Patent ID: 8955464
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: A01K,B60T

Abstract:
1. A method for automatically controlling vehicle braking, said method comprising: attaching a retractable spool to a vehicle, said retractable spool including a tether that pays out when a pulling force is applied to the tether, and retracts when the pulling force is removed from the tether, the tether includes a plurality of counting indications disposed at predetermined positions on the tether; attaching a free end of the tether to a dog collar or dog harness worn by a dog; moving the vehicle in a forward direction so that the vehicle becomes a moving vehicle; paying out or retracting the tether as the dog moves relative to the vehicle; counting the counting indicators as the counting indicators pass by an electronic counter; determining with circuitry a rate of change of the tether as a pay out rate or retraction rate of the end portion of the tether relative to the moving vehicle, a time period between counting indicators passing by the counter being indicative of a rate of change; retrieving from a storage device portion of the circuitry a braking level that corresponds with and a tether deployment amount and rate of change; and applying to a breaking actuator the breaking level retrieved in the retrieving step.