Objective

• Explain how the collar collects ephemeris data to accurately determine GPS location (and how customers should respond accordingly)

Environment

• Halo Collar

Background

Ephemeris data is the information that the Halo Collar collects from GPS satellites, including their location and timing, which helps to provide accurate GPS readings. The collar aggregates this data over time, so that it continuously improves its tracking precision. 

However, the collar may need to re-sync its connection with satellites in three scenarios:

1. When you first take your collar out of the box,
2. Immediately following the download of a collar update, and
3. If the collar is turned off for an extended period of time (we recommend that you leave the collar turned on)

If your collar requires 'GPS Initialization' - or re-syncing its connection with satellites - the GPS light will blink Red once every three seconds, and you will get an in-app notification that your GPS needs to be initialized. You will see the following on your Pet Card:

Procedure

To initialize your collar's GPS:

1. Take your collar outside, preferably to an area with an unobstructed view of the sky (not a lot of overhead tree cover or surrounding buildings, etc.)
2. Keep the collar outside until the GPS light starts to blink Blue, signaling an accurate GPS calibration. This process can take as little as a minute or two but may take longer in some scenarios.
   
   • We recommend that you walk around with the collar during this process, so you can see the Pet Pin adjust to your location on the My Map screen once the GPS is initialized (if the collar is idle, the Pet Pin will not move, so you can't verify GPS accuracy). That being said, the process will still work even if you simply let the collar sit outside for a few minutes. Make sure to slightly shake the collar while you are moving so its motion sensors can be triggered and send location updates back to your app.
3. Once the Blue GPS light starts to flash, your collar has once again begun to collect ephemeris data and is ready for use. 

Additional Note

• Further time outdoors and continued movement will further improve GPS accuracy.
• Through the use of innovative new technology, your Halo Collar will receive satellite position data when plugged in to charge and connected to WiFi. This data will alleviate the need for you to initialize your collar's GPS often. This data will download up to 2- 3 days of advanced satellite data daily while the collar is on the charger and connected to the internet. Having this data pre-loaded on the collar is not required in order for the collar GPS to work. 
• Still, please note that it is possible that you will get an in-app initialization notice on occasion, so be familiar with the above procedure so you can act accordingly if you ever need to re-initialize.