SMART STREET ANIMAL FEEDING STATION WITH RFID IDENTIFICATION READER AND DOSAGED FOOD DISTRIBUTION.

Abstract

The invention relates to a feeding station used for feeding stray street animals in open areas such as streets, parks, neighborhoods, etc.; it comprises a main body (1), a food hopper (2) located in the upper part of the main body, a dosing disc (3) located at the base of the food hopper and rotated by a stepper motor (4), with dosing chambers (3a) of equal volume and equal angular spacing on its upper surface, a ring-shaped RFID reader antenna (9) placed on the lower surface of the food trough (5), a thermal-ToF identification camera (10) mounted facing the food trough, a load cell (11) located under the food hopper, a rain cover (6) that closes with a servo motor (7) as a result of a signal from a drop sensor (8) on the food trough, and a control unit (20) that transmits the data from these elements to a remote server via a communication module (19).

Description

1 TARIFF RFID IDENTITY READER AND DOSAGE-BASED BABY FOOD DISTRIBUTION. YAPAN SMART STREET ANIMAL FEEDING STATION Technical Area 5 The invention involves unattended street vendors in open spaces such as streets, parks, neighborhoods, campuses, and similar areas. automatic feeding of animals, especially cats and dogs, and individual It is related to the feeding stations used in monitoring at this level. The invention specifically involves a device located inside the food container and rotated by a stepper motor. The dosing disc, which dispenses a predetermined volume of feed, is placed on the bottom surface of the feeding trough. a ring that reads the subcutaneous identification microchip of the animal that is implanted and extending its head into the trough. RFID antenna, thermal imaging and flight system mounted in a position facing the feeding trough. an identification system that houses distance sensors within the same module. The camera must be triggered by a droplet sensor that prevents raindrops from entering the trough, and a servo-motor operated transparent rain cover, 15 in the food container a load cell that measures the level and processes the data from these elements. It has a control unit that transmits to a remote server via a wireless communication module. It is related to a feeding station. State of the Art In known technology, the 20 most common methods used for feeding stray animals are... The system is based on the principle of manually filling an open container with food. The aforementioned In this setup, the food is exposed to the open atmosphere; rain, snow, dust, and direct sunlight. Due to the effect of light, it quickly deteriorates or becomes unusable. The aforementioned open The container structure also protects the food from rodent and bird access. It does not provide. 25 In known technology, electronic food dispensers are designed for owned pets. These dispensers consist of a food container, a motor-driven screw or It includes a scoop-type dosing mechanism and a control card. However, these structures are internal. in the space, for a single animal and to operate under the owner's control. It is designed so that in an open-air scenario with multiple stray animals, each animal is individually 30 This allows it to be defined as such and the amount of food it receives to be recorded. 2 It is not known. These structures are also exposed to rain, hail, and direct sunlight. any mechanical device that provides protection against light; prevents water from accumulating in the trough There is no cover structure. In the known technique, fixed-volume 5 units are deployed in open areas by municipalities. Feeding boxes are available; the food reservoir level in these boxes can be monitored remotely. a load cell-based weighing system that enables monitoring or determining which animal is which There is no identifying structure that indicates it is frequently fed. This situation, Authorized personnel must be physically present to monitor the occupancy of feeding stations. This requires touring the area; population monitoring and sterilization campaigns 10 This leads to significant gaps in effectiveness measurement. In the current technique, subcutaneous RFID microchips carrying animal identification are implanted in a veterinarian's office. There are systems where readings are made using a reader device. In these systems... The reading process involves an external reader device held by the owner or veterinarian. This is done through a system where the animal is fed by being integrated into a feeding trough. an external reader device that automatically reads the feed when the user approaches the trough to get food. A system that eliminates the need for microchips does not exist in known technology. For stray animals, there is no alternative identification method to the known technique. It was not foreseen. In current technology, the energy needs of electronic devices deployed in open areas are 20 where photovoltaic panels are used and communication is provided via cellular or wide-area low-power network. It is known that the structures are built through protocols. However, the energy in question and communication subsystems; an RFID identification structure, a dosing feed dispensing system Its structure is integrated with a rain-protected trough structure and a reservoir level measurement structure. a structure organized in such a way as to organize a single street animal feeding station 25 It is not available in known technology. Due to the aforementioned drawbacks, there is a need to make improvements in the relevant technical field. It has been heard. Purpose of the Invention The invention is designed to dispense a predetermined volume of food to stray animals each time they are approached, 30 Therefore, it prevents an animal from consuming all the food in the trough at once. The goal is to establish a feeding station. 3 Another objective of the invention is to integrate a ring-shaped RFID tag into the bottom surface of the feeding trough. Thanks to its antenna, the identity of the animal carrying the subcutaneous identification microchip can be verified externally. a feed that enables direct detection without the need for a reader device The goal is to establish the station. 5 Another aim of the invention is to enable image-based imaging of animals that do not carry microchips. identification enables the system to be uniquely identified through a process for this purpose. thermal imaging sensor and a time-of-flight range sensor in the same module a feed station equipped with an identification camera emerged to put. 10 Another purpose of the invention is to prevent rain, snow, and hail from entering the feeding trough, dripping. via a sensor-triggered and servo-motor-driven transparent protective cover that opens and closes The goal is to create a feeding station that automatically blocks the flow. Another purpose of the invention is to continuously monitor the feed reservoir level via a load cell. the measurement and if the level falls below a predefined threshold value 15 This enables automatic notification sending to the remote server via the communication module. The goal is to establish a feeding station. Another purpose of the invention is to combine a photovoltaic panel, a charge controller, and a lithium iron. a self-powered system containing phosphate batteries and not connected to the grid The goal is to create a feeding station that can also operate in open areas. 20 Another purpose of the invention is to collect identification, dosage, and reservoir level data from the station. by transmitting to a remote server via a wireless communication module at the neighborhood level a feeding system that enables the creation of population and feeding statistics. The goal is to establish the station. Explanation of Figures 25 Figures prepared to better understand the feeding station that is the subject of the invention. This is explained below. Figure 1: Perspective view of the assembled feeding station, which is the subject of the invention. Figure 2: Exploded image showing the main components of the feeding station, which is the subject of the invention, in detail. appearance. 30 4 Figure 3: Cross-section of the dosing disc and stepper motor located inside the feeding hopper. appearance. Figure 4: Annular RFID antenna and thermal-ToF located under the feeding trough. Cross-sectional view of the identification camera placement. 5 Figure 5: Detail of the servo motor-driven opening and closing mechanism of the rain cover. appearance. Explanation of References in Figures To better understand the elements involved in the feeding station that is the subject of the invention, each element is described. Each element is numbered separately, and the meaning of each number is explained below. 10 1. Main body 2. Food container 3. Dosing disc 3a. Dosing chambers. 4. Stepper motor 15 5. Feeding trough 6. Rain cover 7. Servo motor 8. Drop sensor 9. RFID reader antenna 20 10. Thermal-ToF identification camera 11. Load cell 12. Humidity and temperature sensor 13. Motion sensor 14. Water dispenser 25 15. Water level sensor 16. Solenoid valve 17. Photovoltaic panel 18. Battery and charging controller board 5 19. Communication module 20. Control unit 21. Rodent guard grille Description of the Invention The subject of the invention is the feeding station (Figure 1, Figure 2); a main body (1), the said main 10 a food container (2) located in the upper part of the body (1), the food container (2) located at the base and rotated by a stepper motor (4), with an even surface on its upper surface a dosing disc (3) with bulky and equally spaced dosing chambers (3a), a feeding trough (5) where the feed dispensed by the dosing disc (3) is collected, feed A ring-shaped RFID reader antenna (9) placed on the bottom surface of the trough (5), food 15 a thermal-ToF identification camera (10) mounted in a position facing the trough (5), A servo motor is activated on the feeding trough (5) as a result of a signal from a drop sensor (8). A rain cover (6) closed by (7) under the food container (2) a positioned load cell (11), a control unit (20), a communication module (19) consists of a photovoltaic panel (17) and a battery and charge controller board (18) 20 It includes an energy subsystem. Optionally, the invention includes a water dispenser (14), a motion sensor (13), a humidity and temperature sensor (12) and a rodent guard grid (21) It includes. Main body (1); made of stainless steel or UV resistant polymer material, bottom on the part of the floor are fixing points, on the top is the food container (2) and photovoltaic panel 25 It is in the form of a vertically oriented prismatic shell with openings for (17). Main body (1), a moisture-proof compartment in which electronic components and the battery are placed. It contains. The food container (2) is located in the upper part of the main body (1), and the food comes out from the top. 30 on the bottom of which opens to a dosing disc (3) and a lockable lid that allows it to be filled. 6 It is a dry food storage container with a draining opening. The side of the food container (2) its walls feature one-way air vents for the removal of moisture from inside the reservoir. There is a ventilation opening. Dosing disc (3); placed horizontally on the base of the feeding container (2), with 5 on its upper surface a disc-shaped device with at least four dosing chambers of equal volume and equal angular spacing (3a) It is an element. The dosing disc (3) is driven by the stepper motor (4) with constant angular increments. being rotated; a single dosing chamber (3a) discharge port in each full step movement. It comes to the level and the amount of food inside it falls into the food trough (5) due to the effect of gravity. It is transferred. Thanks to the structure of the dosage disc (3), 10 is left per animal. The amount of food is controlled directly by the stepper motor (4) steps via the feed quantity control unit (20). It is determined. Stepper motor (4); directly connected to the rotating shaft of the dosing disc (3) from the control unit. (20) is a motor that rotates with certain angular increments according to the incoming pulse signals. stepper motor (4) operates in full step or half step driving mode, and the angular 15 of the dosing disc (3) It allows for precise control of its position in an open loop. The feeding trough (5) is located at the bottom of the feeding container (2), near the discharge opening of the dosing disc (3). positioned vertically, stainless steel or food-grade polymer. It is a container made of material. The feeding trough (5); the head of the animal can easily It is designed to be able to enter at a depth of 20 feet and the RFID reader antenna (9) is on its bottom surface. It has a circular groove in which it is inserted. Rain cover (6); hinged or sliding on the top of the feeding trough (5) a transparent object made of acrylic or polycarbonate material, connected by a mechanism It is a cover. Rain cover (6); as a result of the signal from the drop sensor (8) The feeding trough (5) is closed by the servo motor (7), weather conditions 25 It opens automatically when it normalizes. The cover in question (6) is open. in a way that will not obstruct the animal’s access to the feeding trough (5) when in position It is located. The servo motor (7) is connected to the hinge shaft of the rain cover (6) from the control unit. (20) a 30 rotating in a specific angle range according to the incoming pulse width modulation signal. It is a motor. The servo motor (7) is assembled in a waterproof housing. 7 Drop sensor (8); on the upper surface of the main body (1), it can detect drops coming from above. a water droplet located at a certain position, operating on the principle of capacitive or resistive change It is a detector. The drop sensor (8) sends a signal to the control unit (20) when it detects rain or drops. sending a signal; control unit (20) activates servo motor (7) 5 upon receiving that signal. It triggers. RFID reader antenna (9); into the annular groove on the bottom surface of the feeding trough (5) It is a deployed, 134.2 kHz HDX standard compliant, ring-wound antenna. RFID reader antenna (9); subcutaneous identification microchip carrying animal feed to receive food When the animal extends its head towards the trough (5), it establishes magnetic coupling with the microchip and the animal's 10 It reads the unique identification number. The read identification number is then transmitted to an RFID reader. The signal is transmitted to the control unit (20) via the module. The said RFID reader antenna (9), animal identity can be automatically determined in the trough without the need for an external reader device. It makes it readable. Thermal-ToF identification camera (10); facing towards the feeding trough (5), main body (1) 15 a low-resolution thermal image sensor mounted on it and a flight It is a display unit in which the time and distance sensor are located within the same module. Thermal-ToF identification camera (10); does not carry subcutaneous microchip, therefore Head thermal imaging of animals whose identity cannot be read by the RFID reader antenna (9) extracting individual identification parameters from the profile and head geometric measurements; 20 It transmits the parameters in question to the control unit (20). The load cell (11) is located under the feed container (2), under the feed container (2) It is a force sensor that continuously measures the weight. Load cell (11); a force The sensor is connected to the control unit (20) via the amplifier circuit, and the food If the level in the reservoir falls below a predefined threshold, communication will be interrupted. It enables the creation of notification output via module (19). Humidity and temperature sensor (12); placed inside the food container (2), inside the container It is a sensor that measures relative humidity and temperature values. The relative humidity value is predefined. If it exceeds a threshold value, the control unit (20) gives information about the risk of food spoilage. It creates a notification. 30 Motion sensor (13); on the front surface of the main body (1), detects the animal approaching the feeding trough (5). It is a passive infrared (PIR) sensor that detects its presence. Motion sensor (13), control wakes up the unit (20) from low power sleep mode; thus the RFID reader antenna (9) 8 with thermal-ToF identification camera (10) only when living presence is detected By enabling this, energy consumption is reduced. Water dispenser (14); located next to the feeding trough (5), from a water reservoir tank It is a second container filled via a solenoid valve (16). The water in the water dispenser (14) is 5 The level sensor (15) activates the solenoid valve when the water level falls below the set threshold value. (16) It opens and fills. Photovoltaic panel (17); mounted at an angle to the top of the main body (1) It is a panel. A photovoltaic panel (17) uses lithium iron phosphate through a charge control circuit. It charges a chemical battery. Battery and charging control board (18); energy management 10 This ensures that the control unit (20) selectively goes into sleep mode in case of low charge. It allows passage. Communication module (19); from LoRaWAN, NB-IoT or cellular communication standards It is a wireless communication interface that supports at least one of the communication modules (19); Identification information from the RFID reader antenna (9) is obtained by thermal-ToF identification 15 identification parameters from the camera (10) and the reservoir from the load cell (11) level data, ambient values ​​from the humidity and temperature sensor (12) and distributed Step engine (4) sends step count data to a remote server regarding the amount of food. It transmits. Control unit (20); 20 containing a microprocessor board and electrical connection interfaces It is an electronic circuit board located in the moisture-proof inner compartment (1) of the main body. Control unit (20); RFID reader antenna (9), thermal-ToF identification camera (10), load cell (11), humidity and temperature sensor (12), motion sensor (13), drip sensor (8), water level sensor (15), stepper motor (4), servo motor (7), solenoid valve (16) and communication It is electrically connected to the module (19). Control unit (20); motion sensor (13) 25 When the presence of a living being is detected by the RFID reader antenna (9) thermal-ToF Activating the identification camera (10), stepper motor after identification (4) by driving the dosage disc (3) only one dosage chamber (3a) to ensure that it is discharged; when it receives a signal from the drop sensor (8) the servo motor (7) It slides the lid (6) to the closing position. 30 Rodent guard grid (21); around the feeding trough (5) and on the dosing discharge opening mounted, stainless steel at intervals that will not obstruct access for stray animals. 9 a protective cover made of wire, which prevents rodents from getting into the food bowl. It's grilled. Thanks to the feeding station that is the subject of this invention, food is distributed to the animal in controlled doses. The identity is automatically detected in the trough without the need for an external reader, 5 Animals without microchips are individually identified based on image-based parameters. The food is being identified, protected from weather conditions, and the reservoir level is being monitored remotely. and the station can also use photovoltaic panels in open areas without grid connection. It can operate in a sustainable manner. Industrial Applications of the Invention 10 The feeding station that is the subject of the invention is; municipalities, university campuses, animal shelters, animal protection associations and private properties for the purpose of feeding stray animals It is ready for immediate use. The station consists of: main body (1), feed container (2), dosing disc (3), stepper motor (4), feeding trough (5), rain cover (6), servo motor (7), drop sensor (8), RFID reader antenna (9), thermal-ToF identification 15 camera (10), load cell (11), humidity and temperature sensor (12), motion sensor (13), water water dispenser (14), water level sensor (15), solenoid valve (16), photovoltaic panel (17), battery and charging controller board (18), communication module (19), control unit (20) and rodent guard The production of the grid (21) elements by separate serial production methods and assembly line It is capable of being manufactured industrially by assembling them. The aforementioned 20 Elements include standard production techniques such as sheet metal processing, injection molding, and laser. They can be produced using cutting, printed circuit board manufacturing, soldering, and assembly.

Claims

REQUESTS 1. Feeding stray street animals in streets, parks, neighborhoods and similar open areas. used, a main body (1), a feeding container (2) located on the said main body (1) and a feeding station which includes a feeding trough (5), the feature of which is that the feeding container (2) located at the base and rotated by a stepper motor (4) with constant angular increments, on top a dosing disc (3) with dosing chambers of equal volume and equal angular spacing (3a) on its surface; formula a ring-shaped RFID reader antenna (9) placed on the bottom surface of the feeding trough (5); to the feeding trough (5) a thermal-ToF identification camera mounted in the viewing position (10); mama a load cell (11) located under the reservoir (2); a drop onto the feeding trough (5) A rain shower is closed by a servo motor (7) as a result of the signal from the sensor (8). protective cover (6) and a communication module that processes the data from the said elements. (19) contains a control unit (20) that transmits to a remote server.

2. It is a feeding station according to claim 1, and its characteristic is that it is evenly distributed on the upper surface of the dosing disc (3). It must contain at least four dosing chambers (3a) of sufficient volume and equal angular spacing.

3. A feeding station according to claim 1, characterized by its ability to dispense dose in a single full step. He brought the disc (3) to the position where it would discharge into the feeding trough (5) of only one dosage chamber (3a). It includes a stepper motor (4) with a step angle.

4. It is a feeding station according to claim 1, and its feature is; the bottom surface of the feeding trough (5) A ring-wound RFID chip, conforming to the 134.2 kHz HDX standard, is embedded in a ring-shaped cavity. It includes the reader antenna (9).

5. It is a feed station according to Claim 1, and its feature is a thermal-ToF identification camera. (10), a thermal image sensor and a flight time distance located within the same module. It contains a sensor.

6. It is a feeding station according to claim 1, and its feature is that on the front surface of the main body (1), food detecting the presence of a living creature approaching the trough (5) and waking the control unit (20) from sleep mode It includes a motion sensor (13) that wakes it up. 11 7. It is a feeding station according to claim 1, and its feature is that the food container (2) is placed inside it. It includes a humidity and temperature sensor (12) that measures relative humidity and temperature values.

8. It is a feeding station according to claim 1, and its feature is that the feeding trough (5) is hinged or sliding. a transparent rain cover made of acrylic or polycarbonate material, attached by a mechanism It contains a cover (6).

9. A feed station according to Claim 1, whose characteristic is; LoRaWAN, NB-IoT or cellular. having a wireless communication interface that supports at least one of the communication standards It contains a communication module (19).

10. It is a feed station according to claim 1, and its feature is that it is mounted on the upper part of the main body (1). a photovoltaic panel (17) and a lithium iron phosphate with energy from the said panel It includes a battery and a charging controller board (18) that charges the battery.

11. It is a feeding station according to claim 1, and its feature is that it is next to the feeding trough (5). a water dispenser (14) located, containing a water level sensor (15) and a solenoid valve (16) It includes.

12. It is a feeding station according to Claim 1, and its feature is that it is mounted around the feeding trough (5). a rodent guard made of stainless steel wire that prevents rodents from accessing it. It contains a protective grille (21).

13. A feeding station according to Claim 1, characterized by being made of stainless steel or UV resistant. It contains a main body (1) with polymer material.