3594results about "Animal feeding devices" patented technology

A method is disclosed for automatically updating the status of customers' orders and shipments via electronic mail without using a human attendant to create and send the electronic mail messages. Preferably implemented in software, the updating method allows a large set of customers to be periodically updated over a computer or communications network via electronic mail. The method utilizes a database for maintaining order and shipping status and other relevant information.

A location beacon database and server, method of building location beacon database, and location based service using same. Wi-Fi access points are located in a target geographical area to build a reference database of locations of Wi-Fi access points. At least one vehicle is deployed including at least one scanning device having a GPS device and a Wi-Fi radio device and including a Wi-Fi antenna system. The target area is traversed in a programmatic route to avoid arterial bias. The programmatic route includes substantially all drivable streets in the target geographical area and solves an Eulerian cycle problem of a graph represented by said drivable streets. While traversing the target area, periodically receive the GPS coordinates of the GPS device. While traversing the target area, detecting Wi-Fi signals from Wi-Fi access points in range of the Wi-Fi device and recording identity information of the detected Wi-Fi access point in conjunction with GPS location information of the vehicle when the detection of the Wi-Fi access point was made. The location information is used to reverse triangulate the position of the detected Wi-Fi access point; and the position of the detected access point is recorded in a reference database. A user-device having a Wi-Fi radio may be located. A reference database of calculated locations of Wi-Fi access points in a target area is provided. In response to a user application request to determine a location of a user-device having a Wi-Fi radio, the Wi-Fi device is triggered to transmit a request to all Wi-Fi access points within range of the Wi-Fi device. Messages are received from the Wi-Fi access points within range of the Wi-Fi device, each message identifying the Wi-Fi access point sending the message. The signal strength of the messages received by the Wi-Fi access points is calculated. The reference database is accessed to obtain the calculated locations for the identified Wi-Fi access points. Based on the number of Wi-Fi access points identified via received messages, choosing a corresponding location-determination algorithm from a plurality of location-determination algorithms, said chosen algorithm being suited for the number of identified Wi-Fi access points. The calculated locations for the identified Wi-Fi access points and the signal strengths of said received messages and the chosen location-determination algorithm are used to determine the location of the user-device. The database may be modified with newly added position information to improve quality of previously determined positions, and error prone information is avoided.

The invention relates to the field of a pet device, and especially relates to an intelligent pet food emitter. The intelligent pet food emitter comprises a matrix, the matrix is internally provided with an emission channel communicating with the outside, the emission channel is straight, the emission channel is internally provided with an impact rod, and a compression spring is arranged between the tail end and of the impact rod and the matrix; and the matrix at the upper end of the emission channel is provided with a food chamber for containing food, a discharge port at the bottom of the food chamber communicates with the emission channel, the matrix is internally provided with a reciprocating motion mechanism, and the reciprocating motion mechanism is connected with the impact rod through a disengagement mechanism. According to the intelligent pet food emitter, through arrangement of a mobile phone APP, real-time distribution of the food can be remotely controlled, the food is thrown to a certain distance by use of the emission channel, interaction fun with a pet can be realized, the pet status can be remotely observed, and remote conversation with the pet can be realized.

An online system of locating consumer product having specific configuration in an enterprise production pipeline and inventory is provided. The system includes a locate client process operable to receive product configuration data and generate a search request message incorporating the product configuration data in response to user input, and an inventory database storing product availability data in the enterprise production pipeline and in inventory. A locate server process is operable to receive the search request message from the locate client process, and search the product availability data in the inventory database for products matching and substantially matching the product configuration data. The locate server is further operable to generate a search reply message containing the matching products and return the search reply message to the locate client process.

A method of maintaining informational integrity of a business to business (B2B) message in a distributed e-business environment is described. A sent message is stored a selected portion of which is flagged. A corresponding response message is then compared to the stored sent message. Based upon the comparing, when the response message matches the stored sent message, if a portion of the response message corresponding to the flagged portion is determined to be substantially missing, then the missing portion of the response message is replaced.

Systems, methods, and computer code products for monitoring the behavior, health, and/or characteristics of an animal are disclosed herein. In one implementation, the animal is positioned inside a waste container placed on a system that is adapted to determine, record and communicate over a network various animal health parameters. These parameters can be processed to determine trends, statistics and changes of animal physiological functions. The results can be used to access animal health conditions and issue warnings, alarms, messages, and other notifications to designated caretakers. These notifications may be displayed using various means such as computers and/or mobile devices. Data retrieval and review capability can provide improved understanding of an animal's health conditions and facilitate early illness detection.

A system and method for tracking and processing Service Orders for a telecommunications company. Workflows are used to model business procedures used for processing Service Orders. Each Workflow comprises a plurality of Workflow steps. Business process models are depicted as Workflow diagrams. The Workflow diagrams are stored in a library in a database. Work plans comprising a plurality of Workflow steps and associated data and are derived from information found in the Workflow diagrams. Upon receipt of a Service Order, an appropriate work plan is selected based on information within the Service Order. Each Workflow step is assigned a resource and is scheduled for completion with a start and a stop date and placed in the in-boxes associated with the selected resource. Users log-on to remote workstations coupled with a company-wide Intranet or the like. From the remote workstations, users from various organizations view their in-boxes and other information about current Service Orders. Such information includes detailed information about the Service Orders including, progress data, current, future and past Workflow step data, responsible groups, computer systems and organizations, whether schedules are maintained, and whether jeopardy points have been missed. If a Service Order is delayed, users can immediately determine information about the delay and take corrective action before it becomes critical. Workflow steps can be transferred and re-assigned using the remote workstations. Detailed statistical information is maintained for audit and reporting purposes. Reports reflecting the effectiveness of workforce management and work administration is obtained.

Techniques are provided for establishing and managing a distributed credential store. An identity service aggregates identity information from one or more identity stores and maintains the information as a remote credential store. Initially, the remote credential store, or portions thereof, is transmitted to a principal service as an initial configuration of a local credential store. A principal interacts with the principal service for defining or modifying a policy that identifies portions of the remote credential store which are to be synchronized with the local credential store. In some embodiments, the principal interacts with the principal service for defining a local policy that identifies portions of the local credential store which are not synchronized with the remote credential store. The interactions between the credential stores are trusted and secured.

A highly automated non-confining system to continuously, or at selected time intervals identify, measure, monitor and manage the consumption behavior, substance intake, body weight and growth of individual animals in their usual production environment including range, pasture, feedlot, dairy and farm without disruption to typical behaviors in order to determine, analyze, model and predict a variety of conditions relating to animal health, productivity, efficiency and quality. A transmitter generally attached to the animal identifies the individual animal by a unique individual code. A weighing device measures animal weight while an animal is consuming substances. An antenna receives the unique signal from the transmitter and a transmitting and receiving device sends acquired signals to a computer and receives instructions from a computer. A computer acquires signals and modification factors incorporated in the computer generate an event or interval measurement of an animal's weight and gain, growth rate and substance consumption, and the animal behavior affecting the measurement. A visual identification mechanism marks cattle that the computer system has determined require intervention. The system models and predicts animal health and growth, performance, carcass characteristics, feed utilization, manure and methane output.

The present invention relates to a device and method for the milking of dairy animals (9), comprising individual identifiers (11) attachable to each individual diary animal (9); simple feeding station (3'-3''''), provided with food dispenser (4) for dispensing fodder and sensor (15) for sensing the individual identifiers (11); combined feeding and milking stations (5', 5''), provided with food dispensers (6) for dispensing fodder, milking apparatus (7) for milking animals (9) and sensors (15) for sensing the individual identifiers (11); and control device (8, 19) for controlling the simple feeding stations (3', 3'''') and combined feeding and milking stations (5', 5''), wherein the control device (8, 19) comprises determining apparatus (19) for determining a time for the next milking of said individual animal (9); and output apparatus (21) for commanding the single feeding stations (3',3'''') to stop dispensing food to the individual animal (9) if the actual time is after the time for the next milking of the animal (9).

A system and method for delivering packages using a vehicle such as a truck. The packages contain RFIDs that can be electronically queried when the truck is at a destination. A computer communicates to the driver which packages are to be provided at the destination, and the RFIDs can be electronically queried so that the driver can identify those packages. The truck can have an RFID affixed thereto, so that when the driver arrives at the destination, a computer system is informed and can communicate said instructions to the driver. The instructions can be generated using a data base at a remote location coupled to a system within the truck (or within the destination).

A method and apparatus for pre-processing electronic data requests within the EDI subsystem layer and within the order fulfillment application system. An order interceptor, third-party Available To Promise (ATP) interface, pseudo-sales order workbench, and the reject acknowledgment system processes are provided within the order fulfillment application system to accomplish the pre-processing. The order interceptor performs an asynchronous availability check before a sales order is posted. The result of the ATP check is stored in an ESO, and is applied during the posting process with unique user exits. The result of the ATP check is also used to determine key information about the sales order, such as the sales organization, and division and distribution channels. The pre-processor uses business rules to determine if the ESO should be split into multiple documents for requests satisfied across multiple sales areas. The Workbench provides a customer purchase order view of the ESO that looks, feels and behaves like actual order entry screens. The Workbench also displays messages generated from the pre-processor describing why the ESO was held for review. After the condition is corrected the Workbench re-executes the ESO pre-processor. This continues until all messages are corrected or marked reviewed. The supplier can decide to either accept the request, reject the request or accept individual line items.

Techniques for facilitating the exchange of information and transactions between two entities associated with two wireless devices when the devices are in close proximity to each other. A first device uses a first short range wireless capability to detect an identifier transmitted from a second device in proximity, ideally using existing radio capabilities such as Bluetooth (IEEE802.15.1-2002) or Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11). The detected identifier, being associated with the device, is also associated with an entity. Rather than directly exchanging application data flow between the two devices using the short range wireless capability, a second wireless capability allows for one or more of the devices to communicate with a central server via the internet, and perform the exchange of application data flow. By using a central server to draw on stored information and content associated with the entities the server can broker the exchange of information between the entities and the devices.

The object of the invention is to facilitate the entry of a new type of sensor node and the adoption of a new protocol in the existing sensor network system effectively utilizing limited resources of radiocommunication. To achieve the object, the following are provided. A sensor node has a radiocommunication unit that transmits a measured value sensed by a sensor and an identifier of a sensor node as binary measured data. A base station has a radiocommunication controller that receives the measured data from the sensor node, a wire communication controller that transmits the received measured data to a server, a conversion definition information selector that selects conversion definition information corresponding to the identifier included in the measured data out of preset plural conversion definition information and a conversion engine that converts the binary measured data to measured data in a text format based upon the selected conversion definition information. The server has a database that stores the measured data in the text format received via a wired network.

A device for increasing the time an animal takes to consume food from a food dish. The food dish of the present invention includes protrusions in the interior portion of the food dish. The protrusions create obstacles that the animal has to work around in order to remove food from the dish and thereby increases the time taken to consume food from the dish.

A large capacity animal feeding and watering device having a serving tray (52) and a removable storage container (48) seated axially within the tray so as to deliver food or water to a serving dish (60). The tray has a number of removable wheels mounted thereunder which enables the device to be highly moveable by the user even when heavy and filled to capacity. The top of the container has a filling aperture (34) of sufficient size to enable access by an adult human hand to the interior of the container to fill or to clean. The same manufacturing molds are used in the production of both the feeding and watering device thereby reducing production costs. The container and the tray are designed to nest closely within other like components thereby decreasing the volume occupied in shipping and storage thus reducing costs.

An automatic feeding system includes a tag attached to a body of a pet; and an automatic feeding apparatus for automatically feeding the pet. The tag includes a receiving device for receiving an electromagnetic wave from the automatic feeding apparatus; an information memory device storing information on the feeding of the pet and outputting the information in response to an output from the receiving device; and a sending device for sending the information which is output from the information memory device to the automatic feeding apparatus using an electric wave. The automatic feeding apparatus includes a receiving device for receiving the electric wave from the tag; an information reading device for reading the information on the feeding of the pet in response to an output from the receiving device of the automatic feeding apparatus; a feeding device for supplying feed based on the information; and a sending device for sending an instruction to read the information on the feeding of the pet to the tag using an electric wave.

A computer-based method for administering performance of a contract uses a server accessible by multiple performing parties through a data network, such as the Internet. The method includes receiving performance data at the server from at least one of the performing parties through the data network. The performance data indicates an amount of work performed under the contract by the performing party, and may further include an amount of materials stored. A payment amount is determined based on the performance data. A schedule of values associated with performance of the contract may be initially stored, so that determining the payment amount is further based on comparing the performance data with the schedule of values. The payment amount is sent from the server to other performing parties through the data network. The other performing parties may be notified by an email indicating, for example, that the payment amount has been approved.

A supply chain (or other process) visibility solution is disclosed that combines RFID technology with a data visibility architecture to provide real-time or near real-time supply chain information at various stages of the supply chain (or other process). The system uses a data gathering architecture which collects data from multiple sources about an object. The sources of data include RFID tags, scanners and manual input. The data from the RFID tags is used to correlate the gathered data to attributes associated with the object (e.g., name, description or price). The gathered data and attributes are stored in a data store according to a customizable schema and published for consumption by one or more business processes.

A method, and systems implementing such method, for reducing methane emissions by ruminants. The method includes providing a feed dispenser for feeding ruminants one or more nutrient supplements, and the feed dispenser includes a gas analyzer proximate to where the ruminant places its head. The method includes determining a particular ruminant has accessed the feed dispenser such as by reading an identifier from an RFID ear tag and operating the feed dispenser to provide a ration of methane-controlling nutrient supplement. The method includes using the gas analyzer to determine levels of carbon dioxide and methane and operating a data analyzing station to determine a ratio of methane to carbon dioxide and modify the type or amount of nutrient supplement for the ruminant for a next feeding to control methane production or achieve an animal production goal, such as by selectively operating a hopper with two or more supplements compartments.

Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for managing shared inventory in a virtual universe are disclosed. Embodiments of the method may include receiving notification of a user session being established between a user and a virtual universe simulator. The method may also include accessing a list of shared inventory items for the user where the list of shared inventory items includes one or more shared inventory items each having an inventory source associated with it. Embodiments may also include retrieving at least one shared inventory item from its associated inventory source and passing the retrieved shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator. Further embodiments may include retrieving an updated listing for the shared inventory items from their associated inventory sources and passing the updated shared inventory item list to the virtual universe simulator. Further embodiments may include passing metadata for shared inventory items to the virtual universe simulator.

A hybrid credit card transaction system that processes transactions as either virtual standard transactions directed through a clearinghouse or as virtual closed loop transactions bypassing the clearinghouse, is disclosed. The system includes a logic enabled merchant that detects virtual closed loop transactions and directs them to an affiliated acquiring entity which acquires the virtual closed loop transactions and routes them directly to an affiliated card issuing entity so as to bypass the clearinghouse. The affiliated card issuing entity debits virtual standard transactions to a credit card account and virtual closed loop transactions to a private label account. The logic enabled merchant, associated acquiring entity and the associated card entity may be affiliated by participation in an Internet site that promotes transactions between small businesses and merchants selling wholesale goods. A reduction in processing fees accrued when bypassing the clearinghouse promotes issuance and use of the hybrid credit cards.

A method, apparatus, system, or computer program product facilitates trustworthy electronic commerce by providing a methodology for uniquely identifying a product offered for sale online so as to improve the trustworthiness of a purchase that was initiated electronically. A product for sale in an online auction has a unique, tamper-resistant, physical tag applied to the product, after which the product or object is photographed, either as a digital image or a traditional photograph. The image of the product is then sent to the buyer in some manner. Assuming the buyer agrees to buy the product, the buyer eventually receives the product, presumably with the physically attached, tamper-resistant, tag. The buyer then has increased confidence both before and during the exchange of the product that the product is identical to the product that was described via the image of the product.

In accordance with the present invention, absent items from an intended inventory are monitored at a computer system. Search requests for the absent items are automatically transmitted from the computer system to multiple independent product databases each respectively associated with one of multiple retailers. Offers are returned from multiple retailers to the computer system, such that inventory purchases for the particular household are managed by the computer system.

An aircraft integrated support system (ISS) downloads Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) data from an aircraft, processes the downloaded data to infer a status of aircraft systems and displays maintenance information via an Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM). The ISS integrates a maintenance and support environment to bind the information flow among the various aircraft and logistics networks for a fully integrated systemic approach which optimizes aircraft operation, maintenance, and support through data collection and analysis to maximize aircraft readiness.

The present invention 10 provides a system and method of monitoring and tracking a plurality of physical variables from a remote location. The invention 10 utilizes a plurality of radio frequency identification transponders 20 each coupled with a sensor for measuring physical data. The transponders 20 are powered by a radio frequency reader/interrogator 60 that provides radio frequency excitation to the transponders 20 and receives and demodulates back-scattered signals therefrom. The invention 10 is particularly advantageous in monitoring temperature in cattle herds as an aid to early diagnosis of bovine respiratory disease.

An apparatus for the dissemination of food to a first animal when the first animal is disposed proximate the apparatus includes a container for receipt of the food and a transmitter that is attached to the first animal and a receiver that is operatively attached to the apparatus. The transmitter emits a signal continuously according to a preferred embodiment or a signal only when it is proximate the apparatus, according to a modification. The apparatus is adapted to receive and respond to the signal to allow access to the food in the container when the signal is present. When the signal is not received by the apparatus, access to the food in the container is denied.

According to the current invention, the new pet feeding system provides a controlled food release to aid individual weight management of a pet. This is what sets the proposed feeder apart from its competitors. The pet feeder includes an automatic computerized weight and food release mechanism. Individual pet information such as current weight, aimed for weight, and pet information is entered via pin pad instructions, the feeder calculates exact amount of food. At each feeding the pet steps on a weight scale which automatically updates pet's weight information and recalculates food output. Another aspect of the invention is the automatic storage and update of the pet's data and weight loss progress. Through a wireless device, the pet's information of weight, feeding times and food amount, food type, and daily caloric intake is saved onto a portable electronic storage device.

A computer based system automatically gathers, analyzes, and delivers information relating to the procurement and utilization of a plurality of such assets, such as a fleet of industrial equipment, so as to maximize productivity and to reduce operating costs and administrative burdens. Each of the assets is preferably provided with a data acquisition device for sensing and storing one or more operating characteristics associated therewith. That information can be transmitted through space to a receiver connected to a local controller for storing such information and for transmitting such information to a remote analysis system. The remote analysis system automatically updates individual records associated with each of the assets with the information received. In response to such information, the remote analysis system automatically analyzes the newly provided information and schedules maintenance as required. Information associated with the maintenance is also recorded electronically to maximize efficiency, provide historical trends, automate billing, and control inventory levels.

A business rules engine works with an optimization engine through various user interfaces to facilitate increased efficiency in retail space planning. Rules and models are built from templates that are stored in a repository. Business analysts and retail space planners both have access to the repository to develop models and rules. A project consists of a selection of rules and models from the repository along with selected data from various data sources. A scenario is created for the project by specifying constraints, parameters, and optimization objectives. The optimization engine processes the scenario and attempts to find an optimum solution. when a perfect solution (100%) cannot be found, the optimization engine evaluates the various criteria in the scenario and relaxes requirements until an acceptable solution is found. The output of the optimization engine can automatically be provided as graphical visualizations such as plan-o-grams, graphs, charts, and other forms.