U.S. patent application number 13/527073 was filed with the patent office on 2012-10-11 for domestic animal telephone.
This patent application is currently assigned to ANSER INNOVATION LLC. Invention is credited to Mark W. Kroll.
Application Number | 20120255504 13/527073 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35504221 |
Filed Date | 2012-10-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120255504 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kroll; Mark W. |
October 11, 2012 |
Domestic Animal Telephone
Abstract
A phone for pets and pet owners is taught which allows the owner
to call the house and "talk" to the pet. The owner can then see a
video image of the pet in front of the pet phone to verify presence
and happiness. The device can also present the owner's scent to the
pet and deliver treats on remote command. In some embodiments, the
pet can initiate the phone call.
Inventors: |
Kroll; Mark W.; (Crystal
Bay, MN) |
Assignee: |
ANSER INNOVATION LLC
Bunsville
MN
|
Family ID: |
35504221 |
Appl. No.: |
13/527073 |
Filed: |
June 19, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12967830 |
Dec 14, 2010 |
8201522 |
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13527073 |
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12565535 |
Sep 23, 2009 |
7878152 |
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12967830 |
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11142149 |
May 31, 2005 |
7654230 |
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12565535 |
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60560066 |
Jun 7, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
119/719 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K 15/021 20130101;
A01K 15/025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
119/719 |
International
Class: |
A01K 29/00 20060101
A01K029/00 |
Claims
1. A device for remotely communicating with a pet in real-time, the
device comprising: a body having: a speaker; a camera;
telecommunications circuitry; a scent reservoir; a treat dispenser;
and a programmable input/output chip; wherein the speaker and
camera are in communication with the telecommunications circuitry,
which is configured to receive an incoming call from a remote
location, such that the caller can talk to the pet in
real-time.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body further has: a power
supply and a microcontroller, the power supply and
telecommunications circuitry being in communication with the
microcontroller.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein the body further has a fan, the
fan being in communication with the microcontroller and configured
to blow air at the scent reservoir.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the body further has a scent door
and a scent door solenoid, the scent door operably connected to the
scent door solenoid and selectively covering the scent
reservoir.
5. A method of communicating remotely with a pet in real-time, the
method comprising: providing a communications device having a body,
the body having: a speaker; a camera; a display; and
telecommunications circuitry, the speaker and camera in
communication with the telecommunications circuitry; receiving an
incoming call from a caller; answering the incoming call with the
communications device; establishing a communications link with the
caller; and talking to the pet in real-time via the
telecommunications circuitry and speaker.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing a power
supply and a microcontroller within the body, the power supply and
telecommunications circuitry being in communication with the
microcontroller.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing the body with
a scent reservoir, the scent reservoir having therein a scented
item.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing the body with
a fan, the fan being in communication with the microcontroller and
configured to blow air at the scent reservoir.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising remotely activating the
fan.
10. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing the body
with a scent door solenoid and operating the scent door
solenoid.
11. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing a treat
reservoir and dispensing a treat from the treat reservoir.
12. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing the body
with a universal serial bus (USB) connector.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/967830, filed Dec. 14, 2010, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/565,535, filed
Sep. 23, 2009, which is continuation of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 11/142,149, filed May 31, 2005, which claims priority of
Jun. 7, 2004 to U.S. Provisional Application 60/560,066, all of
which are herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A large number of individuals have mammalian pets in their
homes. These are typically dogs or cats. When the pet owners are
away at work they often would like to communicate with their pets.
Similarly, the pets often would like to communicate with their
owner.
[0003] Speaker phones have been modified, by the Ablephone company,
by adding a large button expander of a "speed dial" button for
trained rescue dogs to call 911 in an emergency. While such a
system is probably useful for some medical emergencies, it does not
provide any "social" communication or emotional comfort on either
side. Unfortunately, such a system to this date there has been no
practical means for this sort of communication.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The gist of this invention is a practical telephone for
mammalian pets. The major teaching of this invention is a telephone
that can be called by a human from a remote location in such a way
that the animal can answer the phone. Another teaching of the
invention is a phone that can be dialed by a mammalian pet to a
programmed number which will typically be the office number of the
owner.
[0005] Other significant objects of the invention are a domestic
mammalian phone that will release a human scent to the animal by
remote command. Another teaching is an apparatus to allow a human
owner at a remote location to release a small food treat to a
pet.
[0006] Another important teaching of this invention is an apparatus
and method to allow audiovisual communication remotely between a
pet and an owner. Another important teaching of this invention is a
phone with soft fuzzy or soft pliable durable sections for pet
licking or chewing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 shows the front view of the apparatus.
[0008] FIG. 2 shows another front view of the apparatus.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows the side view of the apparatus.
[0010] FIG. 4 shows the method of the invention for receiving an
outside call.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows the method of the invention for generating a
call by the animal.
[0012] FIG. 6 shows the electronic circuits schematic.
[0013] FIG. 7 shows the method of the invention for releasing a
food treat.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENT
[0014] FIG. 1 shows the basic apparatus of the invention. The
animal phone 10 comprises a video monitor or liquid crystal or
other video display 12 to show the owner's face and also comprises
a speaker 14 to perform the speakerphone functions. Camera 16
captures the pet image as well as any part of the room covered by
the lens. A door 18 covers a scent reservoir, which will allow the
owner to release a scent to the animal by remote control.
[0015] A treat reservoir is located inside the phone that would
release a treat to a holding cup 20 on the front of the phone. Paw
pad 22 is used by the animal to dial the phone to call the owner.
This paw pad 22 is hidden within semi-protective opening 30. Fuzzy
short arms 24 and longer legs 26 are used for additional comfort
for the animal. These may be purely passive for rubbing or may be
motorized for petting of the animal. Preferably they are passive
but removable so they can be replaced after pet damage. High
friction feet (typically rubber) are attached to the bottom of the
pet phone to make it hard to slide around.
[0016] FIG. 2 shows a simplified front version of the apparatus.
Again the visual monitor 12 shows a face of the owner at a remote
location speaking through speaker 14. The animal's face (and room
behind) is captured by camera 16. On remote command the double
doors 18 may be opened via an electrical solenoid to release scent
from an owner-scented object hidden within.
[0017] The treat cup 20 will hold a treat such as a food pellet, a
little bone, and a bone cookie that was released also by remote
control. Finally the paw pad 22 is somewhat covered within the
opening of the cave 30 to allow the animal to call the owner
without too many accidental calls.
[0018] The video display is preferably between 10-15 cm in diameter
(or height and width) but dimensions of 5-20 cm are also
acceptable. The portico for the answer/call paw switch is ideally
about 3-4 inches in width and about 3-5 inches in height. However,
widths of 4-6 inches and heights of 5-7 inches are also functional.
The width of the main body of the phone is preferably 7-12 inches
but widths of 5-18 inches are also functional. The width of the
base is preferably greater than that of the main body to make it
resistant to tipping by the pet. Ideally, the base is 2-5 inches
wider than the main body but it may be 5-8 inches wider for even
greater stability. The height of the pet phone is preferably
matched to the eye height of the pet that will be using it and
different models may be made with different heights. In general,
the preferred height is about 15-22 inches. However a height of
12-15 inches is preferred for a small dog or cat model. A height of
22-36 inches is preferred for a large dog model.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows the side view of the invention. We see the side
view of the liquid crystal display 12 and the camera 16 to allow
the owner to see the pet's image as well. Door 18 is used to shield
a scented item 42 in the scent reservoir with fan motor 40 behind
it. In operation the owner would place a small item of scented
clothing such as a sock into the scent reservoir. Upon remote
command the fan motor 40 would be enabled and the door 18 would
open. This would blow the owner's scent through the door to the
portal into the animal's face giving the pet the reassurance of the
owner's scent.
[0020] The treat reservoir system comprises an input chute 54 which
feeds into a reservoir area 56. On remote command the solenoid 58
lifts up enough to allow the passage of one treat which then falls
down through chute 60 to sit outside into the treat reservoir cup
20. In this figure we also see a side view of the paw pad 22 within
the cutout area 30.
[0021] Finally, at the top of the phone is a small keypad 52 to
allow for the programming of various functions and, most
importantly, the owner's work or mobile phone number. USB connector
50 is used to allow the owner to download a fixed picture into the
screen 12. This could also be used to download an MP3 file of
pleasant music or the owner's voice whenever the call did not go
through.
[0022] The depth of the device main body is preferably 6-8 inches.
However, depths of 2-12 inches can also be functional. The depth of
the base is preferably 4-6 inches greater than that of the main
body while a base depth of only 0-4 inches would still be
functional. This figure shows an optional lip on the front of the
base.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows the method of the invention to handle an
outside call. First at step 100 a call is made from the outside and
it is answered. At step 102 the method asks if a PIN was detected.
If it is not then at step 118 the method will simply hang up and
return to monitoring mode.
[0024] If a PIN was detected then the method will go down to
generate a special ring on the speaker in step 104. At step 106 the
method will ask if the paw switch was depressed. If the answer is
"no" then at step 120 the method will ask if there have been ten
rings. The method will continue trying until 10 rings have been
received. At the end of 10 rings then the method will proceed to
step 118 to hang up. In an alternative embodiment, the telephone
will automatically answer after the tenth if the correct PIN was
entered. Thus the pet would not have to push anything and would
merely have 10 rings to approach the phone and listen.
[0025] In an alternative embodiment, the verification, that the
call is from the owner, is made by the use of "Caller ID." This is
not preferred as an owner may wish to call in from many different
phone lines including a hotel.
[0026] If the pet answers the phone by depressing the paw switch
then at step 108 the method will turn on the fan. At step 110 it
will activate the door solenoid to enable the animal to sense the
scent of the owner. At step 112 the method will enable the
speakerphone. At step 114 the method will ask if there is video
signal. If not it will present a stored picture at step 122. If
there is a video signal present then the method will present that
video signal at step 116 to the animal. This would be the case if
the owner has, for example, a web cam on their computer at
work.
[0027] Research on the pet phone has led to very interesting
results. The pet phone was partially simulated with a high
resolution iSight.TM. camera, high resolution Apple.RTM. liquid
crystal monitors, high fidelity JBL speakers, and the iChat.TM.
video conferencing program. At one location was a yellow Labrador
retriever (and participating researchers) and at a remote location
was a member of the owner's family with a good relationship with
the dog. After the link was established, the dog was directed to
the monitor with a large and very clear image of the human smiling
"at the dog." The dog was absolutely unimpressed. But, the human
was extremely pleased to see the remote image of the dog on her
monitor!
[0028] The study then advanced into an audio portion. The remote
human called out the dog's name and spoke in a pleasant and
energetic voice. The dog was immediately transformed and began
wagging her tail and eagerly trying to find the exact location of
the speaker. However, the remote human could not entice the dog to
"speak" back. While it was clear that the dog was thrilled to hear
the familiar voice, it had no interest in reciprocating.
Nevertheless, the remote human was very satisfied to see the
obvious happiness in the visual image of the dog.
[0029] From this research comes the nonobvious "Law of Pet
Telecommunication." The law is as follows: for successful pet
telecommunication, the human must see and the pet must hear. As a
corollary, there is minimal utility in passing the human image to
the pet and minimal utility is passing the pet's sounds to the
human. Hence, an attractive and economical embodiment of the pet
phone transmits the human voice and the pet video image but does
not transmit the human image. This saves the cost of an LCD screen
on the pet phone.
[0030] FIG. 5 discusses the basic method for the phone to make a
call. In step 140 the method will monitor the paw switch. If the
switch is depressed then in step 142 the method will detect that.
It will then go on to step 144 to check if the call limit per day
has been exceeded. For example, the owner may limit the pet to
calling 4 times per day. If this call limit is exceeded then the
method will ignore the paw switch depression and go back to
monitoring mode. If the answer in step 144 is "no" then the method
will go on to step 146.
[0031] At step 146 the method will ask is the call in excess of the
hourly limit. If the answer is "yes" then the method will go back
into the monitoring mode. If the answer is "no" the method will go
to step 148 and call the stored number.
[0032] FIG. 6 shows the basic electronic circuitry of the
apparatus. Paw switch 22 is pulled up by resistor 202 which is then
fed into the programmable input/output (PIO) chip 206. The PIO
receives the keyboard 52 signal and also drives the fan through
motor driver 204. The PIO further communicates with the USB port
connector 50. The PIO commands the scent door solenoid 240 to open
through a solenoid driver circuit 216. The PIO also enables the
treat reservoir solenoid 58 through solenoid driving circuitry 218.
The power input 208 will typically be fed by a wall mounted power
supply such as a simple plug-in transformer. That will drive the
micro-controller 210 which in turns communicates with the PIO 206.
The PIO communicates with the camera directly or alternatively
through an image processor integrated circuit. The image is then
giving to the micro-controller 210 for further compression before
being send to the telephone chip set 214.
[0033] The micro-controller then communicates with the LCD
controller 220 which drives the LCD 12. The phone plug 212 drives
the telephone speakerphone chip set 214 which communicates through
amplifier 222 to drive the speaker 14. Alternatively, the link to
the outside world could be through a VoIP wireless Internet link.
Alternatively, the link to the outside world could be through an
audio/video chat service such as AOL Instant Messenger.TM. 5.5.
[0034] Optional microphone 242 drives the amplifier 224 which then
communicates with the telephone chip set. In an alternative
embodiment the speaker 14 also functions as a microphone.
[0035] FIG. 7 shows the method of the invention for dispensing a
treat by remote command. At step 250 a call from the owner is
received. At step 252 the method asks if the special code * 11# is
detected. If not then the method goes back to monitoring for a
normal call. If it is detected then it goes to step 254. At this
step it will enable the treat reservoir solenoid to open which will
let a food treat go down the chute to the animal. The method will
then stop at step 256.
[0036] As is well understood, many functions in electronic
circuitry may be realized through software program execution and
this alternative is meant to be included whenever it is practical
throughout this invention.
* * * * *