Pet Feeder with RFID Tag for Nutrient Loss Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current pet nutrition management systems are inadequate, as they fail to provide precise and balanced meals, accurately monitor food and water consumption, and do not account for individual pet needs, leading to pet obesity and health issues due to reliance on rough estimates and lack of comprehensive health monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes IoT-connected feeding devices and food packaging with identification chips, which provide precise portioning and packaging of complete meals, collect and analyze daily food and water consumption data, and adjust nutritional requirements in real-time to prevent health problems, integrating with veterinary care for comprehensive pet health management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If bulk pet food packaging is used, then storage convenience is improved, but food oxidation and nutrient loss occur due to repeated opening and exposure to air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides bulk pet food packaging into multiple individual single-serving packages, each hermetically sealed to prevent oxidation. This segmentation allows the food to be stored in bulk form while each portion remains protected until use, resolving the contradiction between storage convenience and nutrient preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary portioning and hermetic sealing of individual food packages during manufacturing, so that when the consumer wants to store food conveniently, they simply need to open one pre-sealed package at a time. This preliminary action prevents oxidation before the consumer even opens the packaging.
2Ease of operation
If automated feeders are used, then feeding convenience is improved, but nutrition management accuracy deteriorates due to reliance on manufacturer estimates and inability to account for actual nutrient content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates RFID tags in individual food packages and a corresponding reader in the automated feeder. When a package is placed in the feeder, the system reads the RFID tag to identify the specific food type and portion size, providing feedback to the control system. This enables the feeder to dispense the correct amount of specific food for each pet, combining convenience with precise nutrition management.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tag acts as an intermediary between the food package and the automated feeder's control system. It carries information about the food's nutrient content and portion specifications, allowing the feeder to accurately manage nutrition without requiring complex sensors or manual input from the owner.
3Device complexity
If manufacturer portion recommendations are used, then simplicity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of individual pet assessment and variation in actual nutrient content
Solution Approach 1:
The individual food packages are self-labeled with RFID tags containing precise nutritional information and recommended portion sizes specific to different pet types and life stages. When owners use the automated feeder with these pre-labeled packages, the system automatically retrieves the correct feeding information, providing reliable personalized nutrition guidance without requiring owners to manually calculate or research portion sizes.
Data Source
AI summary
An animal nutrition system and method for effectively monitoring and managing animal nutrition. The animal nutrition system and method generally includes a food container storing a volume of pet food, a package identification chip attached to the food container, a food serving appliance configured to removably receive the food container, and a scale positioned within the food serving appliance to weigh the food container periodically to generate weight data. The food serving appliance includes a chip reader that communicates with the package identification chip to receive food container data from the package identification chip to acquire data related to the food package.