Pet trainer and exercise apparatus
First Claim
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1. A method for exercising a pet animal having an eye level, comprising:
- providing a treadmill device comprising a support frame, one or more rollers, a driving motor, and a treadmill belt, wherein the treadmill belt passes over the one or more rollers and defines a treadmill upper surface, treadmill lower surface, treadmill belt front end, and treadmill belt back end, wherein the driving motor drives rotational movement of the treadmill belt over the one or more rollers;
providing a motivational control system communicatively linked to the treadmill, wherein the motivational control system comprises a control component and a motivational component, wherein the control component provides operational control signals to the treadmill and motivational control signals to the motivational component, the control component comprising a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the motivational component is configured, responsive to motivational control signals from the control component, to provide one or more exercise motivational signals to a pet animal which is standing on or adjacent the treadmill upper surface, wherein the motivational component comprises a food dispenser positioned toward the front of the treadmill device and configured to controllably release food;
without physical presence of a human supervisor at the treadmill device, providing a startup signal from the control component to the treadmill to activate the driving motor and thereby cause the treadmill belt to rotate so that the treadmill upper surface moves in a direction from the front end to the back end of the treadmill belt;
with the treadmill surface moving in a forward direction and without physical presence of a human supervisor at the treadmill device, activating the motivational component to provide one or more of the exercise motivational signals to encourage the pet animal to walk in a forward direction on the treadmill upper surface, wherein activating the motivational component comprises providing a motivational component activation signal from the control component to cause the motivational component to provide the one or more exercise motivation signals, wherein the motivational component is configured to provide a calling signal to encourage the pet animal to come to the treadmill and to step onto the treadmill surface, wherein the calling signal comprises the release of food from the food dispenser, the method further comprising;
without physical presence of a human supervisor at the treadmill device, activating the motivational component to provide the calling signal to encourage the pet animal to come to the treadmill and to step onto the treadmill surface, wherein providing the calling signal is performed prior to activating the motivational component to provide the one or more exercise motivational signals.
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Abstract
The invention is a device for exercising a pet. One embodiment of the invention is a combination of a treadmill and control configured to motivate a pet to use the treadmill responsive to motivation provided to the pet in the form of visual, audio, aromatic, and/or food rewards. Another embodiment of the invention is a device having a motivation control system configured to be secured to and/or adjacent to a separate treadmill, with the device controlling operation of the treadmill and the motivational control system providing appropriate motivation to the pet to use the treadmill.
22 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for exercising a pet animal having an eye level, comprising:
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providing a treadmill device comprising a support frame, one or more rollers, a driving motor, and a treadmill belt, wherein the treadmill belt passes over the one or more rollers and defines a treadmill upper surface, treadmill lower surface, treadmill belt front end, and treadmill belt back end, wherein the driving motor drives rotational movement of the treadmill belt over the one or more rollers; providing a motivational control system communicatively linked to the treadmill, wherein the motivational control system comprises a control component and a motivational component, wherein the control component provides operational control signals to the treadmill and motivational control signals to the motivational component, the control component comprising a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the motivational component is configured, responsive to motivational control signals from the control component, to provide one or more exercise motivational signals to a pet animal which is standing on or adjacent the treadmill upper surface, wherein the motivational component comprises a food dispenser positioned toward the front of the treadmill device and configured to controllably release food; without physical presence of a human supervisor at the treadmill device, providing a startup signal from the control component to the treadmill to activate the driving motor and thereby cause the treadmill belt to rotate so that the treadmill upper surface moves in a direction from the front end to the back end of the treadmill belt; with the treadmill surface moving in a forward direction and without physical presence of a human supervisor at the treadmill device, activating the motivational component to provide one or more of the exercise motivational signals to encourage the pet animal to walk in a forward direction on the treadmill upper surface, wherein activating the motivational component comprises providing a motivational component activation signal from the control component to cause the motivational component to provide the one or more exercise motivation signals, wherein the motivational component is configured to provide a calling signal to encourage the pet animal to come to the treadmill and to step onto the treadmill surface, wherein the calling signal comprises the release of food from the food dispenser, the method further comprising; without physical presence of a human supervisor at the treadmill device, activating the motivational component to provide the calling signal to encourage the pet animal to come to the treadmill and to step onto the treadmill surface, wherein providing the calling signal is performed prior to activating the motivational component to provide the one or more exercise motivational signals.
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2. A method for exercising a pet animal having an eye level, comprising:
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providing a treadmill device comprising a support frame, one or more rollers, a driving motor, and a treadmill belt, wherein the treadmill belt passes over the one or more rollers and defines a treadmill upper surface, treadmill lower surface, treadmill belt front end, and treadmill belt back end, wherein the driving motor drives rotational movement of the treadmill belt over the one or more rollers; providing a motivational control system communicatively linked to the treadmill, wherein the motivational control system comprises a control component and a motivational component, wherein the control component provides operational control signals to the treadmill and motivational control signals to the motivational component, the control component comprising a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the motivational component is configured, responsive to motivational control signals from the control component, to provide one or more exercise motivational signals to a pet animal which is standing on or adjacent the treadmill upper surface, wherein the motivational component comprises a food dispenser positioned toward the front of the treadmill device and configured to controllably release food; without physical presence of a human at the treadmill device, providing a startup signal from the control component to the treadmill to activate the driving motor and thereby cause the treadmill belt to rotate so that the treadmill upper surface moves in a direction from the front end to the back end of the treadmill belt; with the treadmill surface moving in a forward direction and without physical presence of a human at the treadmill device, activating the motivational component to provide one or more of the exercise motivational signals to encourage the pet animal to walk in a forward direction on the treadmill upper surface, wherein activating the motivational component comprises providing a motivational component activation signal from the control component to cause the motivational component to provide the one or more exercise motivational signals, and one of the exercise motivational signals comprises the release of food from the food dispenser, the method further comprising; releasing food from the food dispenser to motivate the pet animal to exercise. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for exercising a dog using a treadmill device comprising a support frame, one or more rollers, a driving motor, and a treadmill belt, wherein the treadmill belt passes over the one or more rollers and defines a treadmill upper surface, treadmill lower surface, treadmill belt front end, and treadmill belt back end, wherein the driving motor drives rotational movement of the treadmill belt over the one or more rollers, wherein the treadmill device is a commercially available treadmill device configured for use by a human user, the method comprising:
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providing a motivational control system configured to be removably and communicatively linked to the treadmill, wherein the motivational control system is an after-market device purchased separately from the treadmill device, wherein the motivational control system comprises a control component and a motivational component, wherein the control component provides operational control signals to the treadmill and motivational control signals to the motivational component, the control component comprising a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the motivational component is configured, responsive to motivational control signals from the control component, to provide one or more exercise motivational signals to a dog which is standing on or adjacent the treadmill upper surface, wherein the motivational component comprises a food dispenser; without physical presence of a human at the treadmill device, providing a startup signal from the control component to the treadmill to activate the driving motor and thereby cause the treadmill belt to rotate so that the treadmill upper surface moves in a direction from the front end to the back end of the treadmill belt; with the treadmill surface moving in a forward direction and without physical presence of a human at the treadmill device, activating the motivational component to provide one or more of the exercise motivational signals to encourage the dog to walk in a forward direction on the treadmill upper surface, wherein activating the motivational component comprises providing a motivational component activation signal from the control component to cause the motivational component to provide the one or more exercise motivational signals, and wherein at least one exercise motivational signal comprises the release of food from the food dispenser.
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11. A method for exercising a dog using a treadmill device comprising a support frame, one or more rollers, a driving motor, and a treadmill belt, wherein the treadmill belt passes over the one or more rollers and defines a treadmill upper surface, treadmill lower surface, treadmill belt front end, and treadmill belt back end, wherein the driving motor drives rotational movement of the treadmill belt over the one or more rollers, wherein the treadmill device is a commercially available treadmill device configured for use by a human user, the method comprising:
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providing a motivational control system configured to be removably and communicatively linked to the treadmill, wherein the motivational control system is an after-market device purchased separately from the treadmill device, wherein the motivational control system comprises a control component and a motivational component, wherein the control component provides operational control signals to the treadmill and motivational control signals to the motivational component, the control component comprising a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the motivational component is configured, responsive to motivational control signals from the control component, to provide one or more exercise motivational signals to a dog which is standing on or adjacent the treadmill upper surface, wherein the motivational component provides a call signal to call the dog to the treadmill; without physical presence of a human at the treadmill device, providing a startup signal from the control component to the treadmill to activate the driving motor and thereby cause the treadmill belt to rotate so that the treadmill upper surface moves in a direction from the front end to the back end of the treadmill belt; with the treadmill surface moving in a forward direction and without physical presence of a human at the treadmill device, activating the motivational component to provide one or more of the exercise motivational signals to encourage the dog to walk in a forward direction on the treadmill upper surface, wherein activating the motivational component comprises providing a motivational component activation signal from the control component to cause the motivational component to provide the one or more exercise motivational signals, wherein the motivational component comprises a food dispenser, and wherein the call signal comprises the release of food from the food dispenser.
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Specification