Abstract: A wireless location assisted zone guidance system incorporates dynamically variable intervals between sequential position requests. Variables used to influence the duration of a current interval between sequential position requests include: location within a current zone; displacement rate within a zone; and output from sensors such as secondary low power location sensors, inertial sensors, and biometric sensors. Preferably, the sensors are not being used to try to determine precise position, but instead to indicate a degree of uncertainty in the current position. When this degree of uncertainty is sufficient to merit added processing and associated energy consumption, a new wireless location determination will be made.

Abstract: An assisted zone guidance system automatically activates a stored assisted guidance region based upon collar position at initiation, relative location of one or more assisted guidance regions, and possible query results. The assisted guidance regions are stored within a look-up table that is defined by at least one reference point, and rows and columns that are offset from the reference. The table rows and columns correspond to geographic locations. The value retrieved from the indexed array is used to either create a new assisted guidance region, select an assisted guidance region that contains the current collar location, or if the collar is not within a region to select an adjacent assisted guidance region. Each assisted guidance region contains a plurality of guidance zones that each have an associated set of characteristics used to provide behavioral guidance to an animal.

Abstract: A wireless location assisted zone guidance system incorporates dynamically variable intervals between sequential position requests. Variables used to influence the duration of a current interval between sequential position requests include: location within a current zone; displacement rate within a zone; and output from sensors such as secondary low power location sensors, inertial sensors, and biometric sensors. Preferably, the sensors are not being used to try to determine precise position, but instead to indicate a degree of uncertainty in the current position. When this degree of uncertainty is sufficient to merit added processing and associated energy consumption, a new wireless location determination will be made.

Abstract: A fully self-contained collar monitors the location of a pet. A look-up table has rows and columns representing geographic location, and machine-stored values at each table location represent a particular one of several guidance zones. The real-time guidance zone determination is made by first determining present location. The corresponding table location value representing guidance zone is retrieved. Each guidance zone has an associated set of characteristics used by collar electronics and stimulus generators to generate well defined and positive stimulus to train the pet to stay within a predetermined area. In addition, using location history the collar electronics also predictively alerts the pet of an impending exit from a safe zone. This departure alert may be further combined with inertial validation and dynamic position request intervals to provide a much more reliable and robust system that is then able to much more efficiently and effectively train a pet.

Abstract: An assisted zone guidance system automatically activates a stored assisted guidance region based upon collar position at initiation, relative location of one or more assisted guidance regions, and possible query results. The assisted guidance regions are stored within a look-up table that is defined by at least one reference point, and rows and columns that are offset from the reference. The table rows and columns correspond to geographic locations. The value retrieved from the indexed array is used to either create a new assisted guidance region, select an assisted guidance region that contains the current collar location, or if the collar is not within a region to select an adjacent assisted guidance region. Each assisted guidance region contains a plurality of guidance zones that each have an associated set of characteristics used to provide behavioral guidance to an animal.

Abstract: Individual zones are defined within a multi-zone assisted guidance region by storing a zone GPS data point target width, assigning GPS data points located within a perimeter and within the target width to a second zone, allotting GPS data points located interior of and distinct from the second zone and within the target width to a first zone; and finally ascribing unassigned GPS data points located interior of and distinct from the first zone to a safe zone. If there is not enough total width between perimeter points in a region to provide all zones at the target width, a data point width of more exterior zones are preferentially electronically maintained at the target width and more interior zones are reduced or eliminated. In addition, adjacent guidance zones have unique stimulation that acts through different neurological access channels to provide behavioral guidance to an animal.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for implementation of a mid-surface modeler including a receiver, selector, clusterer and mid-surface constructor. The receiver is to receive a solid model of a structural product composed of structural components, with the solid model representing the components by a collection of geometry. The selector is to select a group of geometry from the geometry in the solid model, with the group of geometry having approximately the same shape, and being perpendicular to an axis of a local coordinate system. The clusterer is to cluster geometry of the group of geometry into one or more clusters of geometry based on a relationship between the geometry, with each cluster of the cluster(s) representing a component of the component(s). And the mid-surface constructor is to construct a mid-surface model of the product, including computation of respective one or more mid-surfaces for the cluster(s).

Abstract: A processing system for separating solids from used drilling fluids to produce cleaned drilling fluids includes a cleaned drilling fluid tank and a filtering unit having an inlet container and a separating mechanism. An example filtering unit mounts to a top surface of the cleaned drilling fluids tank while a portion of the inlet container extends beneath the top surface. Certain types of flow lines may extend through the fluid tank to the portion of the inlet container. Certain types of flow lines may have multiple flow line inlets. Certain types of flow lines may have flow rate sensor arrangements.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for implementation of a mid-surface modeler including a receiver, selector, clusterer and mid-surface constructor. The receiver is to receive a solid model of a structural product composed of structural components, with the solid model representing the components by a collection of geometry. The selector is to select a group of geometry from the geometry in the solid model, with the group of geometry having approximately the same shape, and being perpendicular to an axis of a local coordinate system. The clusterer is to cluster geometry of the group of geometry into one or more clusters of geometry based on a relationship between the geometry, with each cluster of the cluster(s) representing a component of the component(s). And the mid-surface constructor is to construct a mid-surface model of the product, including computation of respective one or more mid-surfaces for the cluster(s).