Pet restraint system

Abstract

In various embodiments, a method of controlling a position of an animal includes tracking a position of the animal using a positioning system, such as a global positioning system. A time-varying position of a base object is also tracked using the positioning system, and a relative position of the animal with respect to the base object is determined, based on the positions of the animal and the base object. When the relative position exceeds a minimum value, a stimulus is provided to the animal to encourage the animal to reduce the relative position. A user of the system may define a region for the animal using a map of the surrounding territory.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling a position of an animal, the method comprising the steps of:
 tracking a position of the animal using a positioning system;   tracking a time-varying position of a base object using the positioning system;   determining a relative position of the animal with respect to the base object, based on the positions of the animal and the base object; and   when the relative position exceeds a minimum value, providing a stimulus to the animal to encourage the animal to reduce the relative position.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a strength of the stimulus is based on a magnitude of the relative position. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a frequency of the stimulus is based on a magnitude of the relative position. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulus is selected from the group consisting of a vibration, an electrical shock, and a noise. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the animal is a pet. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 tracking a direction of travel of the base object using the positioning system; and   predicting a path of travel for the base object using the position of the base object and the direction of travel of the base object, wherein the stimulus is provided to encourage the animal to travel alongside the path of travel.   
     
     
         7 . A method of restraining a position of an animal, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a map corresponding to a territory in the vicinity of a positioning system;   receiving information from a user defining a region on the map corresponding to a portion of the territory;   monitoring a position of an animal within the territory using the positioning system; and   when the animal enters the portion of the territory corresponding to the region defined on the map, providing a stimulus to the animal to encourage the animal to exit the portion of the territory.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the animal is a pet. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a strength of the stimulus is based on the position of the animal in the portion of the territory. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a frequency of the stimulus is based on the position of the animal in the portion of the territory. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the stimulus is selected from the group consisting of a vibration, an electrical shock, and a noise. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first positioning system and the second positioning system are the same positioning system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the map is provided as an Internet-enabled application. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein monitoring the position of the animal comprises determining the position of the animal within the territory using a global positioning system differential localizer. 
     
     
         15 . A method of restraining a position of an animal, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a map corresponding to a territory in the vicinity of a positioning system;   receiving information from a user defining a region on the map corresponding to a portion of the territory;   monitoring a position of an animal within the territory using the positioning system;   when the animal enters the portion of the territory corresponding to the region defined on the map, providing a stimulus to the animal to encourage the animal to exit the portion of the territory;   upon receipt of a command from a user, discontinuing the monitoring of the position of the animal within the territory using the positioning system and enabling the monitoring of the position of the animal relative to a base object using the positioning system; and   subsequent to the enabling of relative position monitoring, when the relative position exceeds a minimum value, providing a stimulus to the animal to encourage the animal to reduce the relative position.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a position of the base object is time-varying. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein a position of the base object is fixed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the base object is the positioning system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the stimulus is at least one of a vibration, an electrical shock, and a noise.