Animal Nose-Print Access Control Without Collars
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal door systems require animals to wear collars with proximity tags, which can be bulky, prone to breaking, and not suitable for all animals, especially cats and livestock, and do not effectively distinguish between desired and undesired animals without human intervention.
Innovation Solution
A system using a sensor to capture unique animal nose prints, which are matched against stored data to activate doors, gates, or dispense food/water, eliminating the need for collars and ensuring only authorized animals can access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a collar with proximity tag is used for animal identification, then access control can be implemented, but the device becomes bulky and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the identification function from the collar and relocates it to a fixed sensor unit. The sensor unit contains the proximity tag and sensor components, eliminating the need for the animal to wear a collar. This resolves the contradiction by removing the weight burden while maintaining access control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a fixed sensor unit as an intermediary between the animal and the access control system. Instead of the animal carrying the identification device, the sensor unit remains stationary and detects the animal's presence through nose contact, mediating the identification process without requiring the animal to wear any equipment.
2Reliability
If a collar with proximity tag is used, then access control is enabled, but the collar is prone to breaking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fragile proximity tag and sensor components from the mobile collar and relocates them to a fixed, protected sensor unit. This eliminates the mechanical stress and damage risks associated with collars while maintaining the access control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit is designed to be permanently installed and self-maintaining, eliminating the need for animal wear and the associated durability issues. The system serves itself by using the animal's natural nose contact to trigger identification, removing the mechanical interface that was prone to breaking.
3Reliability
If a collar with proximity tag is used, then access control can be implemented, but not all animals are suitable for wearing collars
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the identification requirement from the animal itself and places it in the fixed sensor unit. This eliminates the collar requirement entirely, making the system adaptable to all animals regardless of their suitability for wearing collars, including cats and livestock.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit serves as a universal identification interface that works with any animal species. By removing the collar requirement, the system becomes universally applicable to dogs, cats, livestock, and other animals, providing inclusive access control without species limitations.
4Reliability
If manual door opening is required, then security is maintained, but human intervention is needed for every animal
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the animal's own nose contact with the sensor unit automatically triggers door opening. This eliminates the need for human intervention while maintaining security through automated identification and access control.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor unit provides immediate feedback when an authorized animal approaches, detecting the nose contact and automatically triggering the door opening mechanism. This feedback loop enables automated security control without human intervention, allowing the system to respond autonomously to authorized animals.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure, collar-free access control for animals, allowing them to move freely without human intervention, while preventing unauthorized entry and waste, and providing automated feeding and watering.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor (100) is a capacitive sensor... When an animal (10) contacts the sensor pad with its nose
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and method for animal identification using animal nose prints are disclosed. The system comprises a sensor connected to a computer. The computer contains one or more unique animal nose prints. When an animal nose touches the sensor, the computer determines if the animal nose matches one of the nose prints in the computer. If it does, the system can include a motor or pump to activate additional events such as opening a door, opening a gate, or dispensing food, treats, medicine, or water.