Animal Training Collar Circuit Impedance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal training collar systems face challenges in ensuring proper electrode contact with the animal's skin, as current methods can only measure contact quality during stimulus application and are prone to excessive amplitude when the coat is wet, leading to unnecessary suffering.
Innovation Solution
A circuit and algorithm that measure the peak current through the electrodes using a PWM signal and adaptive duty cycle to assess contact quality before stimulus application, ensuring adequate contact and adjusting stimulus intensity based on impedance, thereby preventing excessive amplitude.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrode contact is checked only during stimulus application, then the system can detect contact quality, but it cannot prevent excessive stimulus amplitude before the problem is detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary contact check phase before stimulus application. The microcontroller performs impedance measurement and contact quality assessment prior to delivering the stimulus, allowing the system to detect poor contact or wet coat conditions in advance and prevent excessive stimulus amplitude from being applied to the animal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors electrode contact quality through impedance measurement and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust stimulus parameters. The microcontroller reads contact quality data and modifies stimulus intensity accordingly, ensuring safe operation even when contact conditions change during use.
2Productivity
If the stimulus intensity is increased to ensure effective training, then training effectiveness improves, but the risk of animal suffering increases when coat is wet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic stimulus intensity adjustment based on real-time contact quality assessment. The system continuously adapts stimulus parameters according to the measured impedance and contact conditions, allowing high intensity when contact is good (effective training) while automatically reducing intensity when contact is poor or coat is wet (preventing suffering).
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes stimulus parameters (intensity, pulse width) based on the measured contact quality parameters. The microcontroller adjusts stimulus characteristics dynamically according to the impedance measurement results, optimizing training effectiveness while preventing harmful effects.
3Reliability
If the electrodes are pressed firmly against the skin to ensure good contact, then contact quality improves, but the system cannot distinguish between good contact and wet coat conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement parameter (impedance) that indirectly indicates contact quality. Instead of directly measuring contact pressure or quality, the system measures electrical impedance between electrodes, which reflects both contact quality and coat moisture conditions, allowing the microcontroller to distinguish between different scenarios and adjust accordingly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable pre-stimulus contact assessment and adaptive stimulus intensity control, reducing animal suffering and ensuring effective training without excessive stimulus amplitude, even in varying coat conditions.
Implementation Method 1
measuring a voltage present at terminals of the electrodes and measuring a peak current through the electrodes... If the voltage is below a given threshold during the application of this stimulus, the system deduces that a non-infinite impedance is connected between the electrodes
Implementation Method 2
a transformer for the generation of high voltage pulses having a low output impedance
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The circuit has an electronic controlled switch (2) powered by a battery in series on a high-voltage transformer (4), where an on/off state of the electronic switch is modified by control pulses to create a source of alternating current to supply the primary of the transformer. Two contact electrodes (6, 7) are in contact with an animal, and are connected to respective ends of a secondary of the transformer. A device measures a peak intensity of a stimulus current applied by the electrodes to an animal's body. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a device for remotely providing and controlling an electric stimulus in an animal (2) a method for implementing a circuit to measure the quality of contact of electrodes with an animal's skin (3) a method for regulating a cyclic ratio of control pulses of a circuit for providing and controlling an electric stimulus in an animal (4) a computer usable medium comprising instructions for performing a method of implementing a circuit to measure the quality of contact of electrodes with an animal's skin implementing a circuit to measure the quality of contact of electrodes with an animal's skin.