They Invented What? (No. 212)

U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,324: Apparatus and method for controlling animal behavior.

JW Note:  The adventures of Pookie, the patent drawing dog.  Many thanks to Jason Wilson for bringing this one to our attention!

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling the behavior of an animal comprising:

a sound-processing means for processing one or more specific sound vocalizations produced by said animal distinctly related to the emotional state of said animal, such as whimpering, barking, purring, growling, yawning or other animal vocalization; said sound processing means differentiating between different animal sounds by comparing said animal sounds with data stored in memory;

an actuator means electronically coupled to said sound-processing means, said actuator being actuated by said sound-processing means upon recognition by said sound-processing means of said one or more specific sounds;

a stimulus-generating means coupled to said actuator means, said stimulus-generating means providing a stimulus to said animal upon actuation of said actuator, said stimulus consisting of, or including, a human voice command responsive to the said specific sound vocalization.

2. An apparatus for controlling the behavior of an animal comprising:

a sound-processing means selectively responsive to two or more different specific sound vocalizations emanating from said animal distinctly related to the emotional state of said animal, such as whimpering, barking, purring, growling, yawning or other animal vocalization;

an actuator means coupled to said sound-processing means selectively responsive to one or more electrical inputs from said sound-processing means;

a stimulus-generating means coupled to said actuator means, said stimulus means providing a stimulus to said animal upon actuation of said actuator.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said actuator means comprises a data processing means.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said stimulus generating means comprises an electrical shock generating device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said stimulus generating means comprises a-sound generating means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said sound generating means produces sounds undetectable by human ears but detectable by the animal upon which the device is placed.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 coupled to the body of an animal.

8. An apparatus for controlling animal behavior comprising:

a sound-processing means responsive to both human and animal vocalizations;

an actuator means coupled to said sound-processing means selectively responsive to one or more electrical inputs from said sound-processing means;

a stimulus generating means coupled to said actuator means;  wherein said actuator means is actuated only when said sound-processing means measures sounds both from an animal and a human.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said actuator means is selectively responsive to either human or animal sounds measured by said sound-processing means.

10. An apparatus for signaling animal behavior, comprising:

a means for processing vocalizations emanating from an animal; said means for processing differentiating between different animal vocalizations by comparing said animal vocalizations with data stored in memory;

a receiver means at a position remote to said animal;

an actuator means electronically coupled to said vocalization-processing means, said actuator being actuated by said vocalization-processing means upon recognition by said vocalization-processing means of one or more pre-determined vocalizations emanating from said animal;

a signal transmission-generating means, for generating aerially-transmitted electromagnetic waves, electronically coupled to said actuator means, said signal transmission-generating means transmitting said aerially-transmitted signal to said receiver means upon actuation of said actuator means.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a device electronically coupled to said receiving means for automated response to said animal behavior eliciting said signal.