JP2003009697A - Method for observing condition of pet during absence and apparatus for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple convenient observation apparatus which observes a pet when it returns to a feeding place, and electrically sends the information such as image of the dieting scene to the owner. SOLUTION: The observation apparatus comprises the following elements: a feeder which prepares feed for a pet for during absence in advance, and automatically feeds the prepared diet at a specified time or in a specified case; a video camera placed at the feeding place; a means for detecting the coming of the pet to the feeding place; a means for recording the photographic image of dieting scene of the pet; and a transmission means for transmitting the photograph image to outside.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical field of a method and apparatus for observing the condition of a pet during absence.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a pet owner leaves his / her house for a trip or the like, he or she often leaves the pet with an acquaintance or a specialty store to take care of the pet. However, it is troublesome to entrust it to an acquaintance and have it taken care of, and there is the inconvenience that the fee is expensive if entrusted to a specialty store. Also,
In some areas, there are no specialty stores, and a feeding machine that automatically feeds pets was devised to eliminate this inconvenience.

For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-891.
No. 19 discloses a feeding device and a monitoring system using the feeding device. This conventional device (hereinafter referred to as conventional device 1)
In the pet monitoring means in, the detection means such as infrared rays is installed in a plurality of places to monitor the surrounding state by either an image or a sound. It is a basic principle.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-23.
6767 discloses a feeding system with a remote monitoring function. The pet monitoring means in this conventional device (hereinafter, referred to as conventional device 2) includes a pet monitoring camera and pet detection sensors installed at a plurality of places in the pet monitoring area, and when a pet owner makes a monitoring request. Sensors installed at a plurality of places search for whereabouts, and when the whereabouts are specified, the image is transmitted to the owner. The pet detection sensor detects radio waves from a radio wave transmitter attached to the pet with an antenna or an infrared sensor.

In the conventional device 1 described above, the owner or the like has to constantly monitor the monitor in order to monitor the pet. Therefore, there is a problem that the monitoring becomes difficult when absent from a trip or the like. Especially when a pet freely roams inside and outside the house, such as a domestic cat, surveillance becomes almost impossible. Further, in the conventional device 2,
If surveillance cameras are installed at multiple locations in the surveillance area, and the system is complicated to search for the pet's whereabouts, it not only becomes expensive, but also when a pet frequently goes out for a long time like a domestic cat. It becomes difficult to observe the condition of the pet. Further, these conventional devices 1 and 2 also have a problem that it is not possible to recognize the health condition of a pet or the condition of the stomach.

[0006]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above,
In the conventional device, it was difficult to monitor the pet when the pet could go out freely. However, even pets that go out frequently or for a long time usually come back to eat when they are hungry, and it is easy to observe if they catch this time. Ah

The present invention has been made under the background as described above, and not only automatically feeds pets, but also observes when the pets return to the feeding field and gives the owner an image at that time. The objective (problem) is to provide a simple and convenient observation device that transmits information.

[0008]

To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means. That is, claim 1
The invention described, the food of the pet during absence is prepared in advance, automatically feed the prepared food at a predetermined time or in a predetermined case, identify the pet when the pet comes to the feeding ground Then, shoot the pet's meal situation with a video camera,
It is characterized in that an image of the pet's diet status can be transmitted to the outside.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect of the invention, the meal time and the bark of the pet can be transmitted together with the transmission of the image.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the invention according to the first or second aspect, the image or the like can be transmitted by detecting the end of meal of the pet and automatically transmitting the record data after the detection. It is characterized by having done.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, food for a pet during absence is prepared in advance, and a feed device for automatically feeding the prepared food at a predetermined time or in a predetermined case, and a pet feeding station. A video camera installed, a means for identifying the pet when the pet comes to the feeding station, a means for recording a captured image of the diet of the pet, and a transmitting means for transmitting the captured image to the outside. It is characterized by having.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the invention, the pet condition observing device responds to a signal from the outside, or automatically in a predetermined case to the outside. It is characterized in that it is provided with a transmitting means capable of transmitting the time when the pet came to the feeding station, the time when he ate a meal, the captured image of the meal situation or other information.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the pet identification means is a background image of the feeding ground and a captured image when the pet comes to the feeding ground. It is characterized in that the changed portion is extracted from both of the above and the pet is identified when the shape characteristic or the color characteristic of the changed portion has one or more predetermined characteristics.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the invention of the fourth to sixth aspects, the pet identification device is:
It is characterized in that it comprises means for recording and recording the squealing voice of the pet, and the squealing voice recorded in the means is used for identification.

The invention described in claim 8 is a recording medium recording a program for executing the method described in any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a feeding device for implementing the present invention and a video camera arranged in a feeding field. Figure 2
Shows a configuration example of an apparatus for carrying out the present invention. Also,
3 and 4 show the flow of steps for implementing the invention. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that this embodiment assumes a pet that can freely move inside and outside the house, such as a domestic cat. The pet may also be a dog or other animal that is free to move around the house (not chained). However, the present invention is not limited to this.

In FIG. 1, 11 is a pet feeding device. A suitable number of pet foods prepared in advance are stored in the tray 12 in the tray 12 in a shelf provided on the left side of the food feeder. A cooling device (not shown) is provided inside the feeding device 11 in order to store the food in a good condition. In addition, a plate-shaped carrier 13 that can move vertically and horizontally is provided inside the feeding device, and the carrier 13 is controlled by a feeding controller 14.

The carrier 13 is controlled so that the pet's food can be sequentially put out on the upper surface so that the pet can eat. For example, when not feeding, the carrier 13 is placed on the left side surface to act as a lid, and when feeding, it moves as shown by the dotted line A in the figure to lift the next prepared tray 12 to the surface. Allow pets to eat. After the meal is completed, the tray 12 which has moved and is empty as shown in the figure is dropped to the lower right, and the carrier 13 moves upward again to serve as a lid. The controller 14 controls to enable feeding (in a predetermined case) when a predetermined time set in advance and a signal from the outside are received.

The floor 20 indicates a feeding area for the pets 21, which may be continuous at the same height as the floor inside the house, or at a slightly higher position so that the feeding machine 11 can be stored. It may be provided. The video camera 23 is installed in a suitable place where a situation where the cat (pet) 21 is eating can be taken. The video camera 23 may be a home video camera with a microphone 24.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the entire configuration of this embodiment. The controller body 25 is connected to the video camera 23, the microphone 24, the large-capacity recording device 27, and the input / output device 28 via the interface 26. The input / output device 28 is a display, a mouse, a keyboard, or the like. Further, the interface 26 is an arithmetic processing unit 30.
And a small capacity recording device 31 including a RAM and a ROM, and an interface 32 for connecting to a transmitter 33. In the recording device 27, for example, the recording unit A records background image data without a cat. Further, in the recording unit B, the voice data of the bark of the cat is recorded. Data for identifying a pet is recorded in the recording section C. A captured image is recorded in the recording section D and below.

3 and 4 are flow charts showing the flow of processing steps of this embodiment. The processing of this embodiment will be described below with reference to this flowchart. Step S1
Shoots the feeding station 20 with the video camera 23. Step S2 is a step of comparing the photographed image with the previously photographed background image. The background image data is recorded in the recording unit A of the recording device 27. A change area 35 with respect to the data of the data photographed image is obtained. In step S3, it is determined whether or not the size of the change region 35 is equal to or larger than a predetermined size. If the size is equal to or smaller than the predetermined size, it is determined that the change is not recognized, and the process proceeds to step 1, where the size is larger than the predetermined size. Changes, and moves to step 4.

In step S4, it is detected that the image change is due to the arrival of the pet 21. For this purpose, the feature of image change is obtained. FIG. 5A shows an example of a background image, and FIG. 5B shows an example of a captured image. FIG. 6A shows a change area. From this figure, the shape characteristic and the color characteristic of the changed area are obtained. For example, the area of the change region 35 is S,
The maximum width B of the changing region 35, the maximum height T of the changing region 35,
The color state of the change area 35 (whether it is a single color or a composite color and how many colors it is, etc.) is detected. If these characteristics satisfy, for example, part or all of the conditions shown in FIG. 6B, it is determined that the pet 21 is present, and if not, it is determined that the pet 21 is not a pet. It should be noted that the conditions for judging are not limited to these. For example, change area 3
5 may be the contour shape or the type of shape (trapezoid, rectangle, etc.), or the waveform of the bark of the pet 21 may be recorded in advance, and the waveform of the bark obtained at the same time as the captured image may be analyzed by means such as frequency analysis. You may judge. In addition, in the actual case, the pet is a specified specific pet,
If the characteristics (for example, a calico cat or a white part on the face) are included in the condition, accurate identification can be performed more easily.

In step S5, if it is determined that the pet is a pet 21 based on the above determination result, step S6 is executed, and if it is determined that the pet is not a pet, the process returns to step S1. In step S6, the meal state of the pet 21 is photographed and recorded in the recording device 27. Photographing is performed at regular intervals, for example, every 0.5 seconds. Note that shooting may be performed by changing the zoom (magnification ratio). In step S7, it is detected whether the pet has finished eating. Instead of detecting the end of the meal, it may be detected whether or not the pet 21 has left the feeding area 20.

In step S8, the captured image to be transmitted is automatically edited and the image data is compressed. The automatic editing is performed by recording an editing program in the recording device 27 and following the program. For example, processing for sharpening an unclear image, processing for making the contrast constant, processing for changing the size of an image, processing for changing a color image to a monochrome image, and the like may be performed. Step S9
Then, the edited image data (which may include audio data) is transmitted by the transmitter 33 to the receiver of the owner. It is convenient to use the Internet for transmission because the owner can see the received image at his or her own convenience. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

The transmission may be wired or wireless, and the receiver may be a portable receiver or a fixed receiver.
When the user feels that the pet's food is not enough after looking at the received image, a transmitter that can transmit by means of a telephone or the like is provided in the feeding area, and the feeding device 11 uses the signal wave from the transmitter. May be activated to feed additional food.

As described above, the present embodiment has an effect that the dietary condition of the pet can be observed at a remote place and the health condition of the pet can be judged from the dietary condition. As a result, it is possible to leave the house at ease without having to leave the pet with another person. In the present embodiment, since the captured image is used to identify the pet, it is not necessary to attach a radio wave transmitter to the pet, and since infrared rays are not used, there is no difficulty in making a determination.
Therefore, identification can be performed with a simple device. Moreover, more accurate identification can be performed by using the bark. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the end of the pet's meal is detected, the uneaten condition of the food after the end of the meal can be observed in the image,
There is an advantage that the health condition of the pet can be judged more accurately and easily.

Although the embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these examples, and changes in design within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. Even this is included in this invention.

[0028]

As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to observe the dietary condition of the pet at a remote place, and it is possible to determine the health condition of the pet from the dietary condition. Further, since the pet is mainly identified by image recognition, the pet can be identified with a simple device.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 shows a feeding device for implementing the invention and a video camera arranged in a feeding station.

FIG. 2 shows a structural example of an apparatus for carrying out the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a flow of steps for implementing the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a continuation of the flow of steps for implementing the invention.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a background image and a captured image.

FIG. 6 shows an example of conditions for identifying a pet.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Feeder 20 Feeding ground 21 Domestic cat (pet) 23 Video camera 25 Controller body 27 Recording device 33 transmitter 35 Change Area

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Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. Pre-preparing food for a pet during absence, automatically feeding the prepared food at a predetermined time or in a predetermined case, and identifying the pet when the pet comes to a feeding station. Then, shoot the pet's meal situation with a video camera,
A method of observing a pet's condition during absence, characterized in that an image of the pet's meal condition can be transmitted to the outside. 2. The method of observing a pet's condition during absence according to claim 1, characterized in that the pet's bark can be transmitted at the time of eating together with the transmission of the image. 3. The transmission of the image or the like is performed by detecting the end of a pet's meal and automatically transmitting the record data after the detection, according to any one of claims 1 and 2. How to observe the condition of your pet while you are away. 4. A pet feeder that prepares food for a pet during absence and automatically feeds the prepared food at a predetermined time or in a predetermined case, and a video camera installed in a pet feeding area. And a means for identifying the pet when the pet comes to the feeding station, a means for recording a photographed image of the diet situation of the pet, and a transmitting means for transmitting the photographed image to the outside. A device for observing the condition of a pet during absence. 5. The pet condition observing device responds to a signal from the outside, or automatically in a predetermined case, when the pet comes to the feeding area of the pet, the time of eating,
5. The pet's condition observing apparatus while away from home according to claim 4, further comprising transmitting means capable of transmitting a photographed image of a meal situation or other information. 6. The pet identifying means extracts a changed portion from both the background image of the feeding place and the image captured when the pet comes to the feeding place, and the shape feature or the color feature of the changed portion is extracted. The pet status observing device according to any one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the pet is identified when the pet has one or more predetermined features. 7. The pet identifying device comprises means for recording and recording the cry of the pet, and the cry of the pet is used for identification.
The state detection device for a pet during absence as described in. 8. A recording medium on which a program for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is recorded.