System and method for controlling animals

A system comprising two or more stimulus apparatuses each configured to be worn by an animal, each stimulus apparatus comprising a controller interfaced with a location sensor and at least one stimulus output for providing a stimulus to the animal, wherein the controller is configured to cause the stimulus apparatuses to:

• receive, via a data communication with a system controller external to the wearable stimulus apparatuses, a boundary specification;
• monitor the location of each stimulus apparatus with respect to a boundary defined by the boundary specification;
• determine an expanded boundary expanded toward a final boundary and containing the boundary before expansion;
• identify a transition condition including a transition zone, the transition zone comprising at least a portion of the expanded boundary;
• monitor the location of each of the stimulus apparatuses;
• determine that the location of a first stimulus apparatus is within the transition zone;
• in response, reduce the size of the expanded boundary to define a new boundary that includes the transition zone and excludes at least a portion of the boundary before expansion;
• in the event that the new boundary does not coincide with the final boundary, iteratively performing the above steps with the new boundary as the boundary defined by the boundary specification;
• and
• the controller causes the at least one stimulus output of a second stimulus apparatus to apply a stimulus to the animal only in response to detecting that the second stimulus apparatus is outside of the new boundary.

A virtual fencing system comprising a system controller and a plurality of stimulus apparatuses, wherein each stimulus apparatus is in data communication with the system controller, each stimulus apparatus configured to controllably apply a stimulus to an animal wearing the stimulus apparatus in dependence on the location of the stimulus apparatus to a boundary associated with the stimulus apparatus, and the system controller configured to:

• determine a boundary and communicate the boundary to each stimulus apparatus;
• determine an expanded boundary expanded toward a final boundary and containing the boundary before expansion and communicate the expanded boundary to each stimulus apparatus;
• identify a transition condition including a transition zone, the transition zone comprising at least a portion of the expanded boundary;
• monitor the location of each of the stimulus apparatuses;
• automatically determine that the location of a predetermined number of stimulus apparatuses are within the transition zone, the predetermined number defined by the transition condition;
• in response, automatically reduce the size of the expanded boundary to define a new boundary that includes the transition zone and excludes at least a portion of the boundary before expansion;
• automatically communicate the new boundary to each of the stimulus apparatuses;
• in the event that the new boundary does not coincide with the final boundary, iteratively performing the above steps with the new boundary as the boundary defined by the boundary specification, and,
• only in response to detecting that any of the plurality of stimulus apparatuses are outside of the new boundary, the controller causes the at least one stimulus output of the stimulus apparatuses outside the new boundary to apply a stimulus to the animal.