System and method for computer-controlled animal toy

• US 7,617,799 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Kates
• Inventors: Kates, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRINH T
• Application Number:
  US12/027,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20080216765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 119/702, 119/707, 119/712, 119/718, 119/719, 119/720, 119/905, 119/908, 340/573.1, 340/573.3
• US Class Current: 119/712
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/02 Training or exercising equipment, e.g. mazes or labyrinths for animals A01K15/04 takes precedence; Electric shock devices circuits therefor H03K3/537; Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/021 Electronic training devices specially adapted for dogs or cats
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7034 Mounting or deployment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/7038 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/825 with exchange of information between interrogator and responder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2201/01 adapted for specific applications or environments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 119/908 Electrical animal control or handling

Abstract

A computer-aided training and management system that uses a computer or other processor in wireless communication with an instrumented dog collar and/or optionally, one or more dog interaction devices, such as, for example, video monitors, loudspeakers, video cameras, training toys (e.g., ball, bone, moving toy, etc.), an animatronics “trainer,” a treat dispenser, a food dispensing and monitoring device, a water dispensing and monitoring device, tracking devices, a dog door, dog-monitoring doghouse, a dog-monitoring dog toilet, is described. In one embodiment, the instrumented dog collar is in two-way communication with a central computer system.

Claims

1. An animal management system, comprising:

a computer system provided to a first wireless communication transceiver;

an animal toy provided to a second wireless communication transceiver, said animal toy having an identification code, said animal toy configured to communicate with said computer system using wireless two-way handshaking communication according to said identification code such that said computer system can send commands to said animal toy and receive acknowledgement of receipt of said commands from said animal toy, and said animal toy can send data to said computer system and receive acknowledgement of receipt of said data by said computer system, wherein said computer system sends commands to said animal toy corresponding to reinforcement stimuli, wherein said computer system receives data from said animal toy related to one or more actions of an animal using said animal toy;

one or more sensors provided to said animal toy; and

wherein said animal toy provides said reinforcement stimuli, wherein said animal toy uses said transceiver to transmit sensor data from said one or more sensors, said sensor data comprising information regarding interactions between an animal and said toy, wherein said computer system receives said sensor data and processes said sensor data to determine one or more behavioral characteristics of the animal, wherein the computer system selects said reinforcement stimulus based, at least in part, on said one or more behavioral characteristics.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises an acoustic input device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulus device comprises an acoustic output device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulus device comprises a vibrator device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulus device comprises an odor output device.

6. The system of claim 1, said animal toy further comprising an infrared receiver.

7. The system of claim 1, said animal toy further comprising an infrared transmitter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises a location sensor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises a receiver configured to receive GPS signals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises a receiver configured to receive radio navigation signals.

11. The system of claim 1, said animal toy further comprising an inertial motion unit.

12. The system of claim 1, said animal toy further comprising an accelerometer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises a sound sensor.

14. The system of claim 1, said animal toy further comprising an RFID tag reader.

15. The system of claim 1, said management system further comprising a temperature-sensing RFID tag.

16. The system of claim 1, said management system further comprising a computer-controlled treat dispenser.

17. The system of claim 1, said management system further comprising a computer-controlled water dispenser.

18. The system of claim 1, said management system further comprising a computer-controlled food dispenser.

19. The system of claim 1, said management system further comprising a computer-controlled animal toilet.

20. The system of claim 1, said management system further comprising a computer-controlled animal house.

21. The system of claim 1, said management system further comprising a video monitor

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises a touch sensor.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulus device comprises a light-emitting device.

24. The system of claim 1, said animal toy comprising an acoustic input device.

25. The system of claim 1, said animal toy comprising an acoustic output device.

26. The system of claim 1, said animal toy further comprising one or more motors to provide motion of said animal toy.

27. The system of claim 1, said animal toy comprising a motion sensor.

28. The system of claim 1, said animal toy comprising a location tracking system.

29. The system of claim 1, said animal toy comprising a movement actuator system.

30. The system of claim 1, said computer system configured to select a desired game from a list of games based on past history of the animal'"'"'s interest in the desired game.

31. The system of claim 1, said animal toy further comprising a treat dispenser.

32. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more repeaters.

33. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more location system units disposed about an area.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein one or more of said location system units are configured to use infrared radiation for location and tracking of said animal toy.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein one or more of said location system units are configured to use acoustic waves for location and tracking of said animal toy.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein one or more of said location system units are configured to use electromagnetic waves for location and tracking of said animal toy.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein one or more of said location system units further comprises motion detectors for a home security system.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulus device comprises an electric shock device.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulus device comprises an audio output device configured to make sounds corresponding to a trainers voice.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one stimulus device comprises an audio output device configured to make sounds corresponding to a trainers voice.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer system is configured to select a game based on a dog breed.

42. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer system is configured to select a desired game designed to train an animal to produce a desired behavior, said computer system configured to play said desired game as long as data from said one or more sensors indicate that the animal is sufficiently interested in the game.

43. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer system is configured to select a desired game designed to exercise the animal, said computer system configured to play said desired game as long as data from said one or more sensors indicate that the animal is sufficiently interested in the game.

44. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer system is configured to select a desired game designed to exercise the animal, said computer system configured to play said desired game as long as data from said one or more sensors indicate that the animal has not been over-exerted.

45. The system of claim 1, wherein said computer system is configured to select a desired game designed to exercise the animal, said computer system configured to play said desired game for a length of time specified by a trainer.

46. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more behavioral characteristics comprise characteristics relating to the temperament of the animal.

47. An animal management system, comprising:

a computer system provided to a first wireless communication transceiver;

an animal toy provided to a second wireless communication transceiver, said animal toy configured to communicate with said computer system such that said computer system can send commands to said animal toy and said animal toy can send data to said computer system, wherein said computer system sends commands to said animal toy corresponding to reinforcement stimuli, wherein said computer system receives data from said animal toy related to one or more actions of an animal using said animal toy;

one or more sensors provided to said animal toy; and

wherein said animal toy provides said reinforcement stimuli, wherein said animal toy uses said transceiver to transmit sensor data from said one or more sensors, said sensor data comprising information regarding interactions between an animal and said toy, wherein said computer system receives said sensor data and stores a history of said sensor data, wherein the computer system selects said reinforcement stimulus based, at least in part, on an evaluation of said history of said sensor data.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said selection of said reinforcement stimuli is based at least in part on a determination of one or more behavioral characteristics of said animal, said determination based at least in part on said evaluation of said history of said data.