Smart Collar GPS Tracking with Real-Time Boundary Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pet tracking systems are inadequate in providing real-time location monitoring and automatic notification when pets stray from their designated areas, often leading to delayed detection and increased risk of injury, as they rely on passive devices or limited-range radio frequency transmitters.
Innovation Solution
A smart collar system equipped with a global positioning receiver, communications device, OLED display, and microcontroller that calculates distance from a desired location and transmits alerts to a mobile device when the pet leaves a predefined area, ensuring timely notification and location tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If passive tracking devices like collars with contact information are used, then the pet can be identified if found, but automatic notification when the pet strays is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the pet's location via GPS and automatically notifying the owner when the pet strays from the designated area. The collar device sends real-time location data and triggers alerts based on predefined boundary conditions, eliminating the need for passive identification only.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system performs self-service by autonomously monitoring the pet's location, determining when the pet has left the safe zone, and automatically sending notifications to the owner's mobile device without requiring the owner's active involvement in the monitoring process.
2Loss of information
If video monitoring technology is used to track the pet's location and activities, then more information about the pet's whereabouts is obtained, but the technology cannot track the pet if it leaves the planned habitat
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from two-dimensional video monitoring within a fixed area to three-dimensional GPS-based location tracking that operates globally. The GPS receiver provides latitude and longitude coordinates, enabling the pet to be tracked anywhere within satellite coverage, not just within camera range.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking collar integrates multiple functions including GPS location tracking, boundary detection, and automatic notification capabilities into a single portable device that works anywhere, providing universal tracking coverage beyond the limitations of location-specific video monitoring systems.
3Ease of operation
If radio frequency transmitters are used to transmit signals to a portable unit, then data exchange between the transmitter and portable unit is enabled, but the devices cannot establish communication if the pet is beyond the limited distance range
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the limited-range radio frequency transmission mechanism with GPS satellite-based positioning and cellular network communication. This substitution extends the communication range from local radio frequency coverage to global coverage areas where GPS and cellular networks are available.
4Reliability
If a microchip is implanted under the skin of the pet, then the device cannot be lost or stolen, but it may cause an inflammatory response or scar tissue around the microchip
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an external collar worn by the pet as an intermediary carrier for the tracking device, eliminating the need for skin implantation. This approach maintains device retention through physical attachment while avoiding the biological complications of surgical implantation, such as inflammation and scar tissue formation.
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for using a smart collar to monitor a pet are described. The system includes a smart collar, a mobile computing device including a display screen, and a pet monitoring mobile application stored on the mobile computing device. The smart collar includes a global positioning receiver, a communications device, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a rechargeable battery, and a microcontroller. The microcontroller calculates a distance of a current location of the smart collar from a desired location, determines when the distance is greater than a first distance threshold, and generates a communications packet including the current location, the perimeter, and the distance of the smart collar from the desired location, and transmits the communications packet. The mobile computing device receives the communications packet, and the pet monitoring mobile application displays the current location on a display screen of the mobile computing device.