Apparatus and method for controlling animal positions

A method for controlling a position of a livestock animal, the method comprising:

• providing a collar configured to be secured around a neck of the livestock animal, the collar comprising:
• a stimulus device for applying a first stimulus and a second stimulus, the stimulus device comprising two speakers that are configured to apply the first stimulus, one speaker being on a left side of the collar proximal to the animal's left ear, and the other speaker being on a right side of the collar proximal the animal's right ear, and the first stimulus is a sound that is generated by at least one of the two speakers, the sound being audible to the animal, the stimulus device further comprising at least one electrode that is configured to apply the second stimulus,
• an angular position sensing device configured to detect at least one angular position of the neck of the livestock animal,
• a memory device, and
• a controller in electronic communication with the stimulus device, the angular position sensing device, and the memory device;
• measuring, employing the angular position sensing device, a first angular position of the neck of the livestock animal;
• storing, in the memory device, the first angular position as a predetermined value;
• measuring, employing the angular position sensing device, a measured angular position value of the livestock animal;
• determining, by the controller, whether the measured angular position value indicates that the livestock animal is following a course by comparing the measured angular position value of the livestock animal with the predetermined value;
• determining, by the controller, if a control action is required, the control action being transmitting a control signal to the stimulus device thereby causing the stimulus device to apply at least one form of stimulus selected from the first stimulus and the second stimulus to the livestock animal,
• wherein to apply the at least one form of stimulus, the controller is configured to:
• calculate a sound level (SL) between 0% to 100% using the equation SL=β1x+β2a+β3t, where β1, β2 and β3 are distance gain, heading gain and time gain respectively;
• x is a distance to a boundary;
• a is the change in heading off-course, or a heading of the livestock animal after crossing the boundary;
• and t is an elapsed time since the livestock animal was off course or elapsed time after crossing the boundary, and
• increase or decrease a volume of the sound from the two speakers dependent on the calculated sound level, and
• if the livestock animal has not corrected its course after the SL is 100%, send a further control signal to the stimulus device to apply the second stimulus to the livestock animal.

A method for controlling a position of a livestock animal comprising:

• providing a collar configured to be secured around a neck of the livestock animal, the collar comprising:
• a stimulus device for applying a first stimulus and a second stimulus, wherein:
• the stimulus device comprises two speakers that are configured to apply the first stimulus, an angular position sensing device configured to detect at least one angular position of the neck of the livestock animal,
• a memory device, and
• a controller in electronic communication with the stimulus device, the angular position sensing device, and the memory device;
• measuring, employing the angular position sensing device, a first angular position of the neck of the livestock animal;
• storing, in the memory device, the first angular position as a predetermined value;
• measuring, employing the angular position sensing device, a measured angular position value of the livestock animal;
• determining, by the controller, whether the measured angular position value indicates that the livestock animal is not grazing properly by comparing the measured angular position value of the livestock animal with the predetermining value;
• applying, by the stimulus device, at least one form of stimulus selected from the first stimulus and the second stimulus to the livestock animal;
• and,
• calculating, by the controller, the volume of sound from the two speakers at a sound level (SL) between 0% to 100% using the equation SL=B1x+B2a+B3t, where B1, B2 and B3 are distance gain, heading gain and time gain respectively;
• x is a distance to a boundary;
• a is the change in heading off-course, or a heading of the livestock animal after crossing the boundary;
• and t is an elapsed time since the livestock animal was off course or elapsed time after crossing the boundary.