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.

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.

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.

Abstract: An automatic telephone calling system that characterizes the responses from telephone subscribers' telephone stations to placed calls from the system. The system comprises communication lines which enable the system to place a call to a subscriber's station, to receive the response thereto, and exchange information therebetween. Operator stations enable operators of the calling system to communicate, via a respective communication line, with a subscriber's station upon an operable connection of the line to the subscriber's station and to the operator station. A call processor places calls to subscribers' stations and operably connects and disconnects each communication line to a respective subscriber's station and to a respective operator station. A trunk processor characterizes the response from a respective subscriber's station to a placed call and determines whether a response characterized as a voice signal is delivered by an answering machine.

Abstract: A device for detecting voice signals in the presence of supervisory signals on a number of telephone lines so as to determine when machine-placed telephone calls have been answered. The device comprises a zero crossing detector for each telephone line monitored to determine the zero voltage crossings in the voltage of an incoming telephone signal, a latch associated with each detector for storing the occurrences of each zero voltage crossing detected and a microcomputer for processing the frequency-related information of the incoming telephone signals according to a voice detection algorithm. The voice detection algorithm comprises timer interrupt and analysis routines that direct the microcomputer to count the number of occurrences of different wavelengths of the waveforms composing an incoming telephone signal in determining the condition of response on a respective telephone line.