Networked automatic animal feeding system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743517-B2
Application number	US-201514885493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 19, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

An animal feeding system includes a receptacle comprising a microcontroller, one or more applications running on at least one processor of a mobile device, and an access point, wherein the microcontroller, the one or more applications, and the access point are communicatively coupled through a wireless communications network. The receptacle holds pet food consumables. A chute receives dispensed consumables as they pass through an opening in the receptacle. A sensor monitors a level of the consumables in the receptacle, wherein the sensor is communicatively coupled with the microcontroller and transmits information of the monitored level to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller uses the information to determine whether the level of the consumables is below a threshold level. The microcontroller initiates communication with a remote vendor through the wireless communications network when the level falls below the threshold level.

First claim

We claim:

1. An animal feeding system, comprising:
a receptacle comprising a microcontroller, one or more applications running on at least one processor of a mobile device, at least one application of a remote vendor running on one or more processors of a remote server, and an access point, wherein the microcontroller, the one or more applications, the at least one application, and the access point are configured to communicative through a communications network;
the receptacle for holding consumables, the receptacle comprising an opening through which the system dispenses the consumables;
a chute for receiving the consumables as they pass through the opening in the receptacle;
the one or more applications configured to provide an electrode interface on the mobile device for receiving a selected schedule for dispensing the consumables and communicate the selected schedule to the microcontroller through the communications network, wherein the selected schedule comprises a series of selected times and corresponding volumes of the consumables;
a conveyor system for delivering the volumes to the opening, wherein each delivered volume corresponds to an operation of the conveyor system over a period of time;
at least one sensor for monitoring a level of the consumables in the receptacle, wherein the at least one sensor includes a sensor located within the receptacle, wherein the sensor monitors changes in position of food relative to a threshold level of the consumables in the receptacle, wherein the sensor is configured to communicative with the microcontroller and to transmit information of the monitored level to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is configured to use the information to determine whether the level of the consumables is below the threshold level and to initiate communication with the at least one application of the remote vendor through the communications network when the level falls below the threshold level.

2. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the initiating the communication with the at least one application of the remote vendor includes ordering additional consumables for the animal feeding system.

3. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the communications network comprises a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN).

4. The animal feeding system of claim 3 , wherein the WLAN uses a WiFi communications protocol.

5. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the communications network comprises a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN).

6. The animal feeding system of claim 5 , wherein the WPAN uses at least one of a Wireless USB, Bluetooth, Zigbee or Z-Wave communications protocol.

7. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the access point comprises a router.

8. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the access point comprises a communications hub.

9. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the access point is configured to communicative with at least one of a local area network (LAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet, the World Wide Web, a proprietary network, a mobile network, and a cellular network.

10. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises one or more of a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and wearable computing device.

11. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , the delivering the consumables comprising moving the consumables from the receptacle and to the opening, the conveyor system comprising a conveyor belt driven by a drive motor.

12. The animal feeding system of claim 11 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to communicative with at least one microcontroller of the drive motor.

13. The animal feeding system of claim 12 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to transmit control signals corresponding to the selected schedule to the at least one microcontroller.

14. The animal feeding system of claim 11 , wherein the conveyor belt comprises raised ribs spaced apart along the conveyor belt forming compartments for holding a designated volume of the consumables, wherein the drive motor causes cycling of the conveyor belt.

15. The animal feeding system of claim 14 , wherein the drive motor comprises an electric drive motor that, upon actuation, rotates a drive shaft, which in turn imparts movement to the conveyor belt.

16. The animal feeding system of claim 15 , wherein the conveyor belt comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the conveyor belt transports the consumables from the first end to the second end.

17. The animal feeding system of claim 16 , the chute including a first upper end and a first lower end, wherein the first upper end resides partially within the receptacle for receiving the consumables, wherein the chute includes a sloping channel for conveying the consumables from the first upper end to the first lower end.

18. The animal feeding system of claim 17 , wherein the consumables fall from the second end of the conveyor belt and into the first upper end.

19. The animal feeding system of claim 18 , wherein the chute gravitationally delivers the consumables from the first upper end to the first lower end.

20. The animal feeding system of claim 19 , wherein the first lower end of the chute comprises a dish.

21. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , the one or more applications configured to provide a user interface for receiving a selected threshold level, the one or more applications configured to transmit the selected threshold level to the microcontroller through the communications network.

22. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , the one or more applications configured to receive the information of the monitored level from the microcontroller through the communications network and provide a user interface for displaying the information of the monitored level.

23. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , the one or more applications configured to provide a user interface for receiving orders to deliver additional consumables for the animal feeding system.

24. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a weight sensor, wherein the weight sensor monitors a weight of the feeding system including the consumables.

25. The animal feeding system of claim 24 , the transmitting the information comprising the weight sensor transmitting information of the weight to the microcontroller, wherein the information of the monitored level includes the information of the weight.

26. The animal feeding system of claim 25 , wherein the weight corresponds to an amount of the consumables in the receptacle.

27. The animal feeding system of claim 26 , wherein the threshold level comprises a weight.

28. The animal feeding system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an infrared sensor.

29. The animal feeding system of claim 28 , the transmitting the information comprising transmitting a signal to the microcontroller, the signal comprising a first state when the infrared sensor detects the presence of the consumables at a location within the receptacle, wherein the signal otherwise comprises a second state, wherein the information of the monitored level includes information of the first and the second state.

30. The animal feeding system of claim 29 , wherein the location comprises a height of the consumables within th

Assignees

• Radio Systems Corp

Inventors

• Springer Kelly
• Poisson Melissa
• Mainini Christopher
• Jansen Kristine
• Wallace William

Classifications

• A01K5/0114

  Pet food dispensers; Pet food trays (time-controlled A01K5/0291) · CPC title

• A01K5/02

  Automatic devices {(automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006)} · CPC title

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title

• G08C23/04

  using light waves, e.g. infrared · CPC title

• G08C17/02

  using a radio link · CPC title