NZ328272A - Electronic scale monitors food consumption of pets by logging variation in weight of food bowls - Google Patents

Description

© New Zealand No. International No. 328272 PCT/ TO BE ENTERED AFTER ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION Priority dates: 15.07.1996; Complete Specification Filed: 08,07.1997 Classification:(6) G01G3/12; G01G19/414; G07C1/10 Publication date: 29 April 1999 Journal No.: 1439 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Real-time weighing device Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A., a Swiss body corporate of Entre-deux-Viiles, 1800 Vevey, Switzerland 328272 Patents Form No. 5 Our Ref: JT208529 Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION REAL-TIME WEIGHING DEVICE We, SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A., a Swiss body corporate of Entre-deux-Villes, 1800 Vevey, Switzerland hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: PT05A68716 1 '< (followed by page 1a) 32827 Real-time weighing device The invention relates to a real-time weighing device, so as to monitor the taking of food by pets.

Currently, there exists no real-time weighing device having two weighings, of simple design, having a degree of autonomy, of small size and able to be moved easily without the risk of damage.

The invention relates to a real-time weighing 10 device, so as to monitor the taking of food by pets, comprising, in a frame, at least one support allowing accommodation of a container which accommodates the food for said pets, at least one strain-gauge sensor mechanically connected to said support and^* 15 electronic card wired up to said sensor for Jyafjpntfatioh storage. ^ The device according to the Va^ivenf&Loh is, , intended to determine the habits of the orniers of caj^fi"' or other domestic animals with regar^l the distribution of food as well as the behavior of the animal, by storing in memory all the events which may be measured on the container intended for feeding said animals.

To this end, the device comprises an electronic 25 card for the information storage formed by at least one analog-to-digital converter, the microcontroller and its peripherals and a connector intended to accommodate a memory card.

In a preferred embodiment of the device 3 0 according to the invention, this comprises two supports allowing accommodation of a container, two strain-gauge sensors and an electronic card with two analog-to-digital converters. The advantage of this embodiment is that it allows simultaneous monitoring of what is 35 happening on each container, so as, for example, to make comparisons between two different products.

The principle of operation is as follows: the device allows real-time acquisition of any event occurring on each food container. By event, it is 40 necessary to take into consideration any type of (followed by page 2) 3282 movement,, of variation and of acceleration exerted on the food container which will be measured by the strain-gauge sensor fastened to this container. The sensor will translate this action into an electrical 5 signal. The analog-to-digital converter converts this voltage into digital information and forwards it to the microcontroller which processes it in order to record it in the memory card.

For the device according to the invention, any 10 intended action on the container or containers is an event. These may be the following actions: - removing the containers holding the food; - placing the containers holding the food; and - any operation on the container or containers 15 which results in an increase or decrease in the weight in the containers.

When an event takes place on a container, the device records the date and time of the start of this event, the number of the strain-gauge sensor which is 20 stressed and the last stable weight measured by said strain-gauge sensor. As soon as this event comes to an end, the device records the date and time of the end of the event, the number of the strain-gauge sensor which was stressed, with the new stable weight measured by 25 the strain-gauge sensor. This new weight value becomes the reference weight for the following event.

The device according to the invention employs a storage battery allowing the electronic assembly to be supplied with power. It is therefore completely 30 autonomous for 5-6 days. Thereafter, it is necessary only to connect it to the mains in order to recharge said battery. The device may remain on test at an individual' s home for 1 month or more. At the end of the test, all that is required is to extract the memory 35 card from it and to process the information contained therein. In a variant, it is also possible to provide a socket on the device according to the invention in order to be connected directly to a PC. A program for 3282 managing the balance enables parameters to be assigned to it and enables the events to be displayed.

The result is a two-container device which is very compact, for example having dimensions of 40 cm x 5 3 0 cm and 7 cm in height.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view, in the open position of the 10 device; Fig. 2 is a view from the other side of the same device; Fig. 3 is an exploded diagrammatic view of the device according to the invention; and 15 Fig. 4 is a more detailed diagrammatic representation of a strain-gauge sensor.

The device takes the form of a rectangular box consisting of: 1- an upper casing (11); 2- a frame (3) accommodating the following elements: * four feet (18); * two reinforcement plates (19) for the strain-gauge sensors; * two sets of strain-gauge sensors (1, 2); * a circular support (14) which positions and stabilizes a first container (13) accommodating the food and connected to the strain-gauge sensor (1); * a second circular support (16) which positions 3 0 and stabilizes a second container (15) accommodating the food and connected to the second strain-gauge sensor (2); * a mechanical connection (22) , for example by means of a screw, allowing connection of the supports 3 5 (14, 16) to their corresponding strain-gauge sensor (1, 2); * a storage battery (5); 3282 * a wired-up electronic card (20) connected at (23) to the strain-gauge sensors (1, 2) and consisting of: - a digital unit controlled by a microcontrol-5 ler with all its peripherals; - an analog-to-digital converter A/Dl for the first container; - an analog-to-digital converter A/D2 for the second container; and - a system for permanently checking the voltage of the battery (5) for supplying power to the printed circuit and elements for protecting the information stored in the memory card (21) ; 3- On the side, a hinged door (4) kept shut by a spring, giving access to the following elements: * a connector with ejector (6) intended to accommodate the memory card (21); * a PC-compatible socket (8); and 20 * a power-on warning light (7) ; 4- On the other side, a socket (9) intended to accommodate an external charger (not shown); and - A removable door (12) giving access to the two containers intended for the cat to feed from.

The operation of the device according to the invention is as follows: the device is laid on a flat surface, ensuring that the former is stable. After having removed the lid (12) and having checked that the two empty containers (13) and (15) have been put in 30 place on their respective supports (14) and (16), the memory card (21) is inserted into its connector (6) for energization. This energization is displayed by the indicator light (7) .

The device then zeroes the two strain-gauge 35 sensors (1, 2) ; the weight measured is then zero, corresponding to the weight of the empty containers.

The device records the following elements and stores them in the memory card (21): - date in the day/month/year format; 3282 - time, in the hour/minute/second format; - the value of the No. 1 weighing, in the 10 000 format; and - the value of the No. 2 weighing, in the 20 000 format.

These recordings constitute the starting point for all future events. The device is thus ready to be used.

The user removes the first container (13) 10 and/or the second container (15) so as to fill them with food, this action being stored in memory as event 1, The user puts the first container (13) and/or the second container (15) back on the respective 15 supports (14) and/or (16), this action being stored in memory as event 2.

The cat approaches the device and makes his choice of food (should both containers be filled) and starts to eat from one of the two containers (13) or 20 (15) . The strain-gauge sensor (1) or (2) corresponding to this container is stressed. The strain-gauge sensor will translate this physical action into an electrical signal. This voltage is presented at the input of the analog-to-digital converter A/Dl or A/D2 of the 25 electronic card (20). The converter converts this voltage into digital information and forwards it to the microcontroller. This digital value is processed in order to be recorded in the memory card (21) with the date and time information. This action is stored in 30 memory as event 3.

The cat stops eating, this action being stored in memory as event 4. At each intervention on the containers by the user or by the cat, whatever the time during the day or night, the events are stored in 35 memory in the data-retention card (21) . Each event is recorded at the precise moment when it occurs.

The device according to the invention records all the events which result from a change in the value of the weight measured in each container. 3282 Each variation resulting in a new weight value measured by the first strain-gauge sensor causes the date, time and quantity consumed in the first container and the value of the weight remaining ir said container 5 to be recorded.

Each variation resulting in a new weight value measured by the second strain-gauge sensor causes the date, time and quantity consumed in the second container and the value of the weight remaining in said 10 container to be recorded.

Inappropriate variations corresponding to measurements of draughts, pressing on the container, removal of the container or any handling operation which ends up not resulting in a weight value different 15 from the starting weight measurement is not recorded in the memory card (21) .

It is obvious that instead of having two supports (14, 16), it is possible to have three or more of them, depending on the number of comparisons which 20 it is desired to make using the domestic animal in question.

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Claims (4)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A real-time weighing device, to monitor and measure the taking of food by pets, which comprises, in a frame, at least two supports allowing accommodation of a container which accommodates the food for said pets, at least two strain-gauge sensors mechanically connected to said supports and an electronic card wired up to said sensors for real time storage of information supplied by said sensors, wherein the electronic card includes two analog to digital converters.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the wired-up electronic card consists of at least two analog-to-digital converters, a microcontroller and associated peripherals and a connector intended to accommodate a memory card.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which a storage battery supplies the electronic assembly with power.

4. A weighing device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE S.A. A By i BA ts attorneys DWIN 9HELSTON WATERS ASPEC72784 E. fVP" UV-. NftLLKTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. - 3 MAR 1999 R E C EIVED