System for detecting information regarding an animal and communicating the information to a remote location

• US 8,436,735 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Radio Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Mainini, Christopher E.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/673,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20080190379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.3, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/573.7, 119/75, 119/721, 119/908, 119/712, 119/421, 119/174, 600/300, 600/549, 600/595, 600/587, 600/589, 600/590, 607/75
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/021 Electronic training devices specially adapted for dogs or cats
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating

Abstract

Described is an animal data communication system for detecting particular conditions and actions of an animal, compiling information indicative of the detected conditions and actions, communicating the information to a remote location, and presenting the information at the remote location. The animal data communication system includes a carried device and an interfacing device. The carried device detects particular conditions and actions of the animal and compiles the corresponding information. The carried device is in communication with the interfacing device and transmits the information to the interfacing device. The interfacing device communicates the information to a network. The user of the animal data communication system accesses the network by way of a display device, which is in communication with the network, and perceives the information. The display device is disposed at a location remote to the animal such that the user can perceive the information at the remote location.

Claims

1. An animal data communication system for detecting and compiling animal data, and for communicating the animal data to a remote location, said animal data communication system comprising:

a housing adapted to be carried by the animal;

at least one detector disposed within said housing, said at least one detector detecting a discrete occurrence of an action engaged in by the animal, said at least one detector generating an electrical signal indicative of the detected action;

a processing device disposed within said housing, said processing device in electrical communication with said at least one detector, said processing device receiving the electrical signal generated by said at least one detector, said processing device processing the received electrical signal to generate the animal data;

a transmitter disposed within said housing, said transmitter in electrical communication with said processing device, said transmitter receiving the animal data from said processing device upon being induced to do so by an occurrence of a particular condition associated with the detected action, said transmitter transmitting the animal data;

a receiver in communication with said transmitter, said receiver receiving the animal data from said transmitter; and

a network interface in electrical communication with said receiver, said network interface receiving the animal data from said receiver, said network interface being network compatible, said network interface communicating the animal data to the network;

whereby, a user of said animal data communication system accesses the animal data communicated to the network.

2. The animal data communication system of claim 1 further comprising a memory module, said memory module disposed within said housing, said memory module in electrical communication with said processing device, said memory module stores the animal data processed and compiled by said processing device, said processing device receives the animal data from said memory module such that said transmitter receives the animal data from said processing device.

3. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said at least one detector includes a receiver responsive to a signal indicative of an action engaged in by the animal.

4. The animal data communication system of claim 3 wherein the signal indicative of an action engaged in by the animal is generated by an animal training system.

5. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said at least one detector includes an animal bark sensor.

6. The animal data communication system of claim 5, wherein the condition comprises a number of barks over a duration of time.

7. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said processing device time stamps the electrical signal that said processing device receives from said at least one detector.

8. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said processing device includes an internal clock, and wherein said condition comprises a periodic schedule governed by the internal clock of said processing device.

9. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said receiver is in wireless communication with said transmitter.

10. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said receiver includes a transceiver.

11. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter includes a transceiver.

12. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein said network interface is in communication with a computing device that is network compatible such that said network interface communicates the animal data to the network by way of the computing device.

13. The animal data communication system of claim 1 wherein the network includes the Internet.

14. The animal data communication system of claim 1 further comprising a display device, said display device being network compatible, said display device provides the user of said animal data communication system with access to the animal data communicated to the network.

15. The animal data communication system of claim 14 wherein said display device summarily displays the animal data.

16. The animal data communication system of claim 14 wherein said display device is disposed at a location remote to the animal.

17. The animal data communication system of claim 1 further comprising at least one pet article having a communication module that communicates an electrical signal associated with said at least one pet article, said at least one pet article having an associate action.

18. The animal data communication system of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises a user request from the remote location.

19. The animal data communication system of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises a change in the generated electrical signal.

20. A method for detecting and compiling animal data and for communicating the animal data to a remote location, where the animal data is perceived by a user of said animal data communication system, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a discrete occurrence of at least one selected action of the animal;

generating an electrical signal indicative of the selected action detected at said step of detecting;

processing the electrical signal generated at said step of generating to create animal data identifying the action engaged in by the animal;

compiling the animal data to be indicative of the discrete occurrence; and

communicating the animal data by way of a network to a remote location in response to an occurrence of a particular condition associated with the discrete occurrence.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the condition comprises a request from a user at the remote location.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of processing includes time stamping the electrical signal generated at said step of generating.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of storing the animal data, said step of storing occurring prior to said step of communicating.

24. An electronic animal monitoring system comprising:

at least one pet article having a communication module that communicates a signal associated with said at least one pet article to monitor action of the animal relative to the pet article;

a carried device adapted to be carried by an animal to receive the signal and to generate animal data indicative of the action including a time stamp corresponding to a time at which the signal is received, said carried device adapted to transmit said animal data in response to an occurrence of a particular condition associated with the action;

an interface device not carried by the animal, said interface device adapted to receive said animal data transmitted by said carried device; and

a computing device not carried by the animal, said computing device adapted to obtain said animal data through said interface device, process said animal data into human readable animal data, and display said human readable animal data allowing a user to view the action and the associated time stamp recorded by said carried device.

25. The electronic animal monitoring system of claim 24 wherein said at least one pet article is selected from the group consisting of an electronic pet containment system, a food bowl, and a water bowl.

26. The electronic animal monitoring system of claim 24 wherein said carried device stores said animal data.

27. The electronic animal monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the condition is a location of the animal relative to the pet article.

28. An animal data communication system to detect and transmit animal data to a remote location, comprising:

a housing carried by the animal;

at least one detector to detect a discrete occurrence of an action engaged in by the animal and to generate a signal indicative of the detected action;

a processing device to generate animal data based on the received signal; and

a transmitter to transmit the animal data over a network in response to an occurrence of a particular condition associated with the detected action.

29. An animal data communication system to detect and transmit animal data to a remote location, comprising:

a housing carried by the animal;

at least one detector to detect a physiological condition of the animal and an action engaged in by the animal, and to generate a signal indicative of the detected physiological condition and action;

a processing device to generate animal data based on the received signal; and

a transmitter to transmit the animal data over a network in response to an occurrence of a particular condition associated with the physiological condition and/or the detected action.