Method and system for remote monitoring, care and maintenance of animals

• US 10,555,498 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Botsitter, LLC
• Original Assignee: Botsitter, LLC
• Inventors: Womble, Krystalka R., Piccioni, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbott-Lewis, Yvonne R
• Application Number:
  US15/598,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20170251633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 119712, 119719, 119720, 119 5101, 119 515
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/0107 Cat trays; Dog urinals; Toilets for pets
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/008 incorporating GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/021 Electronic training devices specially adapted for dogs or cats
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/022 Anti-barking devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/023 Anti-evasion devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/025 Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/0114 Pet food dispensers; Pet food trays time-controlled A01K5/0291
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/02 Automatic devices automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 7/02 Automatic devices ; Medication dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31 Details
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/15 for conventional or electronic warfare
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/30 Supply or distribution of electrical power
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 : using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 : Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A system for remote care of an animal includes a robotic animal caregiver that has a housing, a wireless data communication system disposed within the housing and wirelessly communicatively coupled with an external data communications system, and a microprocessor in communication with the wireless data communication system disposed within the housing. The system further includes an aerial drone wirelessly communicatively coupled to the wireless data communication system of the robotic animal caregiver. The aerial drone includes a microprocessor, a wireless communication module, a video camera, the aerial drone configured to act in response to instructions issued by the microprocessor of the robotic animal caregiver.

Claims

1. A system for remote care of an animal comprising:

a robotic animal caregiver including;

a housing;

a wireless data communication system disposed within the housing and wirelessly communicatively coupled with an external data communications system; and

a microprocessor in communication with the wireless data communication system disposed within the housing;

an aerial drone wirelessly communicatively coupled to the wireless data communication system of the robotic animal caregiver, the aerial drone comprising a microprocessor, a wireless communication module, a video camera, the aerial drone configured to act in response to instructions issued by the microprocessor of the robotic animal caregiver; and

wherein at least one of the robotic animal caregiver and the aerial drone comprises a dispenser configured to dispense at least one of food, water, and medication according to a pre-programmed schedule.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mobility portion coupled to the housing and configured to move the housing in response to control instructions issued by the microprocessor.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a smart collar to be worn by the animal operable to determine a geo-location and behavior information of the animal and communicate with the microprocessor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the smart collar is operable to transmit the geo-location and behavior information of the animal to the microprocessor, the microprocessor is operable to determine that the animal has defecated at a deposit location in response to analyzing the geo-location and behavior information of the animal, and the microprocessor being operable to instruct the aerial drone to navigate to the deposit location to collect feces deposited by the animal.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the aerial drone is configured to communicate wirelessly with the smart collar, determine a geo-location of the animal in real-time, and transmit the geo-location of the animal to the microprocessor of the robotic animal caregiver.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the aerial drone is configured to communicate wirelessly with a plurality of smart collars worn by a plurality of animals, determine a geo-location of the plurality of animals in real-time, and transmit the geo-location of the plurality of animals to the microprocessor of the robotic animal caregiver.

7. The system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of aerial drones wirelessly communicatively coupled to a plurality of smart collars worn by a plurality of animals, the aerial drone comprising a microprocessor, a wireless communication module, a video camera, the plurality of aerial drones configured to act in response to data received from the smart collars.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the video camera of the aerial drone captures images in response to instructions issued by the microprocessor of the robotic animal caregiver.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial drone is operable to capture at least one image of the animal in real-time, determine a geo-location of the animal in real-time, and transmit the geo-location of the animal to the microprocessor of the robotic animal caregiver.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial drone is operable to capture at least one image of the animal, and transmit the at least one image of the animal to the microprocessor of the robotic animal caregiver for automatically performing at least one of:

facial recognition, location recognition, threat detection, hazard detection, emergency notification, animal welfare analysis, defecation detection, defecation removal, and terrain analysis.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor of the aerial drone is operable to instruct the aerial drone to navigate in a predetermined pattern.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor of the aerial drone is operable to instruct the aerial drone to navigate in a predetermined pattern and perform at least one of:

urging the animal to move in a certain direction, fetch and provide food, fetch and provide water, fetch and provide medicine, and fetch and provide a play element.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the aerial drone is configured to generate video data of a survey area, the microprocessor of the robotic caregiver being operable to receive and analyze the video data and generate a map of the survey area and to instruct the aerial drone to navigate within the survey area according to the map.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a water-tight housing with a hardened structural shell defining the chamber for accommodating the animal.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a docking mechanism operable to automatically secure the housing to a fixed structure to prevent undesirable movement as controlled by the microprocessor.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising an air supply system configured to provide sufficient life-sustaining air to the chamber, the air supply system being automatically controlled by the microprocessor in response to remote instructions transmitted via the wireless data communications system.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a motorized elevation mechanism configured to automatically lower and raise the water-tight housing subterraneously controlled by the microprocessor.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising an elevation mechanism configured to automatically lower and raise the water-proof housing subterraneously controlled by the microprocessor in response to remote instructions transmitted via the wireless data communications system.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising an above-ground enclosure configured for securely containing the water-tight housing.

20. A method for remote care of an animal using a robotic animal caregiver and an aerial drone, comprising:

receiving real-time geo-location and behavior information of the animal from a smart collar worn by the animal;

receiving image data of the animal from the aerial drone;

determining an action to be taken by the robotic animal caregiver at a certain location; and

issuing instructions to the robotic animal caregiver to navigate to the certain location and perform the action including dispensing at least one of food, water, and medication.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving geo-locations and behavior information of a plurality of animals from a plurality of smart collars worn by the animals.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving at least one of real-time image data of the animal captured by the aerial drone, and real-time sensory data of the animal'"'"'s surroundings sensed by the aerial drone.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising performing at least one of facial recognition, location recognition, threat detection, hazard detection, emergency notification, animal welfare analysis, defecation detection, defecation removal, and terrain analysis in response to the received real-time image data of the animal.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically lowering the robotic animal caregiver subterraneously in response to receiving the real-time sensory data captured by the aerial drone.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically lowering the robotic animal caregiver subterraneously in response to receiving the real-time image data captured by the aerial drone.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically and securely docking the robotic animal caregiver in response to receiving the sensory data captured by the aerial drone.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising automatically and securely docking the robotic animal caregiver in response to receiving the real-time image data captured by the aerial drone.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving real-time image data of a survey area captured by the aerial drone.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising generating and transmitting navigation instructions to the aerial drone in response to the received real-time image data.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising generating and transmitting instructions to the aerial drone to perform at least one of:

urging the animal to move in a certain direction, fetch and provide food, fetch and provide water, fetch and provide medicine, and fetch and provide a play element in response to the received real-time image data.

31. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining that the animal has defecated at a deposit location in response to analyzing the geo-location and behavior information of the animal.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising navigating one of the robotic caregiver and the aerial drone to the deposit location to collect feces deposited by the animal.