Intelligent pet feeder based on visual identification

Abstract

The intelligent pet feeder comprises a feeder body, a top cover is installed on the top of the feeder body, and an electric control door is installed on a feeding opening; the bin door sealing assembly is mounted on the top cover; the mounting cylinder is coaxially and rotatably connected in the feeder main body, and a plurality of groups of stock bins are fixed in the circumferential direction of the outer wall of the mounting cylinder at equal intervals; the transmission assembly is mounted in the center of the top cover; a chute is installed on the feeding opening, and the chute is connected with the food box; the gravity detection units are respectively arranged at the bottom of the stock bin and the bottom of the food box; the visual identification system is mounted at the top of the top cover; the alarm unit is mounted on the outer wall of the feeder main body; and a terminal system. According to the invention, pet diet requirements can be accurately matched, obesity caused by excessive feeding or nutrition deficiency caused by insufficient feeding can be prevented, and pet diet health can be guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent feeding equipment technology, and in particular to an intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition. Background Technology

[0002] As pet ownership becomes a common lifestyle, pet owners are increasingly demanding more convenient, precise, and intelligent pet care. Traditional pet feeding methods rely heavily on manual, timed feeding, which has significant limitations: on the one hand, when owners are away for extended periods, such as business trips or overtime work, they cannot provide food in a timely manner, easily leading to hunger or irregular eating habits in pets; on the other hand, manual feeding makes it difficult to precisely control the amount of food given, and overfeeding can easily cause health problems such as obesity and indigestion in pets, while underfeeding can affect their growth and development.

[0003] To address these issues, some smart pet feeders have emerged on the market, primarily using timers to automatically dispense food, thus freeing up pet owners' time to some extent. However, existing smart pet feeders still have several shortcomings: First, they lack effective monitoring of pets' eating status, leaving owners unable to know whether their pets are eating on time, how much they are eating, or whether they are refusing to eat or experiencing loss of appetite. Second, the amount of food fed is mostly controlled by preset programs, without dynamic adjustments based on the remaining food in the bin and the real-time amount in the food container. This can easily lead to situations where the bin is empty but feeding commands are continuously triggered, or food is repeatedly dispensed even when the food container is not finished, resulting in waste. Third, they lack pet recognition capabilities, potentially leading to issues such as pets fighting over food in multi-pet households or specific pets not receiving their designated feeding. Fourth, the interactivity of existing devices is weak, making it difficult for owners to remotely monitor their pets' status in real time or to promptly issue alerts or adjust the feeding plan when abnormalities are detected.

[0004] Furthermore, with the rapid development of visual recognition, IoT, and sensor technologies, the intelligence level of pet smart devices has been further improved. Based on this, there is an urgent need to develop a smart feeder capable of visually recognizing pets, monitoring the weight of the feed bin and food container in real time, and supporting remote control and anomaly alarms. This would meet pet owners' core needs for precise feeding, status tracking, and convenient management, filling the gaps in existing technologies regarding pet feeding monitoring, intelligent interaction, and dynamic feeding control. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a visual recognition-based intelligent pet feeder to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: The present invention provides a visual recognition-based intelligent pet feeder, comprising: The feeder body has a top cover installed on the top of the feeder body, and a feeding port is opened on the top cover. The feeding port is equipped with an electric control door. A door sealing assembly is mounted on the top cover; The mounting cylinder is coaxially rotatably connected inside the feeder body. Several sets of feed bins are fixed at equal intervals around the outer wall of the mounting cylinder. The feed bins slide against the inner wall of the feeder body. The feed bins have openings that correspond to the feeding port. A transmission assembly is installed at the center of the top cover and is in transmission cooperation with the mounting cylinder; The feeding box has a chute installed on the feeding port, the chute is connected to the feeding box, and the feeding box is placed on the front side of the feeder body; Gravity detection units are respectively installed at the bottom of the hopper and the bottom of the food box; A visual recognition system is installed on the top of the cover and is arranged correspondingly to the food box; An alarm unit is installed on the outer wall of the feeder body; A terminal system is used to control the operation of the overall control device.

[0007] According to the intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition provided by the present invention, the door closing assembly includes a linear track vertically fixedly connected to the inner wall of the feeder body, a linear motor mounted on the linear track, a slider fixedly connected to the slide of the linear motor, push rods symmetrically hinged on both sides of the slider, an annular groove opened on the inner wall of the feeder body, a fan-shaped plate symmetrically rotatably connected in the annular groove, the ends of the two sets of push rods respectively rotatably connected to the top surface of the fan-shaped plate, and the fan-shaped plate is arranged correspondingly to the feed inlet.

[0008] According to the intelligent pet feeder based on vision recognition provided by the present invention, the transmission component includes a drive motor fixedly connected to the top cover, a drive gear fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and a toothed groove provided on the inner wall of the mounting cylinder, wherein the drive gear meshes with the toothed groove.

[0009] According to the intelligent pet feeder based on vision recognition provided by the present invention, the gravity detection unit includes a gravity sensor, which is installed in the food box and the feed hopper respectively.

[0010] According to the present invention, the visual recognition system of the intelligent pet feeder includes a camera mounted on the top of the cover, the camera being used to identify the animal species and size.

[0011] According to the intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition provided by the present invention, an inclined plate is installed in the feed hopper, and the inclined plate is arranged correspondingly to the feed inlet.

[0012] According to the present invention, the top cover of the intelligent pet feeder based on vision recognition is detachably connected to the top of the feeder body by a latch.

[0013] According to the visual recognition-based intelligent pet feeder provided by the present invention, the alarm unit includes a buzzer and an alarm light.

[0014] The present invention discloses the following technical effects: 1. Achieve precise dynamic feeding, overcoming the rigidity of traditional feeders. Through a gravity detection unit, the remaining amount in the food bin and container is fed in real time. Combined with visual recognition monitoring of the pet's eating status, the terminal system dynamically adjusts the feeding amount. This avoids the waste caused by false triggering of empty bins and repeated feeding of leftover food under preset programs. It also accurately matches the pet's dietary needs, preventing obesity due to overfeeding or nutritional deficiencies due to underfeeding, thus ensuring the pet's dietary health.

[0015] 2. The visual recognition system and gravity detection unit work together to not only track whether the pet eats on time and for how long, but also to judge whether the appetite is abnormal by the change in the amount of food left in the food box. With the low food alarm function, the owner can remotely monitor the pet's status in real time and promptly detect health problems such as refusal to eat and loss of appetite, filling the technical gap in the lack of feeding monitoring and abnormal warning in existing equipment.

[0016] 3. Visual recognition technology enables accurate identification of pets, avoiding food disputes in multi-pet households and ensuring dedicated feeding; the terminal system supports remote control and parameter adjustment, allowing owners to flexibly modify feeding plans when traveling or working overtime without worrying about pet care; alarm push and status feedback functions enhance human-pet interaction, making pet ownership more worry-free and intelligent, adapting to the needs of modern fast-paced life. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the vision recognition-based intelligent pet feeder of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the vision recognition-based intelligent pet feeder of the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 4 This is a front view of the intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition according to the present invention.

[0019] The components include: 1. Feeder body; 2. Top cover; 3. Mounting cylinder; 4. Feed hopper; 5. Feed box; 6. Chute; 7. Linear motor; 8. Slider; 9. Push rod; 10. Sector plate; 11. Drive motor; 12. Drive gear; 13. Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] Reference Figures 1-4 This invention provides a vision-based intelligent pet feeder, comprising: The feeder body 1 has a top cover 2 installed on the top of the feeder body 1. The top cover 2 has a feeding port. The feeder body 1 has a feeding port on the side and an electric control door is installed on the feeding port. The door sealing assembly is installed on the top cover 2; The mounting cylinder 3 is coaxially rotatably connected inside the feeder body 1. Several sets of feed bins 4 are fixed at equal intervals around the outer wall of the mounting cylinder 3. The feed bins 4 slide with the inner wall of the feeder body 1. The feed bins 4 have openings, which are arranged corresponding to the feeding port. The transmission assembly is installed at the center of the top cover 2 and is in transmission cooperation with the mounting cylinder 3. The food box 5 has a chute 6 installed on the feeding port. The chute 6 is connected to the food box 5, and the food box 5 is placed on the front side of the feeder body 1. Gravity detection units are respectively installed at the bottom of hopper 4 and food box 5; A visual recognition system is installed on the top of the top cover 2 and is arranged correspondingly to the food box 5; An alarm unit is installed on the outer wall of the feeder body 1; The terminal system is used to control the operation of the overall control device.

[0023] When the invention is working, the visual recognition system captures images of the food container 5 area in real time, accurately identifies the pet's identity and monitors its approach status, and transmits the identity information to the terminal simultaneously; the gravity detection unit at the bottom of the feed bin 4 and the food container 5 continuously collects data on the remaining feed, and dynamically provides feedback on whether the feed bin 4 is sufficient and whether there is any uneaten residue in the food container 5. The terminal system combines a preset feeding plan (timed and quantitative parameters) with real-time monitoring data to intelligently determine the feeding timing: when the feeding conditions are met, the terminal sends a command to the transmission component to drive the mounting cylinder 3 to rotate coaxially, so that the opening of the target feed bin 4 is precisely aligned with the feeding port, and at the same time controls the electric control door to open, and the feed falls smoothly into the feed box 5 through the chute 6; during the feeding process, the visual recognition system continuously tracks the pet's eating behavior, and the gravity detection unit provides real-time feedback on the weight change of the feed box 5. The terminal dynamically adjusts the feeding amount according to the weight difference to avoid overfeeding or underfeeding; if the weight of the feed bin 4 is detected to be below the threshold (feed shortage), or if the feed in the feed box 5 does not change in weight for a long time (pet refuses to eat, loss of appetite), the terminal immediately triggers the alarm unit to issue an audible and visual prompt, and pushes a warning message to the owner through the remote terminal; after the feeding is completed, the transmission component drives the mounting cylinder 3 to reset, the electric control door closes, and the bin door sealing component seals the feed bin 4 to prevent the feed from getting damp and deteriorating, realizing intelligent control of the entire process of recognition-detection-feeding-monitoring-feedback.

[0024] Further optimization of the scheme: the door sealing component includes a linear track vertically fixed to the inner wall of the feeder body 1, a linear motor 7 installed on the linear track, a slider 8 fixedly connected to the slide of the linear motor 7, push rods 9 symmetrically hinged on both sides of the slider 8, an annular groove is opened on the inner wall of the feeder body 1, and a fan-shaped plate 10 is symmetrically rotatably connected in the annular groove. The ends of the two sets of push rods 9 are respectively rotatably connected to the top surface of the fan-shaped plate 10, and the fan-shaped plate 10 is arranged corresponding to the feed inlet.

[0025] The linear motor 7 serves as the power source. After receiving the opening and closing command from the terminal system, it drives the slide table to slide up and down along the vertically fixed linear track. The slide table drives the fixedly connected slider 8 to move synchronously. The slider 8 transmits force through the push rods 9 that are symmetrically hinged on both sides, pushing the two sets of fan-shaped plates 10 in the annular groove to rotate symmetrically around the rotation point. When feeding is required, the fan-shaped plates 10 open to both sides, exposing the channel corresponding to the feeding port. When feeding is completed or when feeding is not required, the fan-shaped plates 10 rotate in the opposite direction to close, completely covering the feeding port, achieving a sealed isolation between the silo 4 and the outside world, preventing the feed from getting damp, contaminated, or spilled.

[0026] A silicone sealing gasket is added to the closed contact surface of the sector plate 10 to improve the fit and sealing with the feeding port, and to prevent the feed from getting damp and clumping or odor from leaking out. Limit switches are installed at both ends of the linear track. When the slider 8 slides to the limit position, the motor power is automatically cut off to prevent the sector plate 10 from being mechanically jammed or the push rod 9 from being deformed due to excessive opening and closing. Miniature rolling bearings are installed at the rotating connection of the sector plate 10 to reduce rotational friction resistance. At the same time, food-grade grease is applied to extend service life and reduce operating noise.

[0027] The scheme is further optimized. The transmission component includes a drive motor 11 fixedly connected to the top cover 2. The output shaft of the drive motor 11 is fixedly connected to a drive gear 12. The inner wall of the mounting cylinder 3 is provided with a tooth groove, and the drive gear 12 meshes with the tooth groove.

[0028] After receiving the rotation command from the terminal system, the drive motor 11 starts, and the output shaft drives the fixedly connected drive gear 12 to rotate. The drive gear 12 precisely meshes with the pre-set tooth groove on the inner wall of the mounting cylinder 3, converting the motor torque into the circumferential motion of the mounting cylinder 3, driving the mounting cylinder 3 to rotate smoothly around its own axis. Through the meshing transmission of the gear and tooth groove, the mounting cylinder 3 is precisely positioned to ensure that the opening of the target hopper 4 is completely aligned with the feeding port, providing a channel for feed feeding. After feeding is completed, the mounting cylinder 3 is driven to reset to the initial position.

[0029] An angle positioning sensor is added to the output shaft of the drive motor 11 to provide real-time feedback on the rotation angle of the mounting cylinder 3. This, in conjunction with the terminal system, enables high-precision alignment between the hopper 4 inlet and the feeding inlet, preventing misalignment that could lead to feeding blockage.

[0030] The scheme was further optimized, and the gravity detection unit includes a gravity sensor, which is installed in the food box 5 and the feed hopper 4 respectively.

[0031] Gravity sensors in feed bin 4 and feed box 5 collect weight data of their respective areas in real time: the sensor in feed bin 4 monitors the remaining weight of stored feed, and determines that feed is insufficient when the weight is lower than a preset threshold; the sensor in feed box 5 monitors the weight change of the feed already added, calculates the amount of food consumed by the pet by the difference between the initial feeding weight and the real-time weight, and determines whether the feed has not been consumed for a long time; the sensors transmit all weight data to the terminal system in real time, providing core data support for feeding decisions and abnormal warnings.

[0032] Further optimization of the solution: the visual recognition system includes a camera 13, which is mounted on the top of the cover 2 and is used to identify the animal species and size.

[0033] The camera 13 installed on the top of the top cover 2 continuously captures real-time images of the food box 5 and the surrounding area. Through the built-in image recognition algorithm, it extracts and analyzes the features of the animals in the images, accurately identifying the pet's species (such as cats and dogs) and size (small, medium, and large). At the same time, it monitors in real time whether the pet is close to the food box 5 and whether it is eating. The recognition results and behavioral data are transmitted synchronously to the terminal system, providing visual basis for the terminal to match the corresponding feeding amount and determine the feeding time.

[0034] The camera module 13 adds a pet individual facial feature recognition function, which supports owners to pre-enroll the facial information of multiple pets, realize "individualized feeding" and distinguish the statistics of eating data, and is suitable for families with multiple pets; The camera 13 is equipped with an infrared night vision fill light to ensure that it can still capture images clearly at night or in low-light environments, and avoid recognition failure due to insufficient light. The image recognition algorithm has been optimized, and the "eating behavior segmentation" function (such as chewing frequency and eating duration statistics) has been added to provide the terminal system with richer information to judge the pet's appetite status.

[0035] The design was further optimized by installing inclined plates inside silo 4, with the inclined plates arranged corresponding to the feeding port.

[0036] The inclined plate is fixedly installed inside the hopper 4 and is arranged correspondingly to the feeding port. Its inclined structure forms a natural flow channel. When the opening of the hopper 4 is aligned with the feeding port and the hopper door is opened, the feed in the hopper 4 slides along the inclined surface of the inclined plate under the action of gravity, which avoids the feed from accumulating and remaining at the bottom of the hopper 4. This ensures that the feed passes smoothly and quickly through the opening into the feeding port and finally falls into the feeding box 5 through the chute 6, thereby improving the feeding efficiency.

[0037] The inclined plate is coated with a food-grade non-stick coating to reduce feed residue. At the same time, a micro vibration motor is installed at the bottom of the inclined plate. After feeding, it vibrates slightly to shake off any remaining feed.

[0038] The design was further optimized so that the top cover 2 is detachably connected to the top of the feeder body 1 via a latch.

[0039] The solution has been further optimized, with the alarm unit including a buzzer and an alarm light.

[0040] The buzzer and alarm light of the alarm unit are electrically connected to the terminal system. When the terminal system receives abnormal signals from the gravity detection unit and the visual recognition system (such as insufficient feed in hopper 4, no weight change of feed in feed box 5 for a long time, or equipment failure), it immediately sends a trigger command to the alarm unit. The buzzer starts to emit a continuous or intermittent sound, and the alarm light flashes synchronously (red / yellow light). Through the dual sound and light prompts, the surrounding personnel are promptly informed of the equipment abnormality. At the same time, in conjunction with the remote push function of the terminal system, a dual early warning is achieved.

[0041] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0042] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A visual recognition-based intelligent pet feeder, characterized in that, Include: Feeder body (1), the top of the feeder body (1) is provided with a top cover (2), the top cover (2) is provided with a feeding port, the side of the feeder body (1) is provided with a feeding port, the feeding port is provided with an electric control door; The door closing assembly is installed on the top cover (2); The installation cylinder (3) is coaxially connected in the feeder body (1), the outer wall of the installation cylinder (3) is fixed with a plurality of groups of silos (4) at equal intervals, the silo (4) is slidably connected with the inner wall of the feeder body (1), the silo (4) is provided with a through hole, and the through hole is correspondingly arranged with the feeding port; The transmission assembly is installed at the center of the top cover (2), and the transmission assembly is in transmission cooperation with the installation cylinder (3); The food box (5) is installed on the feeding port, the chute (6) is connected with the food box (5), and the food box (5) is placed on the front side of the feeder body (1); The gravity detection unit is respectively arranged at the bottom of the silo (4) and the bottom of the food box (5); The visual identification system is installed on the top of the top cover (2) and correspondingly arranged with the food box (5); The alarm unit is installed on the outer wall of the feeder body (1); The terminal system is used for overall control of the device. 2.The intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition of claim 1, wherein, The door closing assembly includes a linear track fixedly connected to the inner wall of the feeder body (1), a linear motor (7) installed on the linear track, a sliding block (8) fixedly connected to the sliding table of the linear motor (7), a push rod (9) symmetrically hinged on both sides of the sliding block (8), an annular groove formed in the inner wall of the feeder body (1), a sector plate (10) symmetrically connected in the annular groove, and the ends of the two groups of push rods (9) are respectively connected to the top surface of the sector plate (10), and the sector plate (10) is correspondingly arranged with the feeding port. 3.The intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition of claim 1, wherein, The transmission assembly includes a driving motor (11) fixedly connected to the top cover (2), a driving gear (12) fixedly connected to the output shaft of the driving motor (11), a tooth groove formed in the inner wall of the installation cylinder (3), and the driving gear (12) is engaged with the tooth groove. 4.The intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition of claim 1, wherein, The gravity detection unit includes a gravity sensor, and the gravity sensor is respectively installed in the food box (5) and the silo (4). 5.The intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition of claim 1, wherein, The visual identification system includes a camera (13), the camera (13) is installed on the top of the top cover (2), and the camera (13) is used for identifying animal species and body shape. 6.The intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition of claim 1, wherein, The silo (4) is provided with an inclined plate, and the inclined plate is correspondingly arranged with the feeding port. 7.The intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition of claim 1, wherein, The top cover (2) is detachably connected to the top of the feeder body (1) through a lock buckle. 8.The intelligent pet feeder based on visual recognition of claim 1, wherein, The alarm unit includes a buzzer and an alarm light.

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