An interactive pet training device and its detection method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an interactive pet training device. The object of the present invention is to provide an interactive pet training device and its detection method, mainly solving the problems in the prior art that the owner cannot clearly know the diet and health conditions of the pet dog, the single ball-throwing play leads to insufficient enthusiasm of the pet for playing, and at the same time, the toy ball is prone to breed bacteria. The device includes a convex-shaped base, a play device installed on the upper part of the base for the pet to play, a first feeding device and a second feeding device which are installed on the base and located on both sides of the play device and have exactly the same structure, a single-chip microcomputer installed inside the base, a buzzer installed inside the base and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, and a play button and a dining button installed on the base and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer. Through the above solution, the present invention achieves the purpose of health management and has high practical value and promotion value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of pet care, and specifically, it relates to an interactive pet training device and its detection method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of the pet industry, pet dogs have gradually become an important member of the family. In this rapidly developing industrial era, people's life rhythm is getting faster and faster. Most pet owners are unable to effectively accompany their pets due to work reasons, and it is even more difficult to train them to develop good living habits. There have emerged various derivative products such as pet feeding robots and pet care robots on the market, which can effectively solve the living problems of pet dogs when the owner is temporarily away. However, most of these products have single functions, low intelligence levels, and weak interactivity with pets, which easily causes pets to resist and cannot meet the needs of current pet owners.

[0003] Pet dogs are lively and active creatures. Staying at home for a long time is not conducive to their physical and mental health. For this reason, some household pet ball-throwing devices have emerged on the market, enabling pets to exercise at home. However, most of these ball-throwing devices throw balls in a single direction, which easily makes pets lose their motivation to play. Moreover, since only one small ball is equipped, if the small ball accidentally falls into an area where the pet cannot retrieve it, such as under the sofa, the pet cannot continue to play. In addition, during the exercise process, pet dogs are very likely to get saliva on the small ball, and the small ball that is not cleaned and disinfected in time is very likely to become a breeding ground for bacteria, leading to hygiene problems. And conventional feeding devices do not count the remaining food data and remind to add food. Users need to observe actively to know the remaining situation of the remaining food, which may occasionally cause the pet to have no food to eat. Most importantly, the owner also does not know exactly how much food the pet dog has eaten and whether its physical condition is healthy. Therefore, how to effectively take care of the feeding and playing of pet dogs is an urgent problem for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an interactive pet training device and its detection method, mainly to solve the problems in the prior art that the owner cannot clearly know the diet and health conditions of the pet dog, the single ball-throwing play leads to insufficient play enthusiasm of the pet, and at the same time, the toy ball is prone to breed bacteria. To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0005] An interactive pet training device, comprising a convex-shaped base, a playing device installed on the upper part of the base for pets to play, a first feeding device and a second feeding device which are installed on the base and located on both sides of the playing device and have exactly the same structure, a single-chip microcomputer installed inside the base, a buzzer installed inside the base and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, a playing button installed on the base and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer and used to turn on the playing device, a dining button installed on the base and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer and used to turn on the first feeding device, wherein the playing device, the first feeding device and the second feeding device are all controlled by the single-chip microcomputer, and the second feeding device is used to reward snacks.

[0006] Further, the first feeding device includes a food storage bin with upper and lower openings and one end fixedly installed on the base, an indicator light located on the outer shell of the food storage bin and connected to the single-chip microcomputer and used to prompt that food needs to be added, a food storage bin baffle movably installed at the lower opening of the food storage bin, a rotating motor fixedly installed inside the food storage bin and used to control the opening and closing of the food storage bin baffle and controlled by the single-chip microcomputer, a metal rod located at the center of the food storage bin and fixedly connected to the rotating motor at the bottom, a food tray installed below the lower opening of the food storage bin, a feeding track used to connect the lower opening of the food storage bin and the food tray, a bracket installed below the food tray for support, a gravity sensor fixedly connected to the bracket and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, a first infrared sensor installed on both sides of the base to detect the pet's dining situation, and a cover buckled on the upper opening of the food storage bin, wherein the dining button triggers the rotation of the rotating motor of the first feeding device to start.

[0007] Further, the cover includes a drying box detachably installed at the center of the cover, and a silica gel ring installed around the cover for sealing.

[0008] Further, the playing device includes a rotating servo motor installed inside the base and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, a turntable engaged with the rotating servo motor and controlled by it to rotate, a box body with an opening fixed on the turntable, a ball bin installed on the upper part of the box body and used to receive the ball thrown by the pet, a conduit with one end communicating with the bottom of the ball bin and the other end extending out of the box body, a photoelectric switch installed at the lower end of the ball bin and used to detect whether a ball passes through and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, a second infrared sensor installed at the ball outlet end of the conduit and used to detect the situation of the conduit outlet direction and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, a spring cylinder installed at the ball inlet end of the conduit and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, an annular ultraviolet lamp embedded at the ball inlet end of the conduit and used to disinfect the ball and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, and a ball storage bin with one end communicating with the box body and the other end communicating with the ball bin.

[0009] Further, the ball storage bin includes a ball storage bin baffle and a telescopic motor installed on the side of the ball storage bin where the ball bin is located to control the spare ball to fall into the ball bin, and the ball storage bin only accommodates one spare ball.

[0010] Specifically, a display screen is installed at the front end of the base and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, and a storage battery for power supply is installed at the bottom of the base. The display screen can receive the data of the single-chip microcomputer in real time, record and display the data of the pet's dining and playing.

[0011] A detection method for an interactive pet training device is as follows:

[0012] (S1) The remaining grain in the storage bin is detected by a capacitive level gauge composed of the cylindrical metal inner wall and the metal rod of the storage bin. The relationship between the capacitance in the storage bin and the height H of the remaining grain in the storage bin satisfies formula (1):

[0013]

[0014] Among them, K is the proportionality coefficient, ε0 is the air dielectric constant, ε is the dielectric constant of the pet food, and D and d are the diameters of the storage bin and the metal rod respectively;

[0015] (S2) It can be seen from formula (1) that the output capacitance of the storage bin is related to the height H of the remaining grain in the storage bin, and H = C x / K. Therefore, the relationship between the mass M of the remaining grain in the storage bin and the output capacitance C x satisfies formula (2):

[0016]

[0017] Among them, ρ is the density of the pet food in the bin. Thus, the feeding situation of the storage bin can be reflected according to the capacitance change amount △C = C1 - C2.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] (1) The present invention adopts the design of a pet self-start button. The pet can control the feeding and ball throwing processes by itself. At the same time, there will be snack rewards during the ball throwing and playing process, which greatly enhances the interactivity and fully meets the pet's feeding and entertainment needs.

[0020] (2) The present invention controls the grain in the first feeding device to slide down to the food tray through the set dining button. The capacitive level gauge composed of the cylindrical metal outer wall and the metal rod set in the storage bin can record and output the actual amount of grain released this time. Combining with the gravity sensor to detect the remaining grain in the food tray, the amount of food eaten by the pet this time can be known. At the same time, the capacitive level gauge can detect the remaining grain in the storage bin. When the grain needs to be added, the single-chip microcomputer controls the indicator light to light up, thereby reminding people to replenish the grain.

[0021] (3) The bottom of the play device of the present invention is provided with a turntable, and an infrared sensor is provided at the front end of the conduit (an integrated infrared sensor, with the transmitting and receiving ends together, and the received signal is directly transmitted to the single-chip microcomputer for control). The infrared sensor can detect whether there is a living being in the path where the ball pops out of the conduit. If so, the rotary servo controls the turntable to drive the box body to rotate and adjust the direction. The pet dog retrieves the popped ball and puts it into the ball bin. When the photoelectric switch detects that a ball passes by, it triggers the movement of the baffle of the storage bin in the second feeding device, and slides the snack out to the corresponding food tray as a reward. At the same time, the ultraviolet lamp provided can disinfect the ball during night rest. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 is Figure 1 Schematic structural diagram after rotation.

[0024] Figure 3 is Figure 2 Cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in

[0025] Figure 4 is Figure 2 Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in

[0026] Figure 5 It is a view of the cover of the storage bin.

[0027] Figure 6 It is a view of the lower opening of the storage bin.

[0028] In the above-mentioned drawings, the component names corresponding to the reference numerals are as follows:

[0029] 1 - Base, 2 - Play device, 31 - First feeding device, 32 - Second feeding device, 4 - Single-chip microcomputer, 5 - Buzzer, 6 - Play button, 7 - Dining button, 8 - Display screen, 9 - Storage bin, 10 - Storage bin baffle, 11 - Rotary motor, 12 - Metal rod, 13 - Food tray, 14 - Feeding track, 15 - Gravity sensor, 16 - Cover, 17 - Turntable, 18 - Box body, 19 - Ball bin, 20 - Conduit, 21 - Second infrared sensor, 22 - Spring cylinder, 23 - Ultraviolet lamp, 24 - Ball storage bin, 25 - Ball storage bin baffle, 26 - Telescopic motor, 27 - Photoelectric switch, 28 - Indicator light, 29 - Battery, 30 - First infrared sensor, 33 - Bracket, 34 - Silicone ring, 35 - Drying box, 36 - Rotary servo. Detailed Embodiments

[0030] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. The embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to the following examples.

[0031] Embodiment

[0032] As shown Figures 1 to 6 in the figure, an interactive pet training device includes a convex-shaped base 1, a play device 2 installed on the upper part of the base 1 for pets to play, a first feeding device 31 and a second feeding device 32 which are installed on the base 1 and located on both sides of the play device 2 and have exactly the same structure, a single-chip microcomputer 4 installed inside the base 1, a buzzer 5 installed inside the base 1 and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer 4, a play button 6 installed on the base 1 and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer 4 and used to turn on the play device 2, and a dining button 7 installed on the base 1 and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer 4 and used to turn on the first feeding device 31. Among them, the play device 2, the first feeding device 31 and the second feeding device 32 are all controlled by the single-chip microcomputer 4 under the control of the single-chip microcomputer, and the second feeding device 32 is used to reward snacks.

[0033] The present invention can be divided into a feeding system, a play system and a reward system, and each system will be described below.

[0034] Feeding system: Put the food into the food storage bin 9 of the first feeding device 31, the material of which is metal inside and plastic outside. The metal rod 12 arranged in the food storage bin and the metal inner wall form a simple capacitive level gauge to form a first detection unit (the combination of the metal rod and the inner wall of the cylindrical metal container can form a capacitive potentiometer with the function of level detection after being powered on), which is used to check the remaining food in the food storage bin 9. When the dining button 7 is pressed to release food, the single-chip microcomputer 4 controls the rotation motor 11 of the first feeding device 31 to rotate, thereby driving the food storage bin baffle 10 to move, and the food falls into the food tray 13 along the feeding track 14. The bottom of the food tray 13 is connected to the gravity sensor 15 to form a second detection unit. When the amount of food placed in the food tray 13 reaches the single-meal intake N (the value is set in advance in the single-chip microcomputer), the food storage bin baffle 10 rotates back.

[0035] Working principle: In order to record the pet's dining data in detail and understand the pet's eating habits, the feeding system can record the pet's dining data each time, and display the remaining food data in the food storage bin and predict the remaining edible times.

[0036] The food storage bin is composed of a metal rod and the inner wall of the metal container to form a capacitive potentiometer for material measurement. The plastic outer shell plays an insulating role to prevent electric leakage. The relationship between the capacitance of the food storage bin and the height H of the pet food in the bin is:

[0037]

[0038] Among them, K is the proportionality coefficient, ε0 is the air dielectric constant, ε is the dielectric constant of the pet food, D and d are the diameters of the food storage bin and the metal rod respectively. Therefore, the output capacitance of the food storage bin is linearly related to the height H of the pet food in the bin, H = C x / K. The mass M of the pet food in the bin and the output capacitance C x have the following relationship:

[0039]

[0040] where ρ is the density of the pet food in the bin. Thus, the amount of food released from the storage bin can be reflected by the change in its capacitance ΔC. Due to the delay in the control process, the actual amount of food released per time is theoretically slightly greater than the set value N, and the amount of food released by the storage bin each time may not be completely eaten by the pet. Therefore, certain corrections need to be made to the feeding data, etc.

[0041] The steps for recording feeding data include: recording the food release data A and correcting the feeding data B

[0042] Recording the food release data A:

[0043] A1. Obtain the initial stored food data m1: Obtain the stored food information measured by the storage bin as the first weight data m1;

[0044] A2. Record the actual food release amount m: Obtain the stored food information after the food is released from the storage bin as the second weight data m2. Subtract the second weight m2 from the first weight m1 to obtain the actual food release amount m for this time.

[0045] A3. Display the remaining food data: The display screen obtains the second weight data m2 and displays it, and predicts and displays the remaining edible times N1 on the display screen, where N1 = m2 / N.

[0046] Correcting the feeding data B:

[0047] B1. Correct the feeding amount: When the pet is eating, the first infrared sensor at the base detects and confirms that the pet is eating. When the first infrared sensor detects that the pet leaves the dining area, record the end of this meal. The gravity sensor obtains the third weight data m3 after the meal. Subtract the third weight data m3 from the actual food release data m to obtain the pet's meal data M1 for this time.

[0048] B2. Obtain the meal expectation value: After using it for a period of time, the meal expectation value M2 of the pet can be obtained through statistical analysis of the pet's multiple meal data M1. When M1 deviates far from M2, the single-chip microcomputer receives the signal and controls the buzzer to alarm, reminding the owner to check the pet's health status in time.

[0049] Among them, the reward system is that when the photoelectric switch 27 detects that a small ball slides in, the single-chip computer 3 controls the food storage compartment baffle of the second feeding device 32 to open, and the snacks as rewards slide into the dinner plate below. According to the eating habits of the pet dog, the number of rewards in one cycle shall not exceed three times. If it exceeds three times, no reward will be given but the dog can still play. When the remaining food and remaining snacks are less than the minimum value or the number of edible times is insufficient, the circuit indicator light 28 will remind the owner to add food in time.

[0050] Playing system: When the pet dog presses the play button 6, the spring cylinder 22 at the rear end of the ball throwing conduit 20 ejects the ball along the conduit 20, and the throwing speed is much lower than the throwing speed of a person, which is within a safe range; in addition, a second infrared sensor 21 is installed at the upper end of the ball throwing port, and the throwing command is executed only when no creature is detected in front, otherwise the single-chip microcomputer 4 receives the signal to control the spring cylinder 22 to cut off the power, and the buzzer 5 alarms to remind, effectively avoiding the situation that the existing product is easy to accidentally hurt the pet and the owner by throwing the ball. At the same time, the turntable 17 set at the lower part of the box 18 is controlled by the single-chip microcomputer to rotate. When the second infrared sensor 21 does not detect an obstacle in the ball throwing area, the spring cylinder 22 works to eject the ball. When the pet dog picks up the thrown ball and puts it into the ball bin 19, the ball passes through the photoelectric switch 27 located at the connection between the ball bin 19 and the conduit 20 through the funnel-shaped channel. When the photoelectric switch 27 detects that the ball passes through, it can trigger a snack reward. After that, the ball enters the conduit 20 and waits for the next throw.

[0051] During the play, the pet dog will dissipate heat through the tongue, which will inevitably make the ball stained with saliva, which is easy to breed bacteria and cause hygiene problems. The device sets a disinfection device in the pitching machine. When resting at night, the ultraviolet light bulb 23 starts to disinfect the ball. After the disinfection, the ultraviolet light bulb 23 is turned off and waits for play during the day. When pitching at home, the ball may fall into the bottom of the sofa and other areas where the pet cannot find it. When the pet dog continues to press the play button 6, the single-chip microcomputer 4 reads whether the information transmitted by the photoelectric switch 27 is obtained. If it is not detected that the ball has been found but the pet presses the pitching command, the telescopic motor 26 in the play device 2 drives the ball storage bin baffle 25 to retract, and the spare ball inside the ball storage bin 24 will enter the pitching conduit 20 from the ball storage track. When the ball storage bin baffle 25 is recovered, an interrupt signal is sent to the single-chip microcomputer 4 to avoid triggering snack rewards.

[0052] The dining button 7 and the play button 6 in the present invention are located at the rear of the box 18 to avoid accidental injury to the pet when throwing the ball. At the same time, all electrical devices are powered by the battery 29 arranged at the bottom, and the pet's daily dining data and play times will be transmitted to the display screen 8 through the single-chip microcomputer 4 for recording and display, so that the owner can understand the pet's living habits in time.

[0053] The "human-machine-pet" three-party interaction method involved in the present invention includes: users can control the daily use of pet dogs by setting parameters such as the single food discharge amount and the number of play rewards, enabling the present invention to help train pets to form good living habits while accompanying them to play; the pet dog can independently control the feeding button and the play button to respectively activate the first feeding device and the play device, and there will also be snack rewards during the ball-throwing play process, greatly enhancing the interactivity and fully meeting the pet's feeding and entertainment needs; the present invention will collect and record the pet's daily feeding and play data and feedback it to the user through the display screen to help the user timely understand the pet's living habits.

[0054] The above embodiments are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any changes made by adopting the design principle of the present invention and non-creative labor based on this should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An interactive pet training device, characterized in that, It includes a base (1) in a convex shape, a play device (2) installed on the upper part of the base (1) for pets to play, a first feeding device (31) and a second feeding device (32) which are installed on the base (1) and on both sides of the play device (2) and have exactly the same structure, a single-chip microcomputer (4) installed inside the base (1), a buzzer (5) installed inside the base (1) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4), a play button (6) installed on the base (1) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4) and used to activate the play device (2), and a dining button (7) installed on the base (1) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4) and used to activate the feeding device (3); The play device (2) includes a rotary servo (36) installed inside the base (1) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, a turntable (17) engaged with the rotary servo (36) and controlled by it to rotate, a box body (18) with an opening fixed on the turntable (17), a ball bin (19) installed on the upper part of the box body (18) for receiving balls thrown by pets, a conduit (20) with one end communicating with the bottom of the ball bin (19) and the other end extending out of the box body (18), a photoelectric switch (27) installed at the lower end of the ball bin (19) for detecting whether a ball passes through and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4), a second infrared sensor (21) installed at the ball outlet end of the conduit (20) for detecting the situation of the outlet direction of the conduit (20) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4), a spring cylinder (22) installed at the ball inlet end of the conduit (20) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4), a ring-shaped ultraviolet lamp (23) embedded at the ball inlet end of the conduit (20) for disinfecting the balls during night rest and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4), and a ball storage bin (24) with one end communicating with the box body (18) and the other end communicating with the ball bin (19); The ball storage bin (24) includes a ball storage bin baffle (25) and a telescopic motor (26) installed on the side of the ball storage bin (24) where the ball bin (19) is located to control the spare ball to fall into the ball bin (19), and the ball storage bin only accommodates one spare ball; Among them, the play device (2), the first feeding device (31) and the second feeding device (32) are all controlled by the single-chip microcomputer (4), and the second feeding device (32) is used to reward snacks. When the play button (6) is pressed, the single-chip microcomputer (4) reads the information transmitted by the photoelectric switch (27). If it is detected that the ball has not been retrieved but the pet presses the ball-throwing instruction, the telescopic motor (26) in the play device (2) drives the ball storage bin baffle (25) to retract, and the spare ball inside the ball storage bin (24) will enter the ball-throwing conduit (20) from the ball storage track. When the ball storage bin baffle (25) retracts, it sends an interrupt signal to the single-chip microcomputer (4) to avoid triggering the snack reward.

2. The interactive pet training device according to claim 1, wherein, The first feeding device (31) includes a food storage bin (9) with one end fixedly installed on the base (1) and having upper and lower openings, an indicator light (28) located on the outer shell of the food storage bin (9) and connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4) for indicating the need to add food, a food storage bin baffle (10) movably installed at the lower opening of the food storage bin (9), a rotating motor (11) fixed inside the food storage bin (9) for controlling the opening and closing of the food storage bin baffle (10) and controlled by the single-chip microcomputer (4), a metal rod (12) located at the center of the food storage bin (9) and fixedly connected to the rotating motor (11) at the bottom, a food tray (13) installed below the lower opening of the food storage bin (9), a feeding track (14) for connecting the lower opening of the food storage bin and the food tray (13), a bracket (33) installed below the food tray (13) for support, a gravity sensor (15) fixedly connected to the bracket (33) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer (4), a first infrared sensor (30) installed on both sides of the base (1) for detecting the pet's dining situation, and a cover (16) buckled on the upper opening of the food storage bin (9). Among them, the rotating motor (11) is triggered to start by the dining button (7).

3. The interactive pet training device according to claim 2, wherein The cover (16) includes a drying box detachably installed at the center of the cover, and a silica gel ring (34) installed around the cover (16) for sealing.

4. An interactive pet training device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A display screen (8) installed at the front end of the base (1) and electrically connected to the single-chip microcomputer, and a storage battery (29) installed at the bottom of the base (1) for power supply. The display screen (8) can receive the single-chip microcomputer data in real time, record and display the pet's dining and playing data.

5. The detection method of an interactive pet training device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The specific method is as follows: (S1) The remaining grain in the food storage bin is detected by using the cylindrical metal inner wall of the food storage bin and the metal rod to form a capacitive level gauge. The relationship between the capacitance in the food storage bin and the height H of the remaining grain in the food storage bin satisfies formula (1): where K is the proportionality coefficient, ε0 is the air permittivity, ε is the permittivity of the pet food, and D and d are the diameters of the food storage bin and the metal rod respectively; (S2) As can be seen from formula (1), the output capacitance of the grain storage bin and the remaining grain height H in the grain storage warehouse satisfy H = C x / K. Therefore, the relationship between the remaining grain mass M and the output capacitance C x in the grain storage warehouse satisfies formula (2): where ρ is the density of the pet food in the bin. Thus, the feeding situation of the food storage bin can be reflected according to the capacitance change amount △C = C1 - C2.

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