured to operate in multiple operating modes. At least some of the operating modes may include a set of operating rules for at least one component of the collar. The multiple operating modes may include at least one of the following: outdoor mode, indoor mode, low-power mode, training mode, activity mode, rest mode, leash mode, pet elimination mode, away mode, and lost mode.

[0026] The collar can be configured to determine the current operating mode among multiple operating modes based on data received from at least one of an accelerometer, a geolocation sensor, a camera integrated into the collar, a remotely located camera, a temperature sensor integrated into the collar, a magnetometer integrated into the collar, a biometric sensor integrated into the collar, and one or more short-range wireless beacons.

[0027] The collar can be configured to distinguish between indoor and outdoor modes based on determining the proximity of the collar to one or more short-range wireless beacons, determining the collar's current location, and comparing the collar's current location with at least one of the known locations in the outdoor area. By combining an electronic compass with short-range wireless beacons positioned near the entrance / exit of the outdoor space, the collar can determine whether it is explicitly entering or leaving the outdoor area. For example, when passing a short-range beacon and moving north, the collar can determine that it is leaving home, and if moving south, then it is entering home. The collar can also compare its current temperature reading with the local outdoor temperature. The collar's current temperature can be determined by its temperature sensor, and the local outdoor temperature can be received from an outdoor temperature data source. If the detected temperature is within a specified degree of the outdoor temperature and is also greater than a high-temperature threshold or a low-temperature threshold, which represent predetermined degrees greater than or less than the standard room temperature, then the collar can detect that it is outdoors. For example, if the standard room temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, then the high temperature threshold is approximately 77 degrees Fahrenheit and the low temperature threshold is approximately 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, when data is obtained via the Internet or through short-range communication with a smart thermostat, the actual indoor temperature can be used as an indoor reference temperature.

[0028] The collar can be configured to emit corrective actions from a first plurality of corrective actions when the collar is positioned outdoors and from a second plurality of corrective actions when the collar is positioned indoors.

[0029] The disclosed technology may include a method for providing an automated wireless belt, comprising: determining a current distance between the current position of a smart collar and the current position of a mobile computing device; and issuing a corrective action in response to determining that the current distance is greater than a predetermined belt distance. The corrective action may be an orientation command based at least in part on data received from a magnetometer of the collar.

[0030] The disclosed technology may include a method for providing user control of a wireless belt. The method may include: detecting spatial gestures, such as accelerometer data from a mobile computing device; and comparing detected gesture data indicating the detected spatial gesture with one or more stored gesture data. Each stored gesture data may correspond to a user command. The method may also include: determining, based on the comparison, the degree of similarity between the detected gesture data and at least one of the one or more stored gesture data; and, in response to determining that the similarity is higher than a predetermined threshold, transmitting a user command to the smart collar, causing the smart collar to issue a corrective action.

[0031] The disclosed technology includes a collar comprising: a strap configured for wearing by an animal; a power source; one or more sensors; a memory storing instructions; a processor; and an accelerometer communicating with the processor. The collar can be configured to detect specific movements of the animal and associate the movements with behaviors selected from a plurality of behaviors of the animal. The collar can be configured to track and report behaviors and their associated time and location, and to output one or more cues to the animal, at least in part, based on the behaviors.

[0032] Additional features, functions, and applications of the disclosed technology are discussed in more detail herein. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Now we will refer to the accompanying drawings, which may not be drawn to scale, and in which:

[0034] Figure 1 The diagram is based on the exemplary system of this disclosure;

[0035] Figure 2 These are component diagrams of an exemplary user unit based on this disclosure;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a component diagram of an exemplary collar based on this disclosure;

[0037] Figure 4A Depicting two geofenced areas superimposed on a map according to this disclosure;

[0038] Figure 4B Depicting geofenced areas overlaid on a map according to this disclosure;

[0039] Figure 5 This describes a method for training a model according to the present disclosure to predict animal behavior; and

[0040] Figure 6 This describes the dynamic geofencing area according to this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0041] Throughout this disclosure, certain examples related to wireless fence systems are described, which include pet collars with geolocation and / or geofencing capabilities. However, the disclosed technology is not limited to this. The disclosed technology can effectively locate, graze, and / or feed livestock or other animals in predetermined locations. The disclosed technology can effectively prevent wild animals, such as deer, from crossing roads or other areas that pose a danger to wild animals, humans, or human property. Furthermore, the disclosed technology can effectively locate lost young children or the elderly and / or guide such lost individuals to safe locations.

[0042] The disclosed technology includes collars configurable to detect various actions or behaviors of an animal. These actions can be recorded and associated with timestamps and / or durations, as well as the geographic location of the action. Additionally, once a behavior is detected, the collar can optionally provide feedback to the animal to encourage appropriate behavior and / or prevent inappropriate behavior. The feedback provided to the animal may depend on the time and / or location of the behavior. As a non-limiting example, the collar can be used as part of a dog training program to help the dog learn obedience and appropriate behavior in various situations. Even in the absence of a trainer or pet owner, the collar can advantageously assist in training the animal, which can help accelerate animal training and / or help reduce the amount of time required for trainers or pet owners to directly interact with the animal for behavior training. As is apparent throughout this disclosure, the collar can be configured to detect various behaviors of the animal and then determine the optimal feedback to be provided to the animal as part of behavior training. Using machine learning models, the collar and / or other connected computing systems can be configured to improve the accuracy of their detection and feedback provision over time. These and other features are described more fully below.

[0043] The disclosed technology will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein. The components constituting the various elements of the disclosed technology described below are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Many suitable components that will perform the same or similar functions as the components described herein are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosed electronic devices and methods. Such other components not described herein may include, but are not limited to, components developed, for example, after the development of the disclosed technology.

[0044] Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description. However, it should be understood that instances of the disclosed technology may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description. References to “an embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” “various embodiments,” etc., indicate that embodiments of the described disclosed technology may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, the repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment.

[0045] Throughout the specification and claims, unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, the following terms shall have at least the meaning explicitly associated herein. The term “or” is intended to mean inclusive “or”. Furthermore, the terms “a” and “the” are intended to mean one or more, unless otherwise specified or clearly indicated from the context to be in the singular.

[0046] Unless otherwise specified, the use of ordinal adjectives such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., to describe common objects is merely to indicate that they refer to different examples of similar objects, and is not intended to imply that the objects being described should be in a given sequence in time, space, ranking, or in any other way.

[0047] The disclosed technology relates to a pet collar that can be configured to determine its geographic location and assess that location with respect to a geofenced area, which may correspond to a “safe zone” (or a predetermined “restricted zone”). If the collar determines that its location is within a safe zone but close to a geofence (i.e., the boundary of the geofenced area), then the collar can be configured to provide a warning “correction” (e.g., light, vibration, audible warning, or pre-recorded voice command).

[0048] As used herein, the terms “correction” and “corrective action” are used interchangeably. If the collar determines that the pet is outside a predetermined safe zone, it may also be configured to provide stronger correction (e.g., electronic stimulation, liquid spray) to prevent the pet from continuing to leave the safe zone. The collar may also be configured to guide the pet back to the safe zone, for example by varying the intensity and / or type of correction provided based at least in part on the distance of the collar from the geofence or the orientation of an embedded compass (e.g., determining whether the collared animal is moving away from or towards a specific area). Various commands may also be transmitted remotely by the user and transmitted to the collar at any time via the user device. The user device may also be configured to display various characteristics of the collar, such as its current or historical location, its heading, and / or the current physical activity of the collared animal, such as running or walking.

[0049] As used herein, the terms “alarm,” “alert,” and “being alerted,” when used in relation to collared animals, refer to the emotional state and / or actions exhibited by the collar wearer, which may indicate a threat, danger, need for attention, or other situations in which the animal is attempting to gain attention. For example, an alert may include the collar wearer barking, licking, panting, howling, circling, sitting, crouching, jumping, pacing, scratching with paws, looking away, staring, pointing, raising ears and pointing them to a specific area, turning the head to one side, nudging, tilting, biting, pulling, fidgeting, or resting the head on a person's lap.

[0050] The disclosed technology further relates to a pet collar that can be configured to identify an animal's actions or behaviors and output corrective or positive feedback to inhibit or encourage specific actions or behaviors. The collar can also be configured to pause corrective actions until an appropriate time (e.g., pausing feedback when the animal defecates or urinates). The pet collar can be configured to help train animals to behave properly by inhibiting undesirable behaviors and encouraging good behaviors. Various aspects and functions of the disclosed technology are discussed more fully below.

[0051] Figure 1 This is a diagram of an example system that can be configured to perform one or more processes to determine the geographic location of an animal wearing a collar and / or detect the animal's behavior and to provide corrections to the animal via the collar based on the animal's geographic location relative to a geofence and / or the animal's behavior. Figure 1 The components and arrangements shown are not intended to limit the disclosed embodiments, as the components used to implement the disclosed processes and features may differ.

[0052] User device 110 (e.g., mobile phone, smartwatch, tablet, laptop computer, or other computing device) can communicate with collar 120, which has geolocation capabilities. The disclosed technology may include communication between collar 120 and multiple user devices 110. For example, a user's mobile phone and a user's smartwatch can communicate with collar 120. As a more specific example, a user can adjust settings via one or more user devices 110 (e.g., via a laptop computer or mobile device), and the user can interact with collar 120 via the same or other user devices 110 (e.g., a smartwatch can be used as an anchor point for a wireless strap, as described more fully below). Collar 120 may include a geolocation sensor (GLS) 360. Collar 120 may be able to transmit data, such as location data corresponding to the geographical location and / or compass heading (as described more fully below), and can transmit data directly and / or via network 130 to user device 110. User device 110 may include an accelerometer 350 or some other suitable motion detection device.

[0053] Collar 120 and / or user device 110 may communicate with a Geographic Location Service Provider (GLSP) server 140, and GLSP server 140 may be configured to determine the geographic location of collar 120 (and the animal wearing collar 120) based at least in part on location data received from collar 120. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the steps performed by GLSP server 140 may be performed using GLSP processor 142 and GLSP memory 144.

[0054] Collar 120 and / or user device 110 may use raw sensor data to feed a machine learning model to classify behaviors associated with the sensor data. As will be described in more detail herein, the machine learning model may determine behaviors associated with the detected data and, based on configured rules, cause collar 120 to output corrective or positive feedback. Alternatively, the collar may communicate with a remote server 150, which may be configured to receive raw sensor data collected or detected by collar 120, then determine behaviors associated with the collected data, and output one or more sets of instructions to user device 110 and / or collar 120. As will be described in more detail herein, remote server 150 may include a machine learning model that determines behaviors that should be associated with the detected data and generates instructions output to collar 120 so that collar 120 may output corrective actions based on detected data indicating specific behaviors. One, some, or all of the steps performed by remote server 150 may be performed using remote server processor 152 and remote server memory 144. For example, the remote server 150 may be managed by a service provider and configured to communicate with multiple collars 120 or user devices 110.

[0055] As a non-limiting example, a geolocation system (e.g., GLS 360 and / or GLSP server 140) may be configured to improve positioning accuracy by transmitting remotely provided GPS correction data (e.g., real-time dynamic (RTK) positioning data) to the GPS receiver of collar 120. Collar 120 may be configured to determine the effectiveness of the geolocation system, for example by comparing geolocation data with other location-specific data (e.g., using WiFi signal strength, short-range radio beacons, or other methods to determine the location of collar 120 and comparing the determined location with the geolocation data to calculate geolocation accuracy), receiving status data indicating the functionality of the geolocation system, or other information indicating the accuracy, effectiveness, or reliability of the geolocation system. Collar 120 and / or user device 110 may be configured to provide alarms, notifications, lights (e.g., LEDs), or other indications that the accuracy, effectiveness, or reliability of the geolocation system is below a predetermined threshold, such that users are advised against relying solely on the geolocation system of collar 120 until the accuracy, effectiveness, or reliability of the geolocation system recovers above the predetermined threshold. Collar 120 can be configured to adjust rules corresponding to corrective actions (e.g., whether to generate a warning sound, vibration, or electronic stimulus; the intensity of the electronic stimulus) based on the current accuracy, effectiveness, or reliability of the geolocation system. For example, if the location of collar 120 is currently unreliable, collar 120 can be configured to generate corrective actions normally if it is determined that collar 120 is more than one foot beyond the boundary of the geofence location, but if it is determined that the geolocation system is below a predetermined reliability or accuracy threshold, collar 120 can be configured to restrict or prevent the generation of corrective actions unless it is determined that collar 120 is five feet, ten feet, or some other distance from the boundary of the geofence area. After determining that the geolocation system is below the predetermined reliability or accuracy threshold, collar 120 can be configured not to generate corrective actions unless or until the reliability or accuracy of the geolocation system recovers to above the predetermined reliability or accuracy threshold. As discussed more fully below, collar 120 can be configured to provide a warning that the condition or working state of collar 120 is unfavorable to allowing the animal wearing collar 120 to go outside.

[0056] Alternatively or additionally, collar 120 may be configured to issue one or more positive encouragements (e.g., recordings of encouragement, which may be pre-installed or pre-recorded by the owner) when collar 120 or related devices determine that the animal wearing collar 120 has performed or completed a desired action (e.g., stopping movement toward a geofence boundary). If the reliability or accuracy of the geolocation system is below a predetermined reliability or accuracy threshold, then collar 120 may be configured to output one or more positive encouragements. This allows collar 120 to provide a degree of input and / or guidance for the animal's behavior without the risk of unintended or unnecessary corrections (e.g., unnecessary electrical stimulation).

[0057] The collar 120 can be configured to communicate with a connected system configured to provide food or other rewards to the wearer of the collar 120 to reinforce positive behavior. For example, when the collar 120 determines that the wearer has performed a desired action (e.g., stopping moving towards a geofence boundary, urinating / defecating in a designated area), the collar 120 can output a control signal to the connected system that can distribute food or toys to the wearer. As another example, the collar 120 can be configured to adjust the geofence boundary to allow the wearer to enter a favorite area in the yard or to enter the area where food is located. In other words, once the collar 120 determines that the wearer has responded appropriately to feedback and / or has performed a desired action, the collar 120 can reward the wearer. In this way, the collar 120 can be configured to help encourage the wearer to develop positive behavior.

[0058] Communication between or among user device 110, collar 120, and / or GLSP server 140 may be conducted via network 130. Network 130 may be of any suitable type, including via the Internet (e.g., cellular or WiFi). TM Individual connections (network). Network 130 can use, for example, an RF module, Bluetooth. TM ,Bluetooth TM Low Energy (BLE), WiFi TM ZigBee TM The system uses an ambient backscatter communication (ABC) protocol, a direct connection via USB or LAN to connect to user device 110, collar 120, and / or GLSP server 140. Depending on the desired level of data privacy and / or data security, transmitted information may be encrypted or otherwise protected.

[0059] Similarly, user device 110, collar 120, and / or GLSP server 140 can use direct connections (e.g., RF modules, Bluetooth). TM BLE, WiFi TM ZigBee TM They can communicate with each other using protocols such as ABC, USB, or LAN. Depending on whether confidentiality is required, these connections can be encrypted or otherwise protected.

[0060] Figure 2An example of user device 110 is shown in more detail below. As shown, user device 110 may include: a processor 210; an input / output (I / O) device 220; a memory 230 containing an operating system (OS) 232, a storage device 234 (which may be any suitable data repository), and a program 236; and a communication interface 240. The communication interface 240 may include a transceiver. User device 110 may further include a peripheral interface, a mobile network interface communicating with the processor 210, a bus configured to facilitate communication between various components of user device 110, and / or a power supply configured to power one or more components of user device 110. User device 110 may include a geolocation sensor (GLS) 250 for determining the geographical location of user device 110. User device 110 may include a user interface (U / I) device for receiving user input data, such as data representing clicks, scrolling, taps, presses, or typing on an input device capable of detecting tactile input. User device 110 may include a display.

[0061] User device 110 may include peripheral interfaces, which may contain hardware, firmware, and / or software enabling communication with various peripheral devices, such as media drives (e.g., disk, solid-state, or optical disc drives), other processing devices, or any other input sources used in conjunction with this technology. Peripheral interfaces may include serial ports, parallel ports, general purpose input / output (GPIO) ports, gaming ports, universal serial bus (USB), micro USB ports, high-definition multimedia (HDMI) ports, video ports, audio ports, and Bluetooth. TM Port, Near Field Communication (NFC) port, another similar communication interface, or any combination thereof.

[0062] The mobile network interface provides access to a cellular network, the Internet, or another wide area network. The mobile network interface may include hardware, firmware, and / or software that allows the processor 210 to communicate with other devices via wired or wireless networks (whether local area networks or wide area networks, private or public, as known in the art). The power supply may be configured to provide appropriate alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) to power the components.

[0063] As described above, user device 110 may be configured to communicate remotely with one or more other devices (e.g., collar 120 and / or GLSP server 140). User device 110 may be configured to communicate with one or more devices via network 170. User device 110 may be configured to receive and transmit location data and / or account data indicating the user account associated with user device 110.

[0064] Processor 210 may include one or more of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic device, microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, coprocessor, or similar devices or combinations thereof capable of executing stored instructions and operating on stored data. Memory 230 may include one or more suitable types of memory (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable magnetic tape cassette, flash memory, redundant array of independent disks (RAID), and the like) for storing files containing operating system 232, application programs 236 (e.g., containing web browser applications, widget or utility engines, and / or other applications, as needed), executable instructions, and data. One, some, or all of the processing techniques described herein may be implemented as a combination of executable instructions and data within memory 230.

[0065] Processor 210 may be one or more known processing devices, such as those from Intel. TM Manufactured Pentium TM Series, by AMD TM Turion manufactured TM Series or by ARM TM Manufacturing Cortex TM Series or SecurCore TM The microprocessor 210 can be configured as a single-core or multi-core processor that executes parallel processes simultaneously. For example, processor 210 can be a single-core processor configured with virtualization technology. Those skilled in the art will understand that other types of processor arrangements that provide the capabilities disclosed herein can be implemented.

[0066] User device 110 may include one or more storage devices 234 configured to store information used by processor 210 (or other components) to perform at least some of the functions disclosed herein. As an example, user device 110 may include memory 230 containing instructions that enable processor 210 to execute one or more application programs, network communication processes, and any other type of application program or software known to be available on a computer system. Alternatively, the instructions, application programs, or other software may be stored in external storage devices and / or accessible from remote storage via a network. The one or more storage devices may be volatile or non-volatile, magnetic, semiconductor, magnetic tape, optical, removable, non-removable, or other types of storage devices or tangible computer-readable media.

[0067] User device 110 may include memory 230 containing instructions that, when executed by processor 210, perform one or more processes consistent with the functionality disclosed herein. Methods, systems, and articles of art consistent with the disclosed embodiments are not limited to a single program or computer configured to perform a specific task. For example, user device 110 may include memory 230, which may contain one or more programs 236 performing one or more functions of the disclosed technology. Furthermore, processor 210 may execute one or more programs 236 located remotely, for example, but not limited to, GLSP server 140. For example, user device 110 may access one or more remote programs 236 that, when executed, perform at least one function disclosed herein. One or more programs 236 may be configured to receive location data indicating the geographical location of user device 110 and / or collar 120. One or more programs 236 may be configured to display an image illustrating the geographical location of user device 110 and / or collar 120 on a display of user device 110. Program 236 can be configured to transmit instructions to collar 120 to provide corrections to the animal wearing collar 120 (e.g., emitting noise, such as various sounds, voices, music or other recordings; generating vibrations; emitting electronic stimulation; spraying liquids; and / or generating any other desired warnings).

[0068] The memory 230 of user device 110 may include one or more memory devices storing data and instructions for performing one or more of the disclosed features. The memory 230 may include software components that, when executed by processor 210, perform one or more processes consistent with those disclosed herein. The memory 230 may include a geofence database for storing data relating to one or more geofenced areas (i.e., safe zones) in which animals wearing collars 120 are permitted to move freely, or to one or more geofenced areas (i.e., restricted zones) in which animals wearing collars 120 are restricted from entering. User device 110 may be configured to “record” one or more geofences when a user draws virtual boundaries. For example, user device 110 may be configured to “record” one or more geofences when a user draws virtual boundaries on a display for drawing a map. User device 110 may be configured to “record” one or more geofences when a user physically moves toward a desired boundary. For example, user device 110 may be configured to record location data indicating the geographic location of user device 110 via GLS250 when a user carries user device 110 along a desired boundary.

[0069] User device 110 may include any number of hardware and / or software applications executed to facilitate any operation. One or more I / O interfaces may be used to receive or collect data and / or user instructions from a wide variety of input devices. In various embodiments of the disclosed technology, the received data may be processed by one or more computer processors and / or stored in one or more memory devices as needed.

[0070] Collar 120 can be configured to communicate with one or more external motion sensors. For example, such motion sensors may be located in a user's home. Collar 120 can be configured to receive data from the motion sensors and can be configured to determine the activity of the animal wearing collar 120, such as jumping, lying down, running, or sitting, based on the received motion sensor data and / or other data detected by various components of collar 120. When collar 120 is in training mode, the data received from the motion sensors can also be used to determine animal behavior, as described more fully below. Because motion sensor data can support or supplement the data detected by collar 120, it can improve the accuracy and sensitivity of collar 120 regarding detected animal behavior. This can be useful because immediately correcting undesirable animal behavior can help train the animal, thereby improving the effectiveness of animal training.

[0071] While the user device 110 for implementing the techniques described herein has been described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other functionally equivalent techniques may be employed. For example, as is known in the art, some or all of the functions implemented via executable instructions may also be implemented using firmware and / or hardware devices (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays, state machines, etc.). Furthermore, the user device 110 may contain more or fewer components than those described and / or illustrated above.

[0072] Figure 3An example of collar 120 is shown in more detail below. As shown, collar 120 may include: a processor 310; an input / output (I / O) device 320; a memory 330 containing an operating system (OS) 332, a storage device 334 (which may be any suitable data repository) and / or a program 336; a communication interface 340; an accelerometer 350 or other suitable motion detection device; a geolocation sensor (GLS) 360 for determining the geolocation of collar 120; a user interface (U / I) device 370 for receiving user input data, such as data indicating clicks, scrolling, taps, presses, or typing on an input device capable of detecting tactile input; a light-emitting diode (LED) 380 or other suitable light-emitting device; a microphone 385; a camera 387; a temperature sensor 390 and / or an electronic compass sensor 395. The temperature sensor 390 may be a thermometer, a thermocouple, a resistance temperature measuring device, a thermistor, or any other temperature measuring device.

[0073] Collar 120 can be configured to adjust certain settings depending on whether collar 120 is located indoors or outdoors. For example, if collar 120 is determined to be located indoors, then collar 120 can be configured to adjust the type and / or severity of the applied correction, the power usage of collar 120 (e.g., disabling GLS 360 when collar 120 is indoors), or other characteristics. Collar 120 may include multiple temperature sensors 390, and one or more temperature sensors may be configured to measure ambient air temperature, and one or more temperature sensors may be configured to measure the temperature of the animal wearing collar 120. Collar 120 may include one or more biometric sensors 397, which may be configured to measure or detect biometric information associated with the animal wearing collar 120. The biometric sensor may include one or more sensors configured to measure heart rate data, blood pressure data, hormone data, audio data (e.g., data corresponding to a cat's meow, a dog's bark, cough, sneeze, or other sounds produced by the animal wearing collar 120), respiratory data, brain wave data, and olfactory data (e.g., data corresponding to the odor of the animal wearing collar 120).

[0074] An electronic compass sensor 395 (e.g., a magnetometer) may be configured to, for example, determine the direction in which the animal wearing collar 120 is facing. As will be understood, the electronic compass sensor 395 enables collar 120 to determine that the animal wearing collar 120 and the user using user device 110 are moving in the same direction. Collar 120 may be configured to issue corrective actions when it is determined that the animal wearing collar 120 and the user using user device 110 are not facing the same or similar directions, or when the corresponding paths of the animal wearing collar 120 and the user using user device 110 diverge.

[0075] The collar 120 can be configured to generate corrections, which may include emitting noise (e.g., various sounds, voices, music, or other recordings), generating vibrations, generating light, emitting electronic stimulation, spraying liquids, generating any other desired warnings, or any combination thereof. The collar 120 can be configured to emit sounds inaudible to the human ear (e.g., a sound similar to a dog whistle). The collar 120 can be configured to generate feedback for positive reinforcement, which may include emitting positive noise (e.g., various sounds, recordings (e.g., "good boy / girl"), music, bells, or other recordings), generating positive tactile feedback (e.g., a patting or stroking sensation), etc. The disclosed technology can be configured to enable a user to transmit real-time commands to be issued from the speaker of the collar 120 via user device 110. The communication interface 340 may include a transceiver. Collar 120 may further include a peripheral interface, a mobile network interface for communication with processor 310, a bus configured to facilitate communication between various components of collar 120, an electronic stimulation device, a spray device and spray reservoir, a speaker, and / or a power supply configured to power one or more components of collar 120. Collar 120 may exclude certain components discussed herein. For example, depending on the complexity of the program instructions, collar 120 may not include (i.e., omit) an OS, which provides relatively limited functionality (compared to collar 120 with an OS) but also reduces the power consumption of collar 120 (compared to collar 120 with an OS).

[0076] The collar 120 can be configured to sense and / or determine the amount or severity of correction required by a particular animal or wearer of the collar 120. For example, a particular animal may be particularly stubborn and / or have a high tolerance for correction compared to other animals. Alternatively or additionally, an animal may respond differently to a given correction, depending on the animal's current mental state (e.g., mood (happy, anxious, angry), level of excitement). Alternatively or additionally, the effectiveness of a given correction may depend on factors such as how the collar 120 is located on the animal's neck (or other body part), and whether and / or to what extent hair, fur, or other barriers impede contact between the collar 120 and the animal's skin. Therefore, a particular animal may require a higher amount and / or severity of correction before it responds to it. Conversely, another animal may be more sensitive to correction, so that if a correction of normal intensity is used, this particular animal will receive a stronger correction than needed. As another example, an elderly person wearing the disclosed technology may have hearing loss, thus requiring a louder audible correction. Optionally, when collar 120 is first set up or first used with a particular animal and / or wearer (e.g., during a correction measurement mode), a measurement or severity determination can be made, and the measurement or severity determination can be stored in an account associated with the user and / or wearer of collar 120. Thus, if needed, the account can later be associated with a second, different collar 120, in which case the second collar 120 can use the same measurement and / or severity settings as the first collar 120.

[0077] To sense and / or determine the required correction amount or severity for a particular animal or the wearer of collar 120, collar 120 may be configured to monitor feedback after a correction and / or command is issued. In correction amount determination mode, collar 120 may be configured to issue a correction initially at the lowest amount or severity setting, and collar 120 may be configured to monitor feedback (e.g., heart rate data from a heart rate monitor, motion from the GLS 360 and / or accelerometer 350) to determine whether the animal or the wearer of collar 120 responded to the correction and / or whether the animal or the wearer of collar 120 responded appropriately to the correction. Responding appropriately to a correction may mean, for example, that the animal or the wearer of collar 120 correctly followed a command (e.g., stopping movement toward a geofence boundary in response to receiving a correction instructing the animal or the wearer to stop, cease inappropriate behavior, etc.). If the animal or the wearer of collar 120 does not respond to the correction (or does not respond appropriately), then the correction magnitude determination mode may include iteratively issuing corrections with increasing magnitude or severity until the animal or the wearer of collar 120 does respond to the correction (or does respond appropriately).

[0078] For example, if an electronically induced correction has been issued, an increase in heart rate detected by the biometric sensor 397 (e.g., a heart rate above a predetermined heart rate threshold, a heart rate increase at least predetermined in relation to the correction, or a heart rate increase at least predetermined within a predetermined time) can indicate that the current magnitude or severity of the correction is sufficient. Alternatively or additionally, data from the GLS 360 or accelerometer 350 can be analyzed to determine whether the animal has stopped moving, changed direction, or otherwise responded to the correction.

[0079] As will be understood, the magnitude or severity determined when the collar 120 is in the correction magnitude determination mode can be used as a base magnitude or severity, and if necessary, this base magnitude or severity can be temporarily increased for a more severe correction. For example, the base magnitude can be used as a warning that the animal or wearer is approaching a boundary, and when the collar 120 crosses the boundary, a correction with a magnitude greater than the base magnitude can be issued. Furthermore, the correction magnitude determination mode can be configured to operate alone or in combination with another mode (e.g., a training mode), as described herein.

[0080] Alternatively or additionally, collar 120 may be configured to increase the duration of correction (e.g., output of electrical stimulation, audio commands). Collar 120 may be configured to incrementally increase the duration of correction in the same or similar manner as described with respect to the magnitude or severity of the increase in correction. That is, collar 120 may be configured to incrementally increase the magnitude, duration, or a combination thereof.

[0081] Power source 302 may include one or more batteries. The batteries are replaceable. The batteries are rechargeable. Collar 120 may include a solar panel or other components configured to convert solar energy into electrical energy, which may be stored in the batteries. Collar 120 may be configured to adjust power usage when, for example, certain characteristics are detected as unnecessary (e.g., GLS 360 is deactivated when collar 120 is indoors or when it is determined that the animal is resting) or when the battery level is determined to be below a predetermined threshold. Collar 120 may be configured to adjust power usage upon receiving a user command (e.g., a wireless command from a separate user device (e.g., a mobile phone) or a command received at collar 120, for example, via a button located on collar 120). Other energy harvesting technologies, such as motion harvesting or radio frequency harvesting, may also be integrated into collar 120 for harvesting energy, which may then be converted into electrical energy and stored in the batteries. Collar 120 may include a display indicating the battery level and / or whether the battery needs to be replaced or recharged. The collar 120 may be configured to transmit its battery status to the user device 110, which may include transmitting an alarm indicating low or no battery power. The collar 120 may be configured to transmit an alarm to the user device when the collar 120 is detached or otherwise removed from the animal. The collar 120 may be configured to transmit an alarm to the user device 110 when the temperature exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds.

[0082] The collar 120 may include a housing. The housing may enclose some or all of the various components of the collar 120. The housing may be integral with and / or permanently integrated with or attached to a strap (or necklace) configured for wearing by an animal or human. Alternatively, the housing may be configured to be detachably attached to a strap (or necklace) configured for wearing by an animal or human. The housing may be weather-resistant, waterproof, weatherproof, or waterproof, depending on the environment in which the collar 120 is primarily used, for example. The housing may be configured to provide various levels of solid particle protection, such as IP5x or IP6x protection, depending on the environment in which the collar 120 is primarily used, for example.

[0083] Collar 120 may include camera 387 or a bracket for an external camera. Collar 120 may be configured to record video and / or images and transmit the recorded video and / or images to user device 110 and / or remote server 150. Collar 120 may include microphone 385 configured to record audio data associated with the animal. Microphone 385 may record audio, and the audio data may be stored in memory 330 of collar 120 for later use and / or transmitted to user device 110 and / or remote server 150. Video and / or audio data may be transmitted to user device 110 in real time, on demand, or periodically. Microphone 385 and / or camera 387 may be configured to record audio in response to a signal received by collar 120 from user device 110 instructing the recording of audio or video data. As will be described in more detail herein, video and / or audio data may be used to determine the actions or behaviors of the wearer of collar 120.

[0084] Accelerometer 350 can be configured to detect movement of collar 120, and when collar 120 is detected, processor 310 can be configured to perform certain functions. For example, collar 120 can be configured such that when the accelerometer detects movement exceeding a predetermined amount, camera and / or GLS 360 are engaged to record and / or track the activity of the animal wearing collar 120. Among other advantages, this arrangement can extend the battery life of collar 120 by reducing the amount of time the camera and / or GLS 360 is engaged during inactive periods (e.g., when the animal is sleeping). This arrangement also provides better management of memory 330, preventing wasted memory space during inactive periods from recording video or images of the animal or its surroundings. GLS 360 can be configured to record and document the animal's movement by saving associated data to memory 330. The saved movement data can later be downloaded or otherwise transmitted to user device 110 and / or remote server 150 for viewing or processing. Animal movement can be transmitted in real time, allowing a user to view the animal's real-time movement via user device 110. As described herein, one or more motion sensors can detect and transmit motion sensor data, which can be used by collar 120 to determine the animal's current behavior, such as jumping, resting, or walking.

[0085] Memory 330 may include a geofencing database for storing data relating to one or more geofenced areas (i.e., safe zones) in which animals wearing collar 120 are permitted to move freely, or to one or more geofenced areas (i.e., restricted zones) in which animals wearing collar 120 are restricted from entering. Memory 330 may include a default safe zone, which may correspond to the property boundaries of a user's residence. For example, if a user orders collar 120 for delivery to their residence, the location of the user's residence can be found through the user's mailing address. Memory 330 may include a default restricted zone, which may correspond to, for example, all roads. Collar 120 may communicate with user device 110 (directly or via network 130) to synchronize the safe zones and restricted zones stored on either device. One, some, or all of the safe zones and / or restricted zones may be permanent, which can be useful where animals wearing collar 120 rarely (if at all) leave a particular location (e.g., livestock on a farm). One, some, or all of the safe zones and / or restricted zones can be temporary or adjustable, which can be useful when the animal wearing collar 120 frequently moves to multiple locations. For example, a pet owner may own a main residence and a vacation home, and in this scenario, establishing safe zones for both locations would be useful. Furthermore, the safe zones and / or restricted zones can be configured and / or scheduled (e.g., directly by the user or via user device 110 at collar 120) to change according to, for example, the time of day or the date of the week. For example, a pet owner may want to allow the pet to roam freely on the owner's property during the day but confine the pet to the backyard at night.

[0086] The disclosed technology allows pet owners to remotely engage or disengage various sides, sections, or portions of a geofence via user device 110. If collar 120 is positioned within a predetermined distance of user device 110, collar 120 can be configured to disable correction. For example, if the distance between collar 120 and user device is within the range of 1 foot to 3 feet, 3 feet to 5 feet, 5 feet to 10 feet, or 10 feet to 20 feet, collar 120 can be configured to disable correction. Collar 120 can be configured to calculate the distance between collar 120 and user device 110 by comparing the geospatial positions of collar 120 and user device 110. Collar 120 can be configured to use transmission and detection of short-range radio frequency (RF) signals and to use RF transmission algorithms (such as Bluetooth). TMThe distance between collar 120 and user device 110 is calculated using signal strength measurements. This distance can prove useful, for example, if a pet owner decides to take their pet for a walk or drive them to another location. In such scenarios, collar 120 can deactivate corrections, allowing the pet owner to drive along the driveway, for example, without manually deactivating the geofence, and without worrying about the pet being incorrectly corrected. If, after collar 120 crosses a geofence while within a predetermined distance of user device 110, it is determined that collar 120 is outside the geofence area and not within the predetermined distance of user device 110, then collar 120 can be configured to transmit a notification to user device 110 before providing correction to the animal. The notification may request and / or require confirmation from the user before providing correction to the animal. This determination can be made by user device 110, and the command regarding whether to provide correction or suspend correction can be transmitted from user device 110 to collar 120.

[0087] The disclosed technology allows a user to select whether an area within a specific geofence is designated as a safe zone or a restricted zone, and this selection can be made by the user on the collar 120 itself or via the user device 110. The collar 120 and / or user device 110 may default to designating certain areas as restricted zones. For example, the collar 120 and / or user device 110 may be configured to designate all roads or bodies of water as restricted zones. As another example, a user may select specific locations (e.g., a home, garden, sidewalk, selected area of ​​the yard, etc.) as restricted zones to prevent the wearer of the collar 120 from defecating in those locations. One or more programs 336 may be configured to determine whether the location of the collar 120 is approaching or outside one or more geofenced areas stored in memory 330.

[0088] In some instances, the restricted area can be a conditionally restricted area based on the actions or behaviors of the wearer of collar 120. For example, collar 120 can be configured to detect when the wearer of collar 120 squats or raises their leg, which may indicate that the wearer of collar 120 is attempting to excrete (i.e., urinate or defecate). If the wearer of collar 120 squats or raises their leg in a conditionally restricted area (e.g., at home), then collar 120 can output one or more corrections to prevent the wearer of collar 120 from excreting in the conditionally restricted area. As another example, a user may want to prevent a dog wearing collar 120 from barking in a specific location in the yard (e.g., near a fence adjacent to a neighbor's fence where the dog has previously complained of barking). Collar 120 can be configured to determine that the dog is in a specific location in the yard (i.e., a conditionally restricted area) and output one or more corrective actions to prevent the dog from barking in that area. In other words, the conditionally restricted area can be an area within which the wearer of collar 120 is allowed free movement, and collar 120 will not output corrective actions as long as the wearer of collar 120 does not perform a specific action. Once a specific action is detected and it is confirmed that collar 120 is positioned within the conditionally restricted area, collar 120 will output one or more corrective actions to prevent the wearer of collar 120 from performing the specific action.

[0089] As another example, collar 120 can be configured not only to prevent the wearer from urinating / defecerating in a specific area, but also to guide the wearer to a designated area (or zone) for urination / defecation. For instance, some users may have a specific area in their yard where they want the wearer of collar 120 to urinate / defecate. When collar 120 determines that the wearer is attempting to urinate / defecate (whether or not in the restricted area), collar 120 can output a corrective action or other cue to guide the wearer to the designated area. In this way, collar 120 helps ensure that the wearer is trained to urinate / defecate in the designated area. Over time, the wearer will become accustomed to urinating / defecate in the designated area, and collar 120 may no longer need to provide corrective actions to guide the wearer to the designated area.

[0090] The collar 120 can also be configured to output corrective actions based on whether the collar 120 is determined to be indoors (in indoor mode) or outdoors (in outdoor mode). For example, the collar 120 can be configured to prevent the wearer of the collar 120 from performing certain actions or behaviors when indoors, but not when the wearer is outdoors (and vice versa). To illustrate, a user may not want his or her pet to climb on furniture in his or her home, but may allow the pet to climb on outdoor furniture. In this example, the collar 120 can be configured to output one or more corrective actions when the collar 120 detects that the pet has jumped onto the furniture and the collar 120 is located indoors. Furthermore, when the collar 120 detects that the pet has jumped onto the furniture but is located outdoors, it can determine that no corrective action is needed. In this example, outdoors can be a designated area where jumping on furniture (the detected behavior) is permitted. For example, the collar 120 can detect whether the pet has jumped onto the furniture by first detecting the pet jumping and then, shortly thereafter, detecting that the pet is resting or lying down. Alternatively or additionally, the collar 120 can detect if a pet might jump onto furniture by detecting if the pet jumps near a short-range beacon that has been placed near furniture that the user does not want the pet to jump on.

[0091] Program 336 may be configured to provide correction when it is determined that the collar 120 is approaching or outside a geofenced area stored in memory 330 (e.g., by issuing an audible warning via a speaker on the collar 120, or by providing electronic stimulation via an electronic stimulation device on the collar 120). Program 336 may be configured to provide correction if the collar 120 is positioned within a warning zone for at least a predetermined amount of time. The warning zone may be a virtual warning boundary or a boundary located within a “safe zone” at a predetermined distance from the virtual boundary of the safe zone geofence. Program 336 may be configured to guide the animal wearing the collar 120 back to the predetermined geofenced area when it is determined that the collar 120 is outside the stored geofenced area. When it is determined that the collar 120 is near a road or other hazardous area (as a non-limiting example, this may be determined at least in part based on data received from an accelerometer, gyroscope, and / or GNSS receiver), program 336 may be configured to provide correction and / or guide the animal away from the road or another hazardous area. The audible warning correction can be pre-installed on memory 330 and may include, for example, a buzzer, a bell, a whistle, or other noise. The user can download, install, or record the audible warning. The audible warning can be recorded by the microphone of collar 120. The audible warning can be recorded via user device 110 and transmitted from user device 110 to collar 120. The volume of the audible correction can be preset or configurable. For example, if the animal wearing collar 120 has hearing problems, the volume of the audible correction can be increased. As collar 120 gets closer to the virtual boundary of the geofence, the volume of the audible warning correction can be gradually increased. Collar 120 can be configured to stop issuing corrections and / or issue one or more positive encouragements (e.g., encouraging audio recordings, which may be pre-installed or pre-recorded by the owner) when collar 120 or related devices determine that the animal wearing collar 120 has performed or completed the desired action. For example, collar 120 may be configured to stop outputting corrections when collar 120 stops moving (e.g. towards a boundary), and / or may output one or more positive encouragements when collar 120 (e.g., after issuing a warning correction) begins to move away from a geofence boundary, road, and / or some other location.

[0092] Program 336 can be configured to determine the accuracy of real-time geolocation data (or receive an indication of said accuracy) and can be configured to adjust the sensitivity of the virtual boundary based at least in part on the accuracy of the real-time geolocation data, which can reduce the likelihood of erroneous corrections (e.g., corrections provided while collar 120 is still within the permitted area, or electronic stimulation corrections that should be warning corrections). For example, collar 120 can typically determine its perceived location within a 5-foot radius of its actual location. Therefore, this example collar 120 can be configured to provide warning corrections when the perceived location of collar 120 is within 1 foot of the virtual boundary. This example collar 120 can also be configured to provide electronic stimulation corrections if the perceived location of collar 120 has traveled more than 5 feet beyond the virtual boundary. If this example collar 120 becomes aware of a reduction in the accuracy of the real-time geolocation data due to, for example, weak or suppressed geolocation signals, then the example collar 120 can be configured to dynamically adjust the perceived location for providing corrections. For example, if the accuracy of the instance collar 120 decreases to a radius of 10 feet, the instance collar can be configured to provide warning correction when the collar 120's perceived position moves more than 7 feet beyond the virtual boundary, and to provide electronic stimulation correction when the collar 120's perceived position moves more than 10 feet beyond the virtual boundary. The consideration of changes in the collar 120's positional accuracy can be customized by the user and can be selected by the user via the collar 120 itself or via the user device 110. The collar 120 can be configured to eliminate corrections when its positional accuracy falls below a predetermined threshold. If the collar 120's positioning accuracy falls below a predetermined threshold, the collar 120 can be configured to provide only certain types of corrections. For example, if the collar 120's positional accuracy falls below a predetermined threshold, the collar 120 can be configured to emit only a warning or encouragement sound.

[0093] Similarly, the intensity of electronic stimulation correction may gradually increase depending on the length of time the collar 120 is in a restricted area (or outside a safe area) or the distance of the collar 120 from a geofence. The intensity of electronic stimulation correction may be at least partially based on the type of restricted area. For example, a road may be assigned a relatively higher level of electronic stimulation compared to a neighbor's yard. The intensity of electronic stimulation correction—both the overall intensity of all corrections and the selective intensity of corrections associated with certain areas—can be customized by the user on the collar 120 itself or via user device 110.

[0094] Collar 120 can be configured to guide the animal back to a predetermined area, such as a safe area within a geofence. Collar 120 can achieve this by increasing correction intensity as the collar moves away from the geofence area and decreasing correction intensity as the collar moves towards the geofence area. Collar 120 can be configured to determine its orientation, for example, via GLS 360, electronic compass sensor 395, and / or a gyroscope included in collar 120. Collar 120 can be configured to guide the animal back towards the center of the geofence and away from the restricted area based at least in part on data indicating the movement and orientation of collar 120. Collar 120 can be configured to provide directional commands (e.g., left or right turn) based on the predicted path of collar 120 and the restricted area, obstacles, or other features ahead (e.g., roads, waterways). Collar 120 can be configured to determine whether the animal wearing collar 120 is correctly following a provided directional command, and collar 120 can be configured to provide positive reinforcement, such as playing an audio recording of the user praising the animal or a "return whistle." Collar 120 can be configured to provide negative reinforcement, such as by issuing a corrective action, if collar 120 determines that the animal wearing collar 120 is not correctly following a provided directional command. For example, if the animal is within a geofence area, positioned near the geofence, and facing the geofence, then collar 120 can be configured to issue a vocal correction in the form of a pre-recorded command instructing the animal to stop or turn. As another example, if the animal is outside a geofence area and facing the geofence, then collar 120 can be configured to issue a vocal correction in the form of a pre-recorded command instructing the animal to walk forward. This can help provide initial "self-training" for the animal, eliminating the need for the user to manually train and / or acclimate the animal to the geofence and collar system. Furthermore, once the animal has undergone initial training with the system in one location, it is more likely to understand the meaning of various corrections received in other geographic locations. Collar 120 can be configured to provide simpler right / wrong correction, such that collar 120 provides correction until the animal wearing collar 120 is facing the correct direction, rather than attempting to guide the animal to turn left or right. This may be easier for some animals to learn. Collar 120 typically guides the animal to a safe area, or more specifically, to the exact location where the animal left the safe area. The advantage of doing so is that when there are physical obstacles that might prevent the animal from returning to any general location within the enclosure, the collar can determine that location has an exit / entrance. Similarly, collar 120 can guide the animal to a predetermined entrance point (e.g., a doorway, a gate). The predetermined entrance point can be the same location where the animal left the safe area. Alternatively, the entrance point can be different from where the animal left the safe area. The entrance point can be input by the user and / or can be identified by collar 120 or a backend server, for example, by analyzing aerial images of the area.

[0095] Processor 310 may be configured to activate LED 380 when the collar 120 is located outside a geofenced area. The collar 120 may include a photoelectric sensor, photodetector, or other light-sensing device, and processor 310 may be configured to activate LED 380 when the detected light level drops below a predetermined level. Processor 310 may be configured to activate LED 380 when the collar 120 is located outside a geofenced area and the detected light level drops below a predetermined level. Processor 310 may be configured such that LED 380 can indicate the strength and / or accuracy of a geolocation signal. Alternatively or additionally, processor 310 may activate multiple LEDs 380 to indicate the strength and / or accuracy of a geolocation signal (e.g., through a color-coding scheme, by providing numbers and / or letters via multiple LEDs 380). Alternatively or additionally, such information may be provided via a display mounted on the collar 120. Information regarding battery strength, geolocation signal strength, and / or the accuracy of the determined geolocation signal can be used as an indicator for the user to determine whether the timing of training is appropriate (e.g., if collar 120 needs charging in the near future, the user may not want to begin training). As discussed below, processor 310 can be configured to enable LED 380 when collar 120 is in leash mode, which can alert passersby that the animal wearing collar 120 is under the user's control via collar 120.

[0096] The collar 120 can be used indoors with additional short-range wireless beacons (such as Bluetooth). TM (Transmitter) used in conjunction with the collar 120. The collar 120 can be configured not to generate correction when receiving a signal from a specific wireless beacon, regardless of the proximity of the collar 120 to the geofence. The collar 120 can also be configured not to generate correction if the signal received from the wireless beacon is within a predetermined threshold (which indicates that the collar 120 is very close to the wireless beacon). This provides a local “safe zone” for the wireless beacon. The wireless beacon can be permanently or semi-permanently installed. For example, the wireless beacon can be installed near the edge of the geofence or in a known safe zone slightly beyond the geofence to ensure that correction does not occur there. The wireless beacon can be transmitted. For example, the wireless beacon can be installed in a car or on a keychain, which can be useful if a pet owner frequently drives to transport their pet.

[0097] The collar 120 can be configured to generate correction when a signal exceeding a predetermined threshold is received from a specific wireless beacon, the threshold indicating the proximity of the collar 120 to the wireless beacon. For example, placing a wireless beacon on a kitchen countertop can deter pets from entering the kitchen. The predetermined threshold (corresponding to the distance to the wireless beacon) and / or the strength, type, and / or progression of the correction can be selectively adjusted by the user, for example, at the wireless transmitter, collar 120, or user device 110. The wireless beacon and / or collar 120 can be configured to record and store analyses corresponding to interactions between the wireless beacon and collar 120. For example, the analysis may include information indicating the number of times the collar 120 travels within a predetermined distance of the wireless beacon, the position of the collar 120 relative to the wireless beacon over time, etc.

[0098] Collar 120 may be useful when used with, for example, service animals. As will be understood, service animals are typically trained to “sound an alarm” when their owners need help. Collar 120 (e.g., via accelerometer 350, microphone 385) can be configured to detect whether a service animal wearing collar 120 is “sounding an alarm.” For example, collar 120 can trigger this alarm by using a gyroscope to detect the continuous rotation of a service animal spinning in a circle. After detecting that the animal is “sounding an alarm,” collar 120 can be configured to transmit a request for help notification to an emergency service provider and / or a pre-designated safety contact. The notification may include a message indicating that an “alarm” was detected, the time the “alarm” was detected, and / or the location of collar 120 and / or user device 110. Collar 120 may record a request for help and / or transmit a signal to user device 110, causing user device 110 to record a request for help and / or to transmit a notification to an emergency service provider and / or pre-designated contact.

[0099] The collar 120 can include multiple operating modes. For example, collar 120 may include an outdoor mode (e.g., for use when the animal is outdoors), an indoor mode (e.g., for use when the animal is indoors), a low-power mode (e.g., for use when the battery life of collar 120 is below a predetermined threshold), a training mode (e.g., corresponding to the time during which the user is training the animal), an activity mode (e.g., for the time during which the animal is determined to be active), a rest mode (e.g., for reducing the frequency of collar 120 measuring and / or transmitting data so as to conserve battery life when it is determined that the animal is sleeping at a predetermined distance from the boundary of the geofence), a leash mode (e.g., for providing an “electronic leash” for use when the animal is outdoors and is being walked by a user carrying user device 110), a pet defecation mode (e.g., for determining when and where the animal defecates or urinates), a distance mode (e.g., for providing correction when collar 120 moves within a predetermined distance of a device associated with a specific person or user), a lost mode (e.g., for use when the animal is outside a predetermined geofence area or when the animal is otherwise determined to be “lost”), or any other useful mode. Collar 120 can be configured to be in a single operating mode at a given time, and collar 120 can be configured to be in two or more operating modes at a given time. For example, in outdoor mode, collar 120 can also be in leash mode, pet elimination mode, and / or maze mode. One or more modes can be associated with one or more other modes. For example, rest mode can be associated with low-power mode, such that when procedure 336 determines that the animal is resting (e.g., collar 120 determines that the animal's activity level is below a predetermined activity threshold), collar 120 can be in low-power mode, causing collar 120 to measure and / or transmit location data, biometric data, or other data at a lower frequency than when collar 120 is not in low-power mode.

[0100] The disclosed technology allows a user to manually change the operating mode of the collar 120. For example, a user can manually change the operating mode of the collar 120 via program 336, and / or a user can manually change the operating mode of the collar 120 via a U / I device 370 (e.g., one or more buttons on the collar 120). The collar 120 can indicate (e.g., via LED 380) which operating mode the collar 120 is currently operating in. Alternatively or additionally, the collar 120 may include a display that can be configured to display which operating mode the collar 120 is currently operating in. Program 336 can be configured to dynamically and automatically change between various operating modes based on detected data (e.g., positioning data of the collar 120 and / or user device 110, temperature data associated with ambient temperature and / or the temperature of the animal wearing the collar 120, biometric data associated with the animal wearing the collar 120, accelerometer data associated with the collar 120).

[0101] Each operating mode may include one or more default settings. For example, the frequency at which it collects or transmits certain location data or other information may vary depending on the given operating mode (e.g., in a lost mode, collar 120 may be configured to transmit a constant stream of location data while in a lost mode, and collar 120 may be configured to periodically transmit location data in a non-lost outdoor mode).

[0102] Program 336 can be configured to determine whether collar 120 is located outdoors or indoors. Program 336 can compare ambient temperature data received from temperature sensor 390 with local outdoor temperature data to determine whether collar 120 is located outdoors. For example, collar 120 can receive local outdoor temperature data (e.g., from user device 110 and / or a server) and can compare the local outdoor temperature data with temperature data measured by temperature sensor 390. Alternatively, collar 120 can transmit the measured temperature data to user device 110 and / or a server, and user device 110 or the server can compare the local outdoor temperature data with the temperature data measured by temperature sensor 390. Regardless of which device performs the comparison, if the measured temperature data is within a predetermined temperature range or within a predetermined error range relative to the local outdoor temperature data, then collar 120 can be determined to be outdoors. Local outdoor temperature data can be received from a third-party weather service or other sources. Program 336 (or some other device) may receive an indoor temperature value corresponding to, for example, a user's home, and program 336 (or some other device) may compare the detected temperature data with the indoor temperature value to determine whether collar 120 is indoors. The indoor temperature may be assumed to be a predetermined temperature value, such as (for example, but not limited to) 72℉. Program 336 may be configured to compare the measured temperature data with both indoor and local outdoor temperature data, and program 336 may be configured to determine whether collar 120 is outdoors or indoors based on whether the measured temperature data is closer to the local outdoor temperature data or the indoor temperature, respectively. As another example, if the detected temperature is within a specified degree of the outdoor temperature and is also greater than a high temperature threshold or a low temperature threshold, which represent predetermined degrees greater than or less than the standard room temperature, then the collar can be detected as being outdoors. For example, if the standard room temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, then the high temperature threshold may be approximately 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and the low temperature threshold may be approximately 67 degrees Fahrenheit.

[0103] Program 336 can be configured to determine that collar 120 is outdoors based on the performance (e.g., speed, signal strength) of GPS signals or other geolocation signals, and short-range wireless signals (e.g., Bluetooth signals). Program 336 can be configured to suspend at least some corrective actions (e.g., corrective actions corresponding to safe and / or restricted areas) when the animal is indoors, because the accuracy and quality of GPS signals may be unavailable indoors. Program 336 can be configured to determine, at least in part, that the animal wearing collar 120 is being transported (e.g., by car or other vehicle) based on GPS data. For example, collar 120 can be determined to be moving based on GPS data, but can also be determined not to be walking or running based on other data (e.g., from accelerometer 350). Program 336 can be configured to suspend at least some corrective actions (e.g., corrective actions corresponding to safe and / or restricted areas) when the animal is being transported.

[0104] As another example, collar 120 can be configured to determine whether the wearer of collar 120 is indoors or outdoors by receiving data from electronic compass 395 and using a short-range wireless transmitter (e.g., a beacon) positioned near the building entrance. Collar 120 can determine whether the wearer is indeed entering or leaving an indoor area by determining which direction the wearer is facing when approaching the short-range wireless beacon. For example, when passing the short-range beacon and heading north, collar 120 can determine that the wearer is leaving to enter the building, and if heading south, then the wearer is entering the building.

[0105] One or more short-range wireless transmitters (e.g., beacons) may be positioned near the threshold (e.g., door) of a building, and the measured signal strength of the signal transmitted between collar 120 and the transmitter can be used to determine whether collar 120 is indoors or outdoors. Upon determining that collar 120 is located in a predetermined area (e.g., waiting outside a door), collar 120 (or server) may be configured to transmit a notification to user device 110 indicating that collar 120 is in the predetermined area, and the notification may instruct the user to allow the animal wearing collar 120 into the building. Alternatively, user device 110 may receive data indicating the location of collar 120 and may provide an alarm when collar 120 is determined to be in the predetermined area. Collar 120, user device 110, and / or server may be configured to (e.g., based on a comparison of signal strength measured by two or more devices in collar 120, based on geolocation data, beacon proximity, and / or electronic compass orientation) determine the direction the animal is facing, and this information can be used to determine whether it is ready to allow the animal into the building. The collar 120, user device 110, and / or server can accordingly notify the user to allow the animal to enter the building.

[0106] This information can also be transmitted to automatic or electric dog gates or garage doors, which can automatically allow animals wearing collar 120 to enter and exit the building. In other words, collar 120 can communicate directly with smart doors, home automation systems, security systems, etc., either through user devices 110 or remote servers 150 that can each communicate with automation systems, and collar 120 can output commands or information to smart doors, home automation systems, security systems, etc., to take action based on the location of the animal wearing collar 120. In some instances, users may want animals wearing collar 120 to only enter and exit through designated doors (e.g., back doors). Collar 120 can determine when the wearer of collar 120 lingers near a designated door for a predetermined length of time (e.g., a dog wearing collar 120 waiting near a back door indicates it wants to go out) and output control signals to the home automation system to open doors, dog gates, garage doors, gates, fences, etc., to allow the wearer of collar 120 to leave. Similarly, when the wearer of collar 120 wants to return inside, collar 120 can determine when the wearer is waiting outside the door and wants to enter. Collar 120 can then output control signals to the home automation system to open the door, open the dog door, etc., to allow the wearer of collar 120 to return indoors.

[0107] The collar 120 can be further configured to communicate directly with the home security system or via a user device 110 or a remote server 150 that can communicate with the home security system. For example, the collar 120 can be configured to detect when the dog wearing the collar receives an alarm about a potential danger. Detecting whether the dog receives an alarm may include detecting barking, pacing, stillness, and standing upright, each of which can indicate that the dog has received an alarm about a person approaching the home or other potential danger. When the collar 120 detects that the wearer is barking, the collar 120 can be configured to output a notification to the user device 110, asking the user if they want to command the dog to stop barking. If the user wants the dog to stop barking, the user can give the corresponding instruction on the user device 110, and the collar 120 can output a corrective action to stop the dog from barking. Alternatively, the collar 120 can output an alarm to the user device 110, asking the user if they want to activate the home security system. The collar 120 can also output control signals to a connected security system, which can be configured to output control signals to lock all doors, equip the security system, activate all security cameras to begin recording, open smart doors (smart dog doors that allow the dog to leave), etc. Furthermore, the collar 120 can be configured to activate camera 387 on the collar 120 to begin recording. The collar 120 can be configured to output location data (e.g., determined by GPS, wireless beacons, wireless signals, etc.) to the home security system, enabling the home security system to activate cameras and / or lights in the area where the wearer of the collar 120 is located. Alternatively or additionally, the collar 120 can output orientation data indicating the direction the wearer of the collar 120 is facing (e.g., determined by an electronic compass 395), and activate cameras and / or lights in the area the wearer of the collar 120 is facing. In this way, the collar 120 can be configured to function as an additional component of a home security system. As will be understood, dogs typically become aware of someone approaching the home and / or other dangers earlier than humans. Therefore, by using collar 120 to help activate the security system, the home security system can benefit from the wearer's natural protective instincts and abilities. Additionally, behavior-triggered video recordings can be transmitted to a remote server 150 for further analysis of the effectiveness of the machine learning model and to improve its accuracy. This data can be used to fine-tune the model for all wearers and / or to customize a model for that particular wearer.

[0108] The collar 120 can be further configured to receive signals from a security system and output appropriate corrective actions. For example, if the home security system determines that a dog is barking at a delivery person (e.g., through facial recognition software, package recognition software, user input, etc.), the home security system can output a signal indicating the detected person or an event indicating that the delivery person is approaching the home. The collar 120 can then determine that the wearer of the collar 120 should be prevented from approaching the delivery person and output one or more corrective actions to prevent the wearer of the collar 120 from approaching the delivery person. For example, the collar 120 can make the area between the front yard or driveway and the front porch a restricted zone and prevent the wearer of the collar 120 from entering the restricted zone, thereby protecting the delivery person from being bitten or otherwise injured by the wearer of the collar 120. Alternatively, the collar 120 can create a temporary small geofence area around the wearer of the collar 120 to keep the wearer of the collar 120 in their current position so that the wearer of the collar 120 cannot approach the delivery person.

[0109] Furthermore, collar 120, user device 110, and / or server can be configured to determine whether collar 120 is indoors or outdoors (e.g., based on a comparison of signal strength measured by two or more devices in collar 120, based on geolocation data, beacon proximity, and / or electronic compass direction). Therefore, collar 120, user device 110, and / or server can determine whether collar 120 should switch between indoor and outdoor modes. For example, the received signal strength and the number of received satellite signals (e.g., the number of signals, the number of satellites corresponding to the received signals) can be statistically analyzed; the statistics can be performed in real-time (or near real-time), and filters can be applied to the incoming data to reduce errors. Collar, user device 110, and / or server can be configured to determine the strength level based at least in part on the analysis of the signal and corresponding data (e.g., signal strength, the number of received signals). The resulting strength level can be compared with one or more strength thresholds for expected indoor and / or outdoor strength levels, and it can be determined whether collar 120 is indoors or outdoors. Collar 120, user device 110, and / or server can perform a calibration process whereby the user can "train" a statistical model by collecting data (e.g., baseline data) both indoors and / or outdoors to customize thresholds according to their corresponding environment. Calibration thresholds can be stored in the memory of collar 120, and are typically the algorithm of program 336, or can be stored and associated only with the geographic location where calibration occurs. This location-specific association can be based on geographic coordinates or via associated fence identifiers. By storing multiple thresholds in multiple geographic locations or fences, collar 120 can adjust the thresholds it uses based on its current location to produce a more accurate determination.

[0110] Alternatively or additionally, collar 120, user device 110, and / or server may determine when the result is indeterminate, for example, when collar 120 is positioned indoors but near a large window where satellite signal strength is high. Collar 120, user device 110, and / or server may then consider the motion state of collar 120 (e.g., using its accelerometer) to determine whether collar 120 may or may not have changed (e.g., from indoors to outdoors, from outdoors to indoors) and may remain in its last state (e.g., indoor, outdoor). Collar 120, user device 110, and / or server may also support an "intermediate" mode, in which collar 120 cannot determine its current indoor or outdoor state. In this "intermediate" mode, collar 120 may take different actions. For example, collar 120, user device 110, and / or server may freeze the last determined / last received GPS coordinates when in indoor mode, move the coordinates when in outdoor mode, and / or adjust the position when in intermediate mode. Collar 120, user device 110, and / or server can be modified and adjusted when in intermediate mode to avoid large movements that may be caused by inaccurate satellite readings, thus preventing erroneous jumps in position. Collar 120, user device 110, and / or server can be configured to pause at least some corrective actions (e.g., corrective actions corresponding to safe and / or restricted areas) when the animal is in intermediate mode, because the accuracy and quality of GPS signals may be unavailable and / or unreliable indoors. Optionally, if the geographic location indicates that collar 120, user device 110, and / or server has left the enclosure when in intermediate mode, then collar 120, user device 110, and / or server will only utilize encouraging feedback (e.g., without electronic stimulation).

[0111] Alternatively or additionally, collar 120, user device 110, and / or server may be configured to determine whether collar 120 is indoors based on whether the latest location data (or the latest location information above a predetermined accuracy threshold) indicates that collar 120 has moved across a geofence boundary separating outdoor and indoor locations (e.g., a geofence boundary aligned with the exterior walls of a house or other building). For example, program 336 or backend server may be configured to automatically determine indoor / outdoor geofence boundaries based on satellite or aerial imagery or areas. That is, program 336 and / or backend server may be configured to receive one or more images indicating an overhead view of an area, identify one or more buildings from the images, and create an indoor / outdoor geofence boundary indicating the exterior walls for each identified building.

[0112] If program 336 determines that collar 120 is outdoors, then program 336 can switch collar 120 to outdoor mode. Switching to outdoor mode may include power consumption for switching collar 120. For example, when outdoors, it can be assumed that WiFi... TMIts use is limited, and the collar 120 can be configured to disable WiFi when the collar 120 is positioned outdoors. TM Functionality. Alternatively or additionally, collar 120 can be configured to enable GLS 360 when collar 120 is positioned outdoors, and to disable or reduce the power-on time of GLS 360 when collar 120 is positioned indoors. The outdoor mode may include one or more different geofences compared to the indoor mode. For example, the outdoor mode may include one or more geofences to prevent animals from leaving the yard or another area, which is unnecessary when the animal is indoors.

[0113] If program 336 determines that collar 120 is indoors, then program 336 can switch collar 120 to indoor mode. Switching to indoor mode may include changing the power consumption of collar 120. For example, as described above, collar 120 may be configured to disable GLS 360 when collar 120 is located indoors, and / or collar 120 may be configured to enable WiFi when collar 120 is located indoors. TM Functionality. Indoor mode can include one or more different geofences compared to outdoor mode. For example, it may be necessary to prevent animals from entering bedrooms or kitchens, and since the animals are indoors, there is no need to prevent them from leaving the yard or another area. Indoor fences (e.g., secure and / or unsecured zones) can be established and defined using a short-range wireless receiver (e.g., BLE), which may require relatively less power compared to other systems. Since determining indoor and / or outdoor modes may rely on GLS receiver data, procedure 336 can activate the receiver indoors when the animal moves for short periods or at set intervals (e.g., at predetermined times, at predetermined intervals / durations) to reanalyze incoming signals and re-determine the indoor status; if collar 120 is determined to remain indoors, procedure 336 can then power off the GLS receiver again. Periodic cycling of GLS receiver power, particularly when cycling only when the accelerometer determines movement, provides accurate indoor / outdoor determination while minimizing power consumption.

[0114] The program 336 may receive data from one or more sensors of the collar 120, such as data measured by the accelerometer 350 and / or GLS360, and may determine the animal's activity level or type of activity based on the received data. The determined activity may correspond to a command received from the animal wearing the collar 120. For example, the animal may be trained to provide, and the collar 120 may be configured to detect, predetermined activities and / or gestures to indicate specific needs or desires of the animal (e.g., signaling that the user or another person is injured or needs help, transmitting a request to the user to let the animal go outside, transmitting a request to the user to provide water and / or food). This functionality is particularly useful for service animals. For example, a service animal may determine that its owner needs medical care and may perform predetermined activities and / or gestures. After detecting predetermined activities and / or gestures, the collar 120 may be configured to activate an alarm from the collar 120 itself (e.g., via a speaker, LED 380, and / or the display of the collar 120). Upon detecting a predetermined activity and / or gesture, the collar 120 may be configured to transmit an alarm or notification to the user device 110. Upon detecting a predetermined activity and / or gesture, the collar 120 may also be configured to transmit a call and / or notification to a third party (e.g., a designated contact, emergency service provider, healthcare provider, and / or another contact). The collar 120 may be configured to transmit via WiFi. TM Calls and / or notifications can be transmitted via cellular networks or any other communication method. The collar 120 may be configured to transmit the location of the collar 120 (e.g., the current location of the collar 120 and / or the location of the collar 120 when a predetermined activity and / or gesture is detected) via calls and / or notifications. The location of the collar 120 may be determined at least in part based on data received from the GLS 360.

[0115] Program 336 can be configured to determine the type of animal activity (e.g., running, walking, playing, jumping, sitting, scratching, sniffing, lying down, pet excretion) via data measured by accelerometer 350, electronic compass 395 and / or gyroscope sensor, GLS 360, biometric sensor 397, camera 387, microphone 385, or some other sensor), and program 336 can be configured to learn data patterns associated with the animal (e.g., accelerometer data patterns). For example, collar 120 may contain an internal neural network or other machine learning model (e.g., recurrent neural network, long short-term memory (LSTM) network, bidirectional LSTM network, conditional random field (CRF) network, LSTM-CRF network, Bi-LSTM-CRF network, or other suitable machine learning model) to determine real-time animal behavior. This model can be pre-loaded onto collar 120 based on offline data collection, learning, and training processes from numerous collars 120 and animals. For example, as will be described in more detail herein, a machine learning model can be trained over time using feedback from one or more users and data received from one or more collars 120 worn by various animals, and that pre-trained machine learning model can be pre-loaded onto the collar 120 when a user first purchases it. In this way, the collar 120 can be configured to determine animal behavior upon initial installation.

[0116] If collar 120 includes a model already trained to determine animal behavior, it can be put into training mode, whereby the user can provide feedback to help classify real-time activity for further training of the neural network. Once trained, collar 120 will apply a classifier to at least real-time g-values ​​(from accelerometer 350 or other motion sensors) and electronic compass data (from electronic compass 395) to associate detected data with specific behaviors. Alternatively or additionally, data recorded by collar 120 can be output to remote server 150, which may contain a machine learning model (e.g., a neural network) that has been trained to associate data with behavior, or can be trained over time to associate data from collar 120 with specific behaviors. For example, collar 120 may be configured to detect changes in the collar's movement (e.g., from a dog sitting to a dog jumping, barking, biting, etc.) and output the data to remote server 150.

[0117] As previously described, the machine learning model can be trained over time by receiving feedback from the user (e.g., via user device 110 or an API). For example, user 110 can provide input indicating the type of behavior detected by collar 120 (e.g., the user can choose to associate a specific dataset with running, sitting, barking, jumping, biting, etc.). As will be understood, standard learning algorithms can be used to improve the accuracy of the machine learning model until the machine learning model can accurately distinguish and / or identify each learned behavior without requiring user input.

[0118] Users can train machine learning models by associating recent behaviors with specified behaviors via user device 110 (e.g., a smartphone running an application configured to communicate with collar 120 and its neural network). Specific behaviors can be displayed, input, or otherwise specified via user device 110. For example, a user can determine when the wearer of collar 120 is performing a specific behavior and associate data recorded during that behavior via an application installed on user device 110. Users can associate data with specific behaviors by selecting timeframes or discrete data samples known to the user as being associated with a specific behavior, collected by collar 120 and output to user device (or remote server 150). For illustration, a user can monitor the wearer of collar 120 and (via user device 110 or an API communicating with remote server 150) provide feedback to the machine learning model, indicating that data recorded during a specific time period should be associated with the observed behavior.

[0119] However, as will be understood, the wearer of collar 120 may not always perform specific behaviors or activities when a user is nearby (e.g., a dog may not chew furniture while the user is watching), and the user may not want to vigilantly monitor the wearer of collar 120. To help ensure the user is aware of the animal's behavior, collar 120 may be configured to detect movement via accelerometer 350 and activate camera 387, a nearby home security camera, and / or microphone 385 to record events. Data recorded by accelerometer 150, camera 387, a nearby home security camera, and / or microphone 385 may be output to user device 110 and / or remote server 150, and the user can later review the detected activity and associated video or audio recordings to confirm that the wearer of collar 120 is performing a specific behavior or activity. For illustration, collar 120 may be configured to detect when the wearer of collar 120 bites and begin recording accelerometer data, as well as video and audio data. The recorded data can then be output to user device 110 and / or remote server 150, and the user can later review the recorded events to confirm whether the data indicates a bite. In this way, the user can provide feedback to the machine learning model to help it become more accurate over time.

[0120] The collar 120 can be configured to detect more than one activity simultaneously (e.g., barking while running, barking while sitting, etc.) and identify each individual behavior. The collar 120 can determine that one behavior should be designated as the primary activity and another behavior should be designated as the secondary activity. In other words, the collar 120 can determine that a particular behavior should have a higher priority than another behavior (e.g., the user may want to stop barking instead of sitting) and output corrective or encouraging actions accordingly.

[0121] Figure 5 This describes a method 500 for training a machine learning model and implementing learned associations on a collar 120. Method 500 may include collecting 510 data using various sensors on the collar 120 described herein. Method 500 may include tagging 520 of the collected data and processing 530 of the collected data. The tagging 520 of the collected data may include user tagging of the collected data via a user device 100 or API communicating with a remote server 150, or the tagging 520 of the collected data may include automatically tagged collected data, and then the user can verify whether the automatic tagging is correct or incorrect. Processing 530 of the collected data may be performed on the user device 110 or the remote server 150.

[0122] Method 500 may further include processing the data and associated labels 540 using a machine learning predictive model. As will be understood, the machine learning model can become more accurate over time as it processes more data and associated labels. Furthermore, if the remote server 150 includes a machine learning model, then the remote server 150 may be configured to receive data from multiple collars 120, allowing the machine learning model to be trained using multiple collars 120 to help accelerate the machine learning model's ability to accurately correlate data with specific behaviors.

[0123] Method 500 may include downloading a model 550 to the collar 120 and implementing the model 550 within the collar 120. In other words, updates to the machine learning model can be downloaded to the collar 120, allowing the collar 120 to more accurately correlate detected data with specific behaviors, and then determining appropriate corrective or positive feedback to output to the wearer of the collar 120. As will be understood, the method just described may include more or fewer elements than those described. Therefore, method 500 should not be construed as limiting, but is provided for illustrative purposes.

[0124] The collar 120 is not limited to detecting the behaviors or activities described above, but can be configured to detect behaviors specific to each wearer of the collar 120. In this way, the collar 120 can be configured to accurately detect each unique wearer of the collar 120 and provide feedback to them. In this way, the corrective or positive feedback of the collar 120 can be tailored to each individual wearer of the collar 120 over time. As a non-limiting example, the collar 120 can be configured to detect behaviors or activities such as barking, meowing, urinating, defecating, walking, running, jumping, eating, drinking, resting, playing, sniffing, spinning, following, rolling, dragging hind legs on the ground, swimming, squatting, etc. In some instances, a machine learning model can be configured to correlate detected data with specific behaviors with high accuracy. For example, in some tests, the machine learning model accurately associated detected data with the following behaviors: barking >98%, defecation >98%, eating and / or drinking >96%, resting >88%, jumping >97%, running / playing >86%, smelling >85%, urination >97%, and walking >75%. In some instances, the machine learning model accurately associated detected data with 80% to 100%, 85% to 100%, 90% to 100%, 95% to 100%, or 98% to 100% accuracy. However, as will be understood, over time and with an increase in data samples received from various collars, the machine learning model can become more accurate than just described. Furthermore, as will be understood, a given accuracy in associating detected data with a specific behavior may vary from animal to animal because not all animals exhibit the same behavior or behave in the same way, even among animals of the same species.

[0125] Program 336 can be configured to switch collar 120 to a corresponding operating mode based on a determined activity type. For example, program 336 can determine whether the animal is active or resting, and program 336 can switch the operating mode of collar 120 based on that determination. The program can be configured to adjust the type of corrective action (e.g., vibration, warning sound, electronic stimulation) depending on the activity determined by program 336. For example, if the animal changes from a resting or inactive position to jumping on a person, a strong corrective action may be required, and if the animal changes from a playful activity type to jumping on a person, a less strong corrective action (or none at all) may be desired, as it can be assumed that the person is playing with the animal. Program 336 can determine that the animal is a "high-energy" animal that requires stronger corrective actions (e.g., electronic stimulation) based on the animal's activity level, because high-energy animals generally do not accept (or do not accept at all) less strong corrective actions (e.g., warning sounds, vibrations). Collar 120 can be further configured to determine the animal's bag position when the animal is in a bag. In other words, collar 120 can be configured to determine whether the animal is behind, in the middle, or in front of the bag. This can be done, for example, when more than one animal is wearing collar 120 and by comparing the position and orientation of each nearby collar. Furthermore, collar 120 can be configured to determine one or more training programs based on the animal's energy level, activity type, and / or position within the bag.

[0126] If program 336 determines that the animal is active, then program 336 may switch collar 120 to an active mode. For example, an active mode may include measuring and / or transmitting measured data at a more frequent rate than a resting mode. The active mode may be configured to detect unwanted activity in parts of the animal and may be configured to issue corrective actions aimed at preventing or correcting those unwanted activities. For example, when collar 120 is in active mode (or some other mode), program 336 may be configured to (e.g., based on accelerometer data and / or recorded audible data) determine the animal's behavior, such as sleeping, running, jumping, barking, jumping on a person, or any other behavior. Program 336 may be configured to distinguish between desired or permitted behaviors and undesirable behaviors. Program 336 may be configured to receive input from a user indicating desired or permitted behaviors and / or undesirable behaviors, such that permitted / undesirable behaviors are user-configurable. Upon detecting undesirable behavior, program 336 may be configured to initiate corrective actions via collar 120.

[0127] If procedure 336 determines that the animal is resting, then procedure 336 may switch collar 120 to resting mode. Procedure 336 may switch collar 120 to resting mode only when the animal has a low level of activity at a location more than a predetermined distance from the perimeter of a predetermined geofence area. Resting mode may correspond to a low-power mode, wherein collar 120 may be configured to measure and / or transmit data less frequently compared to activity mode, leash mode, maze mode, or other modes in which higher granularity or higher refresh rate data is required or desired.

[0128] The collar 120 and associated systems (user device 110, remote server 150, etc.) can be configured to monitor and track the health trends of the wearer of the collar 120. For example, the collar 120 can be configured to track the type, level, frequency, and duration of activities performed by the wearer, and analyze changes in these activities over time. When a significant change is detected, the collar 120 can then create an alarm. As will be understood, excessive sleep when the wearer is typically very active may indicate that the wearer of the collar 120 is ill, injured, or has some other health problem. As another example, the collar 120 can be configured to detect the frequency of the wearer's eating or drinking. Excessive or insufficient eating or drinking may also indicate various health problems of the wearer of the collar 120. As yet another example, the collar 120 can be configured to detect and monitor the frequency of the wearer's scratching. If the wearer scratches excessively, the collar 120 can be configured to output a notification to the user device 110 to indicate that the wearer may have a flea or tick infestation. The collar 120 can also output suggestions for ordering flea or tick medication, or can automatically order flea or tick medication. If the collar 120 is configured to automatically order flea or tick medication, then the collar 120 can order flea or tick medication based on past medical data (such as prescriptions or other previously administered flea and tick medications). As another example, the collar 120 can be configured to detect when the wearer licks or bites in a specific area (e.g., where the animal recently had surgery or has a wound). The collar 120 can detect the licking or biting and output corrective actions to stop the wearer from licking or biting in that area. In this way, the collar 120 can be used to replace (or supplement) traditional protective collars typically used to prevent the wearer from licking or biting.

[0129] Additionally, the type, intensity, frequency, location, and timing of the wearer's activities can be used to analyze when the wearer transitions from a normal calm state to an excited state. An excited state is characterized by prolonged barking, vigorous movement, and behaviors such as jumping. When the wearer reaches an excited state indoors after a period of time, patterns of these excited periods can be analyzed, for example, through machine learning algorithms. The pattern recognition system can then suggest to the user when to schedule exercise, such as a dog walk, so that it occurs before the animal typically becomes excited. This proactive recommendation engine is an effective way to keep animals calm when they are indoors for extended periods. Alternatively, when an excited state is reached after a prolonged calm period, the collar 120 can immediately output a specific type of feedback to remind the animal to return to a calm state. Both proactive walks and immediate feedback when the animal is excited are common methods to prevent animals from exhibiting aggressive, destructive, and / or dangerous behaviors.

[0130] As previously described, the biometric sensor 397 can be configured to detect various biometric signals of the wearer of the collar 120. For example, the wearer's heart rate, respiration, blood oxygen level, or other biometric data can be collected and analyzed to monitor the wearer's health status. As another example, the temperature sensor 390 can be configured to detect the wearer's body temperature and output an alarm if the wearer's body temperature is above a high threshold temperature or below a low threshold temperature. For example, if the collar 120 detects that the wearer's body temperature exceeds a high temperature threshold when the wearer is outdoors on a hot day, the collar 120 can output an alarm to the user device 110 or via a connected smart dog door or home automation system to allow the wearer of the collar 120 to enter the building for cooling. If the collar 120 detects a change in the wearer's health pattern, the collar 120 can output an alarm to the user device 110 and / or the animal's health provider's communication system to alert the user and / or the animal's health provider.

[0131] As previously described, collar 120 can be configured to determine if an animal is defecating or urinating, and can be configured to switch collar 120 to pet defecation / urination mode. For example, program 336 can be configured to make this determination based on data from accelerometer 350 and / or electronic compass sensor 395, as described herein. After detecting that the animal has defecated or urinated, program 336 can be configured to transmit a notification to user device 110 indicating that the animal has defecated or urinated and / or that the location of the defecation or urination can be stored or transmitted, allowing the user to locate and clean up the defecation or urination. The notification may include a map detailing each corresponding defecation or urination location. User device 110 can be configured to track defecation or urination that has not yet been cleaned up. User device 110 can be configured to receive data indicating one or more defecation or urination locations, and can be configured to provide a warning or alarm if user device 110 moves within a predetermined distance of the defecation or urination to prevent the user from stepping on the defecation or urination. User device 110 may be configured to receive input from a user indicating that the user has cleaned one or more specific feces or urinations, such that the corresponding feces or urinations can be removed from a list of feces or urinations that have not yet been cleaned, which is tracked by user device 110.

[0132] The training mode may include geolocation settings, where collar 120 is configured to transmit a constant stream of geolocation data. This allows for highly granular and continuously updated geolocation data, which helps minimize incorrect geolocation readings that could lead to erroneous corrective actions, thus hindering the animal's training regarding its location at geofence boundaries and its avoidance or failure to reach those boundaries.

[0133] The leash mode may correspond to providing a “wireless leash” that can be configured to keep an animal wearing collar 120 within a predetermined distance relative to user device 110 (e.g., user’s mobile phone, user’s smartwatch). The length of the leash (i.e., the predetermined distance) can be adjusted by the user, for example via user device 110 and / or via U / I device 370 of collar 120. The length of the leash can be automatically adjusted based on proximity to restricted areas or other obstacles (e.g., roads, waterways). The length of the leash can be a predetermined distance or radius from user device 110 in which the permitted animal can travel, and as user device 110 moves (e.g., as indicated by positioning data provided by user device 110’s GLS 250), the center of the area in which the permitted animal can travel (i.e., the predetermined distance or radius from the center of the circle it extends from) can be removed. If the current distance between the collar and user device 110 is greater than a predetermined distance and / or if collar 120 detects that the user and the wearer of collar 120 are facing different directions or moving in different directions (e.g., via electronic compass 395), then the collar may be configured to issue corrective and / or directional commands. Collar 120 may be configured to provide directional commands (e.g., right or left turn) based on, for example, the position of collar 120 and / or electronic compass data corresponding to collar 120 compared to the boundaries of the belt length. That is, collar 120 may be configured to determine whether collar 120 is approaching the maximum distance of the belt length and may provide directional commands or other cues to guide the animal toward user device 110. The area in which the animal is permitted to move can be manually adjusted by the user via user device 110.

[0134] Collar 120 (or user device 110 or server) can be configured to determine whether the user and animal are walking side-by-side, whether the user (via location data from user device 110) is guiding the animal (via location data from collar 120), or whether the animal is guiding the user. In some scenarios, the user may want the animal to walk alongside or follow behind the user (e.g., for obedience purposes), while in other scenarios (e.g., playing fetch), the user may want to allow the animal to run ahead of the user. Therefore, depending on the positioning of collar 120 relative to user device 110, the belt length can be limited at different distances. As an example, the user can adjust the wireless belt to allow the animal to walk behind the user at a maximum distance of 10 feet, walk alongside the user at a maximum distance of 5 feet, and not allow the animal to walk in front of the user (i.e., belt distance of 0 feet from the user).

[0135] The collar 120 can be configured to allow the wearer to follow or otherwise walk beside the user. For example, the collar 120 can be configured to detect whether the collar 120 and the user device 110 are moving in the same direction (e.g., via an electronic compass 195) and at the same speed, for example using a GLS 360 sensor, and can output one or more corrective actions to allow the wearer to move beside the user to follow. The collar 120 can automatically allow the wearer to follow, or the collar 120 can receive input from the user device 110 indicating that the user wants the wearer to follow. The collar 120 can be configured to receive data indicating which side the user wants the dog to follow on, and then output one or more corrective actions to allow the wearer to follow on that particular side. Similarly, the collar 120 can be configured to output one or more corrective actions to slow the wearer down or otherwise refrain from attempting to forcefully guide the user (e.g., pulling when on a leash). For example, the collar 120 can detect whether the collar 120 is moving faster than the user device 100, or whether it has reached a threshold distance from the user, and output one or more corrective actions to train the wearer to keep up or otherwise not try to walk too far ahead of the user.

[0136] LEDs 380, displays, or audio recordings on collar 120 can indicate that collar 120 is in leash mode. LEDs 380, displays, or audio recordings can be configured to alert passersby that the animal is wirelessly leashed and has not been released. User device 110 can be configured to detect spatial gestures performed by the user via accelerometer 260. User device 110 can be configured to compare detected gesture data indicating a detected spatial gesture with one or more stored gesture data sets, each stored gesture indicating a corresponding user command. User device 110 can determine the similarity between the detected gesture data and at least one of the stored gesture data sets, and if the similarity between the detected gesture data and a specific stored gesture data set is higher than a predetermined threshold, then user device 110 can transmit the corresponding user command to collar 120. Collar 120 can receive user commands and can issue corresponding prompts, directional commands, and / or corrective actions. Therefore, the detected movement of the user device 110 and the corresponding cues, directional commands, and / or corrective actions emitted at the collar 120 can mimic a wireless and / or unrestrained version of a conventional leash. For example, the user can “pull” or “drag” the user device 110 (e.g., similar to dragging a physical leash) to provide directional commands at the collar 120, thereby commanding the animal to approach the user or face the user of the user device 110.

[0137] The leash mode may include functionality that allows a user to simultaneously walk multiple animals, each wearing a collar 120, using one or more user devices 110. User devices 110 (e.g., accessible via an application or network, as discussed more fully below) may be configured such that a first user (e.g., a pet owner) may "lend" control of an animal wearing a collar 120 to a second user using a second user device 110, or otherwise temporarily (or permanently, if necessary) transfer said control to the second user. For example, a pet owner may temporarily transfer (or share) control of an animal wearing a collar 120 to a family member, dog walker, groomer, veterinary office, or other individual or entity. As another example, a pet owner may permanently transfer (or share) control of an animal wearing a collar 120 to a family member, another person who has adopted the animal wearing a collar 120, or another individual or entity. The user device 110 transferring or managing control of an animal wearing a collar 120 may be configured to restrict the permissions of the transferee or administrator. User device 110 can be configured to assign the same control quantities to the assignee or administrator's user device 110 as those of the user of user device 110 (e.g., a user of the first user device 110 may have a spouse using the second user device 110, and the second user device 110 may have the same permissions and capabilities as the user's first user device 110). This allows the assignee or administrator's user device 110 to adjust some or all of any of the configured settings. Conversely, the assignee or administrator's user device 110 may be restricted from adjusting some or all of any of the configured settings.

[0138] Collar 120 can be configured to switch to "invisible fence" mode, where a geofence boundary is established in a relatively small area around collar 120. The geofence area can be based on collar 120's current location, a user-selected location, or distance from a short-range wireless beacon. For example, invisible fence mode can be helpful if a user wants to keep the wearer of collar 120 within a specific area or provide comfort for the wearer. For instance, some animals feel comfortable being confined to a small space when frightened (e.g., during a thunderstorm). Collar 120 can provide the wearer with a sense of familiarity by offering feedback each time they attempt to leave the small geofence area. With use of invisible fence mode, over time, the wearer of collar 120 can become accustomed to the feeling of an invisible fence and feel more comfortable in the small geofence area. If the collar 120 is configured to generate an "invisible fence" based on proximity to the short-range radio beacon, then the user can pick up and move the short-range radio beacon as they move from one location to another (e.g., to different locations within a house or while traveling in a car).

[0139] Program 336 can be configured to switch collar 120 to a distance-away mode, or operate concurrently with other modes in a distance-away mode, which can cause collar 120 to provide one or more corrections when it moves within a predetermined distance of one or more devices associated with one or more specific persons or users (“hostile animal persons”). As a non-limiting example, this functionality may be desirable in cases where a person fears or otherwise is hostile towards the animal wearing collar 120 and the hostile animal person wishes to keep the animal at a predetermined distance from the hostile animal person. Such hostile animal persons may include police officers, mail or package delivery providers, or any other person who wishes to keep the animal away from him or her, such as the infirm or elderly, people who fear animals wearing collar 120, people with animal-related allergies, or people who simply dislike animals wearing collar 120. Similarly, pet owners may want their pets to keep away from visitors when being trained or when not properly trained, such as when exhibiting unwanted behaviors, such as jumping or biting visitors. As explained more fully in this article, devices associated with people who are hostile to animals can be mobile devices configured to emit signals (such as Bluetooth signals).

[0140] Program 336 can be configured to switch to remote mode upon receiving a corresponding instruction from user device 110, a backend server, or some other device, or can be configured to always maintain remote mode enabled. User device 110 can receive user input requesting to activate remote mode for a specific user or user group. The remote mode activation request may include contact information (e.g., a phone number) associated with a specific device or an account associated with a specific person (e.g., an email address, an account associated with a mobile application). The backend server can receive the remote mode activation request and can transmit an invitation message (e.g., an email message, a text message, a message on a mobile application) to the device or account associated with the specific person. The invitation message may contain a message instructing the recipient (i.e., a person hostile to animals) to use the remote function to help prevent the animal wearing collar 120 from moving within a predetermined distance of the mobile device or another computing device associated with the person hostile to animals (i.e., the device of the person hostile to animals). The invitation message may include a link to download an application (e.g., a distance app), through which a hostile person can enable or disable the distance function and / or control the collar 120 to begin providing the animal with a corrected distance from the hostile device. The predetermined distance may be an adjustable distance, which can be adjusted by the user via user device 110 and / or by the hostile person via the hostile device.

[0141] Alternatively, or as a supplement to requiring the person who is hostile to download an application, a link may lead to a webpage requesting a device identifier (e.g., Bluetooth identifier, BLE identifier, MAC identifier) ​​associated with the hostile device. Alternatively, or additionally, user device 110 may obtain the device identifier associated with the hostile device directly from the hostile device. For example, user device 110 may pair with or otherwise connect to the hostile device (e.g., via Bluetooth, BLE, NFC, hardwired connection), request, and receive the device identifier associated with the hostile device.

[0142] Alternatively, or as a supplement to the user's invitation to a hostile person to participate in the distance system, the hostile person may request the user's permission to participate in the distance system. The hostile person may download the distance application and create a user account within the application. The hostile person may transmit a request for permission to participate in the distance system to the user device 110 via the hostile device and / or the distance application, such that if the collar moves to a predetermined distance from the hostile device, the collar 120 will provide correction. If the user approves the request, the user may then enable distance mode via the user device 110 and / or program 336.

[0143] Alternatively, or as a supplement to being invited or requested to participate in the animal avoidance system, animal lovers may gain access by becoming members of a avoidance group. A “avoidance group” may refer to a group of people with specific membership qualifications, such as a group of police officers, a group of mail or package delivery providers, or any other group that requests animals to stay away from its members. Membership and identity within the group itself may be controlled and verified by Procedure 336 or the relevant server. Procedure 336 or the server may require a photograph of each animal lover, regardless of whether they are included in a avoidance group.

[0144] Program 336 (or a related server) may assign a unique identifier to the hostile person and / or the hostile device. The hostile device may emit a signal (e.g., a Bluetooth signal, a BLE signal), and collar 120 may be configured to determine the distance between collar 120 and the hostile device based on, for example, the detected signal strength of the emitted signal. Therefore, the hostile device may perform the same or similar functionality as the short-range wireless beacons disclosed herein, and collar 120 may be configured to provide one or more corrections as collar 120 moves within a predetermined distance of the hostile device.

[0145] As described above, a person who is hostile to animals may install a distance application on his or her device. The distance application may include a user interface that allows the person to control whether the distance function is enabled or disabled and / or the minimum predetermined distance between the hostile animal's device and collar 120. Alternatively or additionally, program 336 and / or user device 110 may allow the user to control whether the distance function is enabled or disabled relative to the hostile animal's device or a specific hostile animal's device among multiple hostile animal devices. Program 336 and / or user device may allow the user to control the minimum predetermined distance between collar 120 and one, some, or all of the hostile animal's devices.

[0146] As an alternative to assigning a unique identifier to each individual hostile person or each individual hostile device, procedure 336 may allow a user to authorize one or more hostile devices to participate in a distance mode with respect to one or more collars 120 via a single authorization code. The authorization code may expire after a predetermined time. For example, the authorization code may be valid for one day, one hour, or any other predetermined duration, and after the predetermined time expires, the authorization code will no longer allow the hostile device to reject the collar 120 (i.e., the collar 120 will no longer provide correction when it moves within a predetermined distance from the corresponding hostile device). The repeated, time-based expiration of the authorization code helps prevent unauthorized devices from rejecting the collar 120. Procedure 336 may transmit the authorization code to the collar 120 and the hostile device via user device 110 (or a server). The hostile device may transmit a distance signal containing the authorization code, and the collar 120 may receive the distance signal and compare the received authorization code with a stored authorization code. If the received authorization code matches the stored authorization code, then collar 120 can be configured to determine the distance between collar 120 and the device of the corresponding hostile animal, and if collar 120 is within a predetermined distance from the device of the hostile animal, then correction is subsequently provided.

[0147] Program 336 (or the server) can be configured to randomly generate a new authorization code before the current authorization code expires and transmit it to collar 120 and the hostile animal's device. Collar 120 and the hostile animal's device can be configured to receive the new authorization code and replace the current authorization code with the new authorization code when the current authorization code expires. Therefore, collar 120 and the hostile animal's device can delete expired authorization codes.

[0148] Device-specific identifiers (e.g., MAC addresses, beacon identifiers) of devices that are hostile to animals can be obtained from the application for backend auditing. For example, program 336 may be configured to store device-specific identifiers of hostile to animals' devices. Program 336 may be configured to transmit the device-specific identifiers to a server. Program 336 may be configured to transmit the device-specific identifiers and the event time to the server whenever an event occurs (e.g., collar 120 is moved away from a hostile to animal device). The server may contain (or be connected to) a database that stores the device-specific identifiers of each hostile to animal device associated with collar 120 and the corresponding usernames of the people associated with the hostile to animal devices. Therefore, any event data (e.g., associated with the example where collar 120 is moved away from a hostile to animal device) can be recorded and linked to the people associated with the hostile to animal device from which collar 120 is moved.

[0149] Alternatively or additionally, the distance mode may include functionality that enables the collar 120 to provide one or more corrections when it moves to a predetermined distance from one or more objects different from the device associated with the person who is hostile to the animal. For example, the collar 120 may provide one or more corrections when it moves to a predetermined distance from a vehicle, another collar (e.g., that may indicate another animal), furniture (e.g., to prevent animals from climbing onto sofas), certain plants (e.g., to prevent animals from urinating on potted plants), stairs (e.g., to prevent elderly animals or people from falling down stairs), and / or any predetermined hazard or object. To determine whether the collar 120 is within a predetermined distance from a given object, the collar 120 may use radar, lidar, one or more electronic signals emitted from the vehicle or other object (e.g., Bluetooth). TM BLE, WiFi TM ZigBee TM (ABC protocol), RF signal strength analysis, inductive loop detection, image detection and / or object recognition from images from a camera or similar, sound detected via a microphone and / or accelerometer and / or any combination thereof to identify a given object and / or the distance between a given object and collar 120, to name only a few non-limiting examples.

[0150] In the case of sound detection, a microphone and / or accelerometer (e.g., microphone 385 and / or accelerometer 350) may be configured to detect sound and / or vibration, and collar 120 may be configured to determine whether the detected sound and / or vibration is within a predetermined frequency range or exceeds (i.e., above or below) a predetermined frequency threshold. As a non-limiting example, the predetermined frequency range may indicate traffic or a single vehicle. Collar 120 may compare the detected sound and / or vibration to multiple predetermined frequency ranges, each frequency value corresponding to a specific hazard or concern.

[0151] For example, a first predetermined range of frequency values ​​may correspond to an internal combustion engine vehicle, and a second predetermined range of frequency values ​​may correspond to an electric vehicle. The collar 120 may also compare detected sound and / or vibration with a loudness threshold or amplitude threshold, which may indicate the approximate proximity of the collar 120 to the corresponding object. The collar 120 may compare detected sound and / or vibration with multiple loudness thresholds or amplitude thresholds. Continuing with the above example, the first loudness threshold or amplitude threshold may correspond to the collar 120 being within a predetermined distance from an internal combustion engine vehicle, and the second loudness threshold or amplitude threshold may correspond to the collar 120 being within a predetermined distance from an electric vehicle. Furthermore, the collar 120 may determine the duration of detected sound or vibration within a predetermined frequency range or exceeding a predetermined frequency threshold. For example, a longer duration of sound detected within a given frequency range may indicate a highway or other traffic route, while a shorter duration of sound detected within a given frequency range may indicate a single passing vehicle. Additionally, the collar 120 may determine the trend of detected sound or vibration. For example, if the loudness or amplitude of a detected sound or vibration is increasing, then collar 120 can determine that the distance between collar 120 and the corresponding object or hazard is decreasing, and can issue a correction; conversely, if the loudness or amplitude of a detected sound or vibration is decreasing, then collar 120 can determine that the distance between collar 120 and the corresponding object is increasing, and can forgo providing correction. To determine this trend, collar 120 can receive first sound or vibration data and second subsequent sound or vibration data, and collar 120 can compare the first sound or vibration data with the second sound or vibration data to determine the trend.

[0152] Collar 120 can perform similar analyses using radar data, lidar data, RF signal strength analysis, electronic signal data, induction loop detection data, optical / camera data, and the like.

[0153] Collar 120 may have default settings, which the user can override if needed. For example, if collar 120 is within a predetermined distance of traffic (e.g., a road), collar 120 may have default settings to issue corrections. This setting can be overridden, for example, if the animal wearing collar 120 is a service animal or another type of animal that frequently comes into close contact with and / or crosses roads. Alternatively or additionally, collar 120, user device 110, and / or server may be configured to determine whether the animal is traveling in a car or other vehicle. If it is determined that the animal is traveling in a car or other vehicle, collar 120 may be configured to prevent the output of at least some corrections (e.g., corrections related to collar 120 crossing a given geofence boundary). Optionally, some corrections may remain enabled (e.g., corrections related to barking).

[0154] Program 336 can be configured to switch collar 120 into a lost mode when collar 120 is outside a safe area or in a restricted area. Collar 120 can be configured to switch into lost mode immediately after moving out of a safe area or into a restricted area, or collar 120 can be configured to switch into lost mode after a predetermined amount of time, wherein collar 120 is outside a safe area or in a restricted area. These predetermined times can vary. For example, collar 120 can be configured to switch into lost mode immediately or within a short period (e.g., one minute) after moving into a restricted area, and collar 120 can be configured to switch into lost mode after a longer predetermined period (e.g., 30 minutes) after moving out of a safe area. Collar 120 (or the server) can be configured to transmit a notification to user device 110 indicating that collar 120 has entered lost mode. Alternatively, user device 110 may receive data indicating the location of collar 120 and may provide an alert when it is determined that collar 120 has entered a lost mode (e.g., collar 120 is outside a safe area or within a restricted area). The lost mode may include a geolocation setting where collar 120 is configured to transmit a constant stream of location data, allowing continuously updated geolocation data to be available at user device 110. This makes it easier for users to find lost animals.

[0155] When in lost mode, collar 120 can be configured to emit a specific audible signal, which the pet is trained to immediately return home upon hearing. This sound is a standard pet training mechanism, similar to ringing a 'dinner bell,' which the pet associates with food waiting at home. By automatically emitting this specific sound, collar 120 can use the pet's own location intuition to lead a lost pet home. Alternatively or additionally, collar 120 can be configured to cue or provide directional commands to guide the animal home. The application can be configured to track and / or display the history of routes previously taken by the animal (e.g., during dog walks). When in lost mode, program 336 can be configured to select a route home by determining the routes the animal has previously taken. For example, if there is a route home that the animal has taken several times before, the animal is likely familiar with the surrounding environment associated with that route, making it less likely to be confused or distracted. Therefore, by following this route, collar 120 can lead the animal home faster and more efficiently. Program 336 can be configured to select the route the animal travels most frequently, travels fastest, or follows according to some other metric. Collar 120 can be configured to issue an audible notification (i.e., play a pre-recorded audio message) indicating that the animal is lost, the animal's name, and / or instructions on how to return the animal to its owner, for example by providing the owner's name and / or contact information (such as the owner's phone number, address, or any other useful identifying information associated with the owner). The type of contact information provided by collar 120 can be configured by the owner or user based on privacy preferences or other considerations.

[0156] Alternatively or as a supplement to providing cues or instructions to the animal wearing collar 120 (such as a "home" dinner bell alarm, clicker training), the lost mode may include collar 120 configured to issue an audible notification to any passerby, which may indicate a warning or instruction. For example, collar 120 may issue an audible notification requesting any passerby to contact the user via contact information included in the audible notification. As another example, collar 120 may instruct passersby not to approach the animal, or may notify passersby that the user is currently approaching the animal. This can encourage otherwise uncomfortable bystanders to help return the animal. For example, bystanders may feel uncomfortable approaching unfamiliar animals (e.g., fear of approaching unleashed animals, even those wearing traditional identification tags), but notifying bystanders via collar 120 that the user is approaching the animal can encourage them to monitor the animal's safety from a safe distance (e.g., ensuring the animal does not wander into traffic).

[0157] If collar 120 enters a lost mode, program 336 can provide a notification to the user via user device 110. Program 336 can receive an indication from the user that the user is moving toward collar 120. Program 336 can be configured to transmit the notification that the user is moving toward collar 120 to collar 120. Collar 120 can be configured to receive the notification and issue an audible notification instructing the user to move toward collar 120. Collar 120 (or the server) can determine the distance between collar 120 and user device and / or calculate the estimated travel time for user device 110 to reach the position of collar 120. The audible notification issued by collar 120 may include the estimated travel time of user device 110 and / or the estimated distance between collar 120 and user device 110.

[0158] The disclosed technology can be useful for use with young children or the elderly. For example, a confused young child or the elderly may be equipped with a collar 120, which is configured to issue a record instructing the wearer of the collar 120 to return to the safe area in response to determining that the collar 120 is leaving a safe area or approaching a restricted area (e.g., a road).

[0159] Various aspects and functions of collar 120 can be selectively controlled, tracked, and viewed via user device 110, such as through a mobile phone application or a graphical user interface (GUI) of a network-accessible platform (e.g., a website). As described herein, various embodiments of the GUI are collectively referred to as “applications.” Applications and / or collar 120 can be configured to automatically provide geofences when an address is entered into the application. The automatically provided geofences can be adjusted or edited by the user. Collar 120 can be configured to receive input from the user to automatically install a geofence upon arrival at a location. For example, if a pet owner and pet arrive at a new property, the pet owner can provide input instructing the automatic installation of a geofence at the current location. Collar 120 can determine its current location and automatically create a geofence based on the property's boundaries.

[0160] The collar 120, user device 110, and / or application may be compatible with one or more different mapping technologies, such as Google. TM Maps, Apple TM Maps and Bing TM Maps (often referred to as "map service providers"). Geofencing and / or geofenced areas can be overlaid on the map. Geofencing can be imported into the application by the user drawing geofences on the map within the application, and the user can choose whether the geofenced area is a safe zone or a restricted zone. Figure 4A and 4BThe application depicts instances of geofences overlaid on a map. The application can be configured to record geofences as the user device 110 is carried along the perimeter of the desired geofence area. The application can provide downloadable various pre-created and / or crowdsourced geofences, such as geofences corresponding to dog runs in a park or hotel, or trails on a map (e.g., mountain paths drawn on a map). One or more geofences can be transmitted from the user device 110 or otherwise transferred to the collar 120. This transmission can be wireless (e.g., via Bluetooth). TM or WiFi TM This can be done via a wired connection (e.g., via USB). The application may include a window or interface for editing existing geofences, such as pre-installed geofences, previously created geofences, downloaded geofences, and / or crowdsourced geofences. The application may also include a window or interface for deleting existing geofences.

[0161] Collar 120, user device 110, and / or application may be configured to receive map data from a map service provider and may be configured to automatically determine safe zones and / or restricted zones based on the map data. For example, all roads may be defaulted to restricted zones and / or all bodies of water may be defaulted to restricted zones. These determinations may be based at least in part on identifying data within the map data (e.g., markers for certain areas), object identification from images indicated or included by the map data (e.g., overhead images), and / or any other method of identifying areas from the map data. Alternatively or additionally, collar 120, user device 110, and / or remote server (e.g., backend server) may calculate a dynamic fence defined by the contours of road edges surrounding, enclosing, and / or adjacent to the animal's current location (and / or other predetermined and / or user-specified obstacles, such as bodies of water). If user device 110 or the server determines a dynamic fence, then user device 110 or the server may transmit that information to collar 120. Figure 6As shown, a dynamic fence can be created around an entire nearby block, including the house where collar 120 is positioned. The dynamic fence can be created as an alternative to or supplement to a geofence that tracks another boundary (e.g., the boundary of a pet owner's property). Therefore, if an animal leaves the pet owner's property, the dynamic fence will automatically become available to help prevent the animal from approaching roads or other obstacles. As previously described, the dynamic fence can supplement a geofence that tracks the boundaries of a pet owner's property or other geofenced areas. If collar 120 leaves the dynamic fenced area (e.g., crossing a road), collar 120, user device 110, and / or the server can automatically create a subsequent dynamic fence (e.g., once collar 120 enters a new bounded area, such as a new adjacent block) to help prevent the animal from re-entering roads or other hazardous environments. If collar 120 leaves the first geofenced area (e.g., crossing the initial dynamic fence), collar 120 can be configured to increase the severity and / or duration of corrections associated with subsequent geofenced areas (e.g., subsequent dynamic fences).

[0162] The application may include windows or menus where users can configure correction rules based on the proximity of collar 120 to a geofence and / or based on selected portions of the geofence. Configuring correction rules may include selecting various proximity levels between collar 120 and the geofence corresponding to different levels of correction. For example, users may be able to select, via the application, the distance to a geofence that generates warning correction, the distance to a geofence that generates low electronic stimulation correction, the distance to a geofence that generates medium electronic stimulation correction, and the distance to a geofence that generates high electronic stimulation correction. The application may provide an interface through which users can configure correction rules for collar groups 120 and / or individual collars 120. For example, users may be able to provide a first set of rules for some or all collars 120 corresponding to cows, a second set of rules for some or all collars 120 corresponding to horses, a third set of rules for some or all collars 120 corresponding to all sheepdogs, and a fourth set of rules for collars 120 corresponding to a specific raccoon hound.

[0163] The application allows the user to configure the initial settings of collar 120. As described herein, collar 120 may have default settings related to safe zones and / or restricted zones. These default settings may be modified and / or overridden based on user preferences that can be entered via the application. For example, if collar 120 crosses a road (e.g., if the animal is a service animal), the user may override the corrective output, and / or the user may modify the predetermined distance between the collar 120 and the road (or other object or hazard) where it will issue a corrective.

[0164] As another example, the user can input information about the temperament of other animals related to the animal (i.e., the wearer of collar 120). If the animal is aggressive towards other animals, or if the user wishes to prevent the animal from contacting other animals, the settings of collar 120 can be modified to prevent collar 120 from being within a predetermined distance from another smart collar (e.g., a collar of the same type as collar 120), and / or to prevent collar 120 from being within a predetermined distance from other animals (or only one or more specific types of animals) based on one or more types of detected data (e.g., sound data and / or camera data). On the other hand, if the animal is friendly towards other animals, the settings of collar 120 can be modified to allow collar 120 to be within any distance of other animals.

[0165] As another example, a user can input information regarding whether the wearer of collar 120 (e.g., an animal or a person) can swim. If the user indicates that the wearer cannot swim or is a poor swimmer, collar 120 can provide correction to prevent the wearer from moving near the water. Alternatively, if the user indicates that the wearer can swim, collar 120 can allow collar 120 to move near and / or into the water without outputting any correction. Optionally, collar 120, user device 110, and / or application can be configured to rank the difficulty of swimming in certain bodies of water and can classify one or more bodies of water by severity. Classifying a given body of water as a safe zone or a restricted zone can be at least in part based on the swimming difficulty associated with the body of water. For example, the wearer of collar 120 may be a proficient swimmer, allowing the wearer to swim in calm ponds and lakes, but may wish to prevent the wearer of collar 120 from entering fast-flowing rivers. Therefore, collar 120 can be configured to output corrections when collar 120 moves to a position within a predetermined distance from the water, the predetermined distance being higher than a swimming difficulty threshold that can be predetermined, determined by collar 120 or an application, or input by the user.

[0166] The application may include windows or interfaces for displaying real-time and / or historical corrected ledgers or trend analysis (or any other type of analysis) of real-time and / or historical corrected ledgers. This can help enable users to strengthen and / or correct configured boundaries. The application may include windows or interfaces for displaying the animal's real-time location and / or position or trend analysis (or any other type of analysis) of historical pet positions, such as heatmaps. The application may include windows or interfaces for viewing the position of the user device 110 relative to the collar 120, which is useful, for example, when trying to find a lost animal.

[0167] The application may include windows or interfaces for selectively determining which collars 120 are assigned to which animals, which collars 120 are assigned to which geofences, when certain collars 120 are assigned to certain geofences, editing the association of collars 120 with geofences, grouping collars 120, ungrouping collars 120, deleting collars, etc.

[0168] As will be understood, a challenge in pet behavior is teaching animals to stop destructive behavior when their owners are not present. For example, a dog might chew on shoes or furniture when its owner leaves their home, and the owner can discipline the dog upon returning home. However, due to time delays or other factors associated with discipline, the dog may not be able to associate discipline with destructive behavior. The collar 120 can be configured to provide real-time or near-real-time corrective actions to prevent the animal from engaging in destructive behavior. The collar 120 can be configured to communicate with and / or cooperate with a camera system. One or more cameras of the camera system can be configured to record video, and the camera system (or the system associated with the collar 120) can be configured to analyze the video to determine whether the animal wearing the collar 120 is chewing, biting, scratching, or otherwise damaging or destroying property or other objects (e.g., shoes, furniture). The collar 120 can be configured to issue corrective actions of varying severity or intensity based on, for example, the identified damaged property or object, the animal's persistence or historical tendency to engage in destructive behavior, or manual input from the user. Therefore, the collar 120 can be used to automatically teach animals to avoid engaging in destructive or other undesirable behaviors. Furthermore, by analyzing the timing and location patterns of these destructive behaviors, the system can identify these patterns and then suggest that the owner organize active exercise and / or walks for their pet before the time when the destructive behavior typically begins.

[0169] The disclosed technology can be further understood in accordance with the following terms:

[0170] Clause 1: A collar comprising: a strap configured for wearing by an animal;

[0171] An accelerometer configured to detect movement and output movement data; a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors communicating with the accelerometer and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the collar to: detect the animal's movement at least in part based on the movement data; associate the movement with a behavior of the animal selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors; and output one or more corrective actions at least in part based on associating the movement with the behavior.

[0172] Clause 2: The collar as described in Clause 1, wherein the association of the action with the animal's behavior is performed at least in part by a machine learning model.

[0173] Clause 3: The collar as described in Clause 2, wherein the collar includes the machine learning model.

[0174] Clause 4: The collar according to Clause 2 further includes a communication interface configured to transmit and receive data from a remote computing device, the remote computing device including the machine learning model.

[0175] Clause 5: The collar according to any one of Clauses 1 to 4 further includes a geolocation sensor in communication with the one or more processors, the geolocation sensor being configured to detect the approximate location of the collar and output location data, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to: receive geofence data indicating permission for the collar to be located in one or more geographic areas; and determine, at least in part, whether the collar is in the one or more geographic areas based on the location data.

[0176] Clause 6: The collar according to Clause 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to output the one or more corrective actions in response to determining that the animal wearing the collar is outside the one or more geographic areas.

[0177] Clause 7: The collar according to Clause 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to output the one or more corrective actions based at least in part on associating the action with the behavior and determining that the collar is located within a conditionally restricted area of ​​the one or more geographical regions.

[0178] Clause 8: The collar as described in Clause 7, wherein the conditionally restricted area includes the geographical area in which the animal wearing the collar is permitted to be located unless the behavior is detected.

[0179] Clause 9: The collar as described in Clause 8, wherein outputting the one or more corrective actions includes outputting corrective actions configured to guide the animal wearing the collar to a predetermined geographic area where the behavior is acceptable.

[0180] Clause 10: A collar according to any one of Clauses 1 to 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to output one or more control signals to the connected system.

[0181] Clause 11: The collar according to Clause 10, wherein the connected system includes a security system, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to output the one or more control signals to activate the camera based on associating the action with the behavior.

[0182] Clause 12: The collar according to Clause 10, wherein the connected system includes a security system, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to output the one or more control signals to activate the light based on associating the action with the behavior.

[0183] Clause 13: The collar according to Clause 10, wherein the connected system includes a smart door, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to output the one or more control signals to open the smart door.

[0184] Clause 14: A collar according to any one of Clauses 1 to 13, further comprising a microphone configured to detect sound and output sound data, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to: detect the animal’s action at least in part based on the sound data; associate the action with a behavior of the animal selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors of the animal; and associate the animal with the behavior at least in part to output one or more corrective actions.

[0185] Clause 15: A collar comprising: a strap configured for wearing by an animal; an accelerometer configured to detect movement and output movement data; a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors communicating with the accelerometer and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the collar to: detect, at least in part, based on the movement data, a behavior of the animal selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors of the animal; track the behavior of the animal over a predetermined period of time; and output a message to an associated device in response to determining that a change in the animal's behavior exceeds a predetermined change in the animal's behavior.

[0186] Clause 16: The collar according to Clause 15, wherein tracking the animal’s behavior during the said time period includes tracking at least one of the following during the said time period: activity type, activity level, activity frequency, and activity time of day.

[0187] Clause 17: The collar according to Clause 15, wherein in response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds the predetermined change in the animal's behavior, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the collar to output a medication recommendation to assist the animal.

[0188] Clause 18: The collar according to Clause 15, wherein in response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds the predetermined change in the animal's behavior, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the collar to automatically output a medication order to assist the animal.

[0189] Clause 19: The collar according to Clause 15, wherein, in response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds the predetermined change in the animal's behavior, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to recommend the time for taking the animal for a walk.

[0190] Clause 20: The collar according to Clause 15, wherein in response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds the predetermined change in the animal's behavior, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to output one or more corrective actions.

[0191] Clause 21: A collar comprising: a strap configured for wearing by an animal; an accelerometer configured to detect movement and output movement data; a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors communicating with the accelerometer and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the collar to: detect, at least in part, an action of the animal selected from a plurality of predetermined actions of the animal based on the movement data; and output one or more corrective actions based at least in part on the detection of the action.

[0192] Clause 22: The collar as described in Clause 21, wherein the association of the action with the animal's behavior is performed at least in part by a machine learning model.

[0193] Clause 23: The collar according to Clause 21 further includes a geolocation sensor in communication with the one or more processors, the geolocation sensor being configured to detect the approximate location of the collar and output location data, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to: receive geofence data indicating a geographic area in which the collar is permitted to be located; and determine, at least in part, whether the collar is in the geographic area based on the geofence data.

[0194] Clause 24: The collar according to Clause 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to receive data indicating a predetermined area, the predetermined area being an area within the geographic region where predetermined actions are not permitted.

[0195] Clause 25: The collar according to Clause 24, wherein the predetermined behavior includes the animal attempting to defecate on its own, and wherein, in response to detecting the predetermined behavior and determining that the collar is positioned in the predetermined area, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to cause the collar to output the one or more corrective actions to prevent the animal from defecating on its own.

[0196] Clause 26: The collar as described in Clause 25, wherein outputting the one or more corrective actions includes outputting corrective actions configured to guide the animal wearing the collar to a designated area where the predetermined behavior is permitted.

[0197] Clause 27: The collar according to Clause 24, wherein the predetermined behavior includes the animal jumping onto the furniture, and wherein, in response to detecting the predetermined behavior and determining that the collar is positioned in the predetermined area, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to cause the collar to output the one or more corrective actions to prevent the animal from jumping onto the furniture.

[0198] Clause 28: The collar according to Clause 24, wherein the predetermined behavior includes barking, and wherein, in response to detecting the predetermined behavior and determining that the collar is positioned in the predetermined area, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to cause the collar to output the one or more corrective actions to prevent the animal from barking.

[0199] Clause 29: A collar according to any one of Clauses 21 to 28, further comprising a microphone configured to detect sound and output sound data, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to: detect the animal's action at least in part based on the sound data; associate the action with an animal behavior selected from the animal's plurality of predetermined behaviors; and output one or more corrective actions at least in part based on the detection of the behavior.

[0200] Clause 30: A collar comprising: a strap configured for wearing by an animal; an accelerometer configured to detect movement and output movement data; a memory storing instructions; and one or more processors communicating with the accelerometer and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the collar to: detect, at least in part, a behavior of the animal selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors based on the movement data; and output one or more signals to associated devices in response to determining that the animal's behavior indicates that the animal is being warned.

[0201] Clause 31: The collar according to Clause 30, wherein the one or more signals are configured to cause a user device to display a message indicating that the animal wearing the collar has been warned.

[0202] Clause 32: The collar according to Clause 31, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to:

[0203] Receive instructions from the user equipment to output one or more corrective actions; and

[0204] Output one or more corrective actions.

[0205] Clause 33: The collar as described in Clause 30, wherein one or more signals are configured to activate the camera.

[0206] Clause 34: The collar according to Clause 30, wherein the one or more signals are configured to turn on the light.

[0207] Clause 35: The collar pursuant to Clause 30, wherein the one or more signals are configured to lock one or more doors.

[0208] While some embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described in conjunction with what are now considered to be the most practical examples, it should be understood that the disclosed technology is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terminology is used herein, it is used in a general and descriptive sense only and not for limiting purposes.

Claims

1. A collar comprising: The strap, configured for animals to wear; An accelerometer, configured to detect movement and output movement data; Memory, which stores instructions; and One or more processors communicate with the accelerometer and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the collar to: The behavior of the animal, selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors, is detected based at least in part on the movement data; and At least in part, one or more corrective actions are output based on the detection of the behavior.

2. The collar of claim 1, wherein at least part of the association of the action with the animal's behavior is performed by a machine learning model.

3. The collar of claim 1, further comprising a geolocation sensor in communication with the one or more processors, the geolocation sensor being configured to detect the approximate location of the collar and output location data, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to: Receive geofence data indicating that the collar is permitted to be positioned within a geographic area; and Whether the collar is in the geographic area is determined at least in part based on the geofencing data.

4. The collar of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to receive data indicating a predetermined area, the predetermined area being an area within the geographic region where a predetermined action is not permitted.

5. The collar of claim 4, wherein the predetermined behavior includes the animal attempting to defecate spontaneously, and In response to detecting the predetermined behavior and determining that the collar is positioned in the predetermined area, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to cause the collar to output the one or more corrective actions to prevent the animal from defecating spontaneously.

6. The collar of claim 5, wherein outputting the one or more corrective actions includes outputting corrective actions configured to guide the animal wearing the collar to a designated area where the predetermined behavior is permitted.

7. The collar of claim 4, wherein the predetermined behavior includes the animal jumping onto the furniture, and In response to detecting the predetermined behavior and determining that the collar is positioned in the predetermined area, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to cause the collar to output the one or more corrective actions to prevent the animal from jumping onto the furniture.

8. The collar of claim 4, wherein the predetermined behavior includes barking, and In response to detecting the predetermined behavior and determining that the collar is positioned in the predetermined area, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to cause the collar to output the one or more corrective actions to stop the animal from barking.

9. The collar according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a microphone configured to detect sound and output sound data. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to: The animal's movements are detected at least in part based on the sound data; Associate the action with the animal's behavior selected from the animal's plurality of predetermined behaviors; and At least in part, one or more corrective actions are output based on the detection of the behavior.

10. A collar comprising: The strap, configured for animals to wear; An accelerometer, configured to detect movement and output movement data; Memory, which stores instructions; and One or more processors communicate with the accelerometer and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the collar to: The behavior of the animal, selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors, is detected based at least in part on the movement data; and In response to determining that the animal’s behavior indicates that the animal has been warned, one or more signals are output to the associated device.

11. The collar of claim 10, wherein the one or more signals are configured to cause a user device to display a message indicating that the animal wearing the collar has been warned.

12. The collar of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are further configured to cause the collar to: Receive instructions from the user equipment to output one or more corrective actions; and Output one or more corrective actions.

13. The collar of claim 10, wherein the one or more signals are configured to activate the camera.

14. The collar of claim 10, wherein the one or more signals are configured to turn on the light.

15. The collar of claim 10, wherein the one or more signals are configured to lock one or more doors.

16. A collar comprising: The strap, configured for animals to wear; An accelerometer, configured to detect movement and output movement data; Memory, which stores instructions; and One or more processors communicate with the accelerometer and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the collar to: The behavior of the animal, selected from a plurality of predetermined behaviors, is detected based at least in part on the movement data; Track the animal's behavior during a predetermined time period; and In response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds a predetermined change in the animal's behavior, a message is output to the associated device.

17. The collar of claim 16, wherein tracking the animal’s behavior during the time period includes tracking at least one of activity type, activity level, activity frequency, and activity time of day during the time period.

18. The collar of claim 16, wherein in response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds the predetermined change in the animal's behavior, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the collar to output a medication recommendation for the animal.

19. The collar of claim 16, wherein in response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds the predetermined change in the animal's behavior, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to cause the collar to automatically output a medication order for the animal.

20. The collar of claim 16, wherein in response to determining that the change in the animal's behavior exceeds the predetermined change in the animal's behavior, the instruction, when executed by the one or more processors, is configured to recommend the duration of a walk with the animal.

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