WO2010023431A1

WO2010023431A1 - Animal access control apparatus and system

Info

Publication number: WO2010023431A1
Application number: PCT/GB2009/002020
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bradley Lin
Original assignee: Bradley Lin
Priority date: 2008-08-23
Filing date: 2009-08-19
Publication date: 2010-03-04
Also published as: GB0815469D0

Abstract

Animal access control apparatus for use with a pet door (32) comprising: a first sensing means (40) for sensing actuation of a pet door (32) between an open or closed condition; second sensing means for sensing the presence of an authorised animal (48) in the vicinity of the pet door (32); and, animal deterrent means (38) arranged for operation upon sensing of the actuation of the pet door (32) by said first sensing means (40), wherein the operation of the deterrent means (38) is inhibited by the sensing of an authorised animal (48) by said second sensing means.

Description

Animal Access Control Apparatus and System

The present invention relates to an apparatus and system for allowing selective access to premises by an animal, such as, for example, a pet. More particularly, although not exclusively, the present invention provides for the control of access to premises by a closure so as to prevent access by unwanted animals.

Closures for pets are well known in the art and are typically referred to as cat or dog flaps or pet doors. A conventional pet door comprises a hinged closure member mounted in a frame. The frame can be located in a door, window or wall of a building or other enclosure such that a pet can enter or leave the building without the need for the owner to repeatedly open or close the closure for the pet.

However it is a known problem that animals other than the intended pet may use the pet door and thus gain access to the building. It is generally undesirable to allow access to a house by other animals since an unauthorised animal can foul or else cause damage to the interior of the property. It has also been found that unauthorised animals can intimidate the resident pet and/or steal food. Cats and dogs in particular are prone to marking their territory by scent which can be extremely unpleasant for the home owner and/or resident pet.

The above problem has been acknowledged in the past and it has been proposed to provide a selectively lockable pet door which prevents access to a premises by an unwanted or unauthorised animal. However conventional automated locking mechanisms have been found to become unreliable over time and can stick or else fail to operate correctly due to wear or else the build up of dirt. It will be appreciated that a pet door must typically be lightweight such that it can be operated by domestic pets such as a dog or cat and accordingly the locking mechanism is typically less durable than that of a conventional door or window which is intended for use by humans.

Furthermore, conventional locking pet doors have been found to fail to lock correctly after entry to or exit from a property by a pet. This can be caused by a number of factors, such as for example air currents which tend to urge a pet door away from its at rest condition with the result that locking members do not correctly engage. In addition, a pet will typically pass through a pet door head first. Thus the pet's tail is the last part of the pet to pass through the pet door and can prevent swinging of the door with sufficient force to correctly lock upon impact of the door with its frame. In such instances the unauthorised entry of an animal can go undetected for long periods of time such that the unwanted animal can repeatedly enter a premises without being confronted.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and system which detects and deters an unwanted animal from entering a premises in a more reliable manner.

According to the present invention, there is provided animal access control apparatus for use with a pet door comprising: a first sensing means for sensing actuation of a pet door between an open or closed condition; second sensing means for sensing the presence of an authorised animal in the vicinity of the pet door; and animal deterrent means arranged for operation upon sensing of the actuation of the pet door by said first sensing means, wherein the operation of the deterrent means is disabled by the sensing of an authorised animal by said second sensing means.

The present invention is particularly advantageous in that it uses a deterrent means to prevent entry by unwanted animals instead of a lock. Thus the reliability issues associated with conventional selective locking mechanisms can be avoided. However it will be appreciated that the deterrent means of the present invention does not exclude the use of a lock and may be used in conjunction with a locking mechanism if necessary.

Furthermore the use of a deterrent actively discourages unwanted animals from using the pet door rather than simply providing an obstacle thereto. It has been found that, unless actively deterred, an animal will often continually attempt to access a pet door until they have reason to do otherwise. In contrast the present invention may cause an unwanted animal to associate the pet door or premises with a frightening experience and may cause the animal to avoid the door or premises altogether.

The use of a deterrent means is also advantageous in that it can provide a visual and/or audible indication or alert that an unauthorised animal has attempted to enter through the pet door. Thus the chance of unauthorised entry going undetected by an owner is significantly reduced.

The combination of two sensing means has also been found to be particularly advantageous over prior art systems which only make use of a single sensor. The present invention may remain in a primed or alarmed state unless deactivated by the presence of an authorised cat. Thus the alarm will operate reliably upon triggering of the pet door unless it is deactivated by an authorised animal. This is in contrast to known systems which can remain in a permanently locked or unlocked condition upon failure of the lock mechanism.

It will be appreciated that the cost of a pet door access system is an important consideration and thus the provision of two sensing means is generally to be considered counter-intuitive over the provision of a single sensor according to the prior art. However it has been found that the use of two sensing means can provide for an improved operation. For example, the deterrent can be triggered precisely at the moment an unwanted animal opens the pet door for maximum effect.

In one embodiment, the present invention can be provided in the form of an apparatus which can be retro-fitted to an existing pet door. This avoids the need to replace existing pet doors.

The deterrent means may comprise any means that effectively deters unauthorised animals from using the pet door. In one embodiment, the deterrent means comprises a speaker, buzzer or other alarm means that is audible to animals. The sound generated by the alarm may also be of a frequency which is audible to a human. In one embodiment, the frequency or pitch of the alarm may be at the upper limit of or above that of a human ear. The alarm or siren may be ultrasonic. In one embodiment, the alarm may produce a sound which is frightening to a particular species of animal. For example, the sound of dogs barking may be sufficient to deter unauthorised use of a pet door by a cat.

The deterrent means may be located inside the premises, for example on an inside wall of the premises in the vicinity of the pet door. Thus the unauthorised animal may associate the alarm with the interior of the premises so as to deter the animal from entry.

Additionally or alternatively, the deterrent means may comprise a spray device arranged to spray a quantity of fluid over the unauthorised animal. The fluid may comprise a harmless liquid such as water or the like. Additionally or alternatively, the deterrent means may comprise a visual deterrent such as a light which is directed towards the pet door. The light may be arranged to flash in an unauthorised animal's eyes as it enters the pet door.

Additionally or alternatively, the deterrent means may comprise a vibration means arranged to vibrate the pet door whilst it is being opened. This has been found to be effective since an animal will typically open a pet door with the top of its head or its nose. If the pet door vibrates upon contact with an animal's head, the deterrent effect can be greatly increased. A suitable vibration means may comprise any vibrating electrical means such as the alarm speaker or else a rotatable member such as an eccentric, any of which may be mounted on the pet door.

In one embodiment, the first sensing means comprises a contact sensor or a motion sensor. The sensing means should be set to detect opening of the pet door at or above a predetermined degree. For example the sensing means may sense when the pet door is moved from an at rest (or vertical) condition by a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount should be sufficient to avoid accidental activation by small movements of the pet door which may be caused by, for example, wind or the opening of a door to the premises in which the pet door is mounted. The predetermined amount may be for example 5°, 10°, 15°, 20° or greater.

In one preferred embodiment, the first sensing means may comprise a tilt switch. Alternatively, the first sensing means may comprise a light-based switch which is activated when a sensed bean of light or other electromagnetic radiation is broken by movement of the pet door. Alternatively the first sensing means may comprise a motion sensor. The motion sensor may be configured or positioned to detect the presence of an animal as opposed to the presence of a human.

The second sensing means may comprise a detector for detecting a wireless signal. For example, the second sensing means may be arranged to detect a tag or fob worn by an authorised animal. The tag and/or the generated signal thereby may be encoded and readable by the detector which may comprise a infra-red detector. The detector may be preset to recognise a plurality of encoded tags.

Additionally or alternatively, the second sensing means may comprise a scanner. The authorised pet may be provided with a programmable chip which may be attached to the pet or implanted in its skin. The microchip may be uniquely encoded for identification purposes.

Additionally or alternatively, the second sensing means may comprise a magnetic sensor, which may be arranged to detect a magnetic field. Thus the authorised animal may wear of carry a magnetic member which can be detected by the magnetic field sensor once in the vicinity of the pet door. It will be appreciated that a magnetic field may be considered to fall within the scope of a wireless signal.

The strength of an emitted signal or a threshold value of the sensor may be set so as to control the range at which the second sensing means is triggered.

The apparatus may comprise control means for operation of the deterrent in response to the output of the first and second sensing means. The control means may comprise one or more electronic control gates. The control means may comprise a programmable member such as a microchip. The control means may be set to only trigger the deterrent means upon sensing of a value by the first and/or second sensing means at or above a predetermined threshold value. For the first sensing means, the threshold value may comprise a predetermined angle of the pet door. For the second sensing means, the threshold value may comprise a predetermined range or signal strength.

A further indication means may be provided to indicate the triggering of the alarm to a human such as an audible alarm or else a visible display, such as an LED or the like. A plurality of LEDs or a display may be provided to indicate the number of times the deterring means has been triggered.

Physical embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the electrical components of an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a block diagram for the electrical components of a transmitter to be worn by an authorised animal; Figure 3, shows a three-dimensional view of an apparatus according to the present invention when mounted relative to a pet door; and,

Figure 4 shows a sectional view of an apparatus according to the present invention in use.

Turning firstly to figure 1 , there is provided an apparatus 10 comprising a first sensing means in the form of a tilt sensor 12 connected to a controller 14. The controller may comprise a programmable chip or any other form of suitable controller which can be adapted to control operation of the device as described in further detail below.

The apparatus further comprises an antenna 16 connected to receiver circuitry in the form of a receiver module 18 which is connected to the controller 14.

A power source 20 which is preferably in the form of one or more batteries provides power to the electronic components described in relation to figure 1. A battery level sensor 22 is connected to the power source 20 so as to detect the level of power supplied to the electrical components. The sensor may comprise for example a current or voltage detector or other conventional sensing means as will be understood by the person skilled in the art.

Each of the tilt sensor 12, the receiver module 18 and the power level detector 22 are connected to the controller 14 and capable of communicating signals thereto as will be described in further detail below.

The controller is operatively connected to visible signalling means in the form of LEDs 24 and 26 as well as a sounder 28, which may take the form of a speaker, siren, buzzer or the like. Each of the LEDs may be of a different colour. For example LEDs 24 and 26 may be coloured green and red respectively or else any other suitable colour.

The apparatus 10 is arranged to be mounted in a housing relative to a pet door 30 as shown in figure 3. The pet door 30 comprises a closure member 32 mounted in a frame 34. The closure may be formed of transparent or semi-transparent plastic or else may be opaque. The closure 32 is hingedly mounted within the frame 34 such that it can pivot relative to the frame about its upper edge 36. Whilst a specific example of a cat flap is shown in figure 3, it will be appreciated that the apparatus housing according to the present invention may be attachable to various designs of pet door in a similar manner to that shown in figure 3. Thus the present invention is not limited to use with any one type or design of pet door.

The housing generally comprises a first housing section 38 which is attachable to the frame 34 or else a wall or other fixture or fitting in the vicinity of the pet door 30. The first housing section 38 is typically mounted in the interior of a premises, for example on the interior side of an exterior wall. Alternatively, the first housing section 38 may be mounted on the exterior of a premises if required. The first housing portion 38 encloses the antenna 16, receiver, battery 20, the controller 14, the battery level detector 22, the LEDs 24 and 26 and sounder 28.

A second housing portion 40 is mounted on the closure 32 of the pet door 30 and houses the tilt sensor 12. The tilt sensor is connected to the first housing portion 38 via a conductive link in the form of a cable or wires 42 such that the second housing 40 can move in unison with the closure 32 relative to the first housing 38. The first and second housing are typically made of plastic and may be attachable to the relevant fixture or the closure 32 respectively by adhesive, such as for example by way of an adhesive strip, which may be provided on a back side of the housing.

The tilt sensor detects the angle of the pet door relative to a reference angle, such as for example, vertical. In this embodiment, the second housing section 40 and cable 42 are mounted on the inside of the pet door but could alternatively be mounted on the outside of the pet door in accordance with an externally mounted first housing section 38.

Turning now to figure 2, there is shown the electrical components of transmitter apparatus 44 for use in conjunction with the present invention. The transmitter apparatus 44 is provided in the form of a portable electronic device 46 arranged to be worn by a pet 48 (see figure 4) or else implanted beneath the pet's skin. The device 46 may take the form of a fob or other similar device. In the example of figure 4, the device 46 is arranged to be attached to or else integral with a pet collar 47.

The transmitter apparatus comprises a power source 50 which is connected to and powers a controller 52 and transmitter circuitry in the form of a transmitter module 54. The transmitter module is connected to an antenna 56 for transmission of wireless data signals over a limited range. A power level detector 58 is also connected to the power source 50 to detect the level of power provided to the controller 52 and transmitter 54 in a manner similar to that of detector 22 shown in figure 1.

The transmission controller 52 controls transmitter module 54 to emit an encoded radio frequency signal via aerial 56 which can be picked up by receiver module 18 within the apparatus 10 via aerial 16. The receiver module and/or controller may decode the signal. The range of the transmitted signal may be anywhere between 0.5 and 10 metres and is preferably in the vicinity of 0.5 to 3 metres. In particular, a range of 1 to 2 metres has been found to suit the correct operation of the device. This range has been found to be suitable such that the authorised pet is not accidentally being sensed by the receiver 18 when it has no intention of using the pet door.

Additionally or alternatively, the transmitter may be arranged to transmit the coded signal over a greater range than is required. In such an embodiment, the receiver may comprise means for detecting the signal strength for the transmitted signal. Thus the controller may only determine that the transmitter is within sufficient proximity of the receiver 18 when the signal strength matches or exceeds a predetermined signal strength value.

During use of the apparatus, the operation of the tilt sensor causes signal to be sent from the tilt sensor to the controller 14. A threshold angle of tilt is preferably set such that the controller only determines that the pet door has been opened once the tilt sensor detects pivoting of the closure 32 by an angle which matches or exceeds the threshold angle. The threshold angle may be set at for example 25, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45° or higher.

If the controller determines that the closure has been opened as described above, then the default action of the controller is to operate the sounder 28. The sounder may emit a high pitched alarm of an audible wavelength to humans or else an ultra-sonic alarm signal upon operation by the controller.

However in the event that the controller determines that an authorised transmitter device

44 is within a predetermined range of the apparatus 10, then the controller inhibits operation of the alarm. The receiver unit decodes the signal sent by the transmitter attached to the pet's collar and switches off the sounder when the correct code is detected. The controller may be preset to recognise one or a predetermined number of transmitted codes in the event that there is more than one pet authorised to use the pet door. Thus when an authorised pet bearing a transmitter device approaches and operates the pet door by pivoting the closure 32 about it pivot point 33, the alarm does not sound. This ensures that an authorised pet can enter and leave the premises without triggering the alarm.

In the event that the alarm has been triggered, it will typically sound for a predetermined time such as for example between 10-60 seconds from when the closure has been opened. Additionally, the sounder may be deactivated such a predetermined time after the cat flap has been returned to a closed condition.

Upon triggering of the alarm an LED 24 may be illuminated and may remain illuminated such that a user can identify that unauthorised entry to the premises has been attempted. The device may comprise a reset switch (not shown) to return the LED to an unlit condition for reuse.

The signal emanating from the transmitter is transmitted intermittently or at predetermined intervals and thereby optimises battery life whilst allowing sufficient time for the controller to de-activate the sounder as the authorised cat approaches and prior to the authorised cat operating attempting to use the pet door.

The battery condition is monitored in the transmitter and a low battery signal will illuminate a LED if the power supplied by the battery falls below a certain level. This ensures that the owner knows when to replace the battery. The low battery signal may be transmitted as part of the coded signal from the transmitter. The battery condition in the receiver unit may also be monitored.

When a low battery condition is acknowledged by the controller 14, one or more LEDs may be automatically illuminated. Typically one LED will be illuminated for the transmitter low power condition and another LED will be illuminated for a low power condition in the apparatus 10.

Simple logic for implementing the control of the apparatus described above may be implemented using conventional logic gates. The apparatus can be considered to have three operational states, namely, 'alarm primed', 'alarm deactivated¹ and 'alarm triggered', which are controlled as follows:

If door is closed and no authorisation signal is detected, status = alarm primed

Else if door is closed and authorisation signal is detected, status = alarm deactivated

Else if door is open and authorisation signal is detected, status = alarm deactivated

Else if door is open and no authorisation signal is detected, status = alarm triggered

If the alarm is triggered and the door is returned to the closed condition then the alarm triggered status may continue for a predetermined time prior to returning to alarm primed status. If the receiver receives a code signal which does not match the code stored by controller, then the sounder will not be deactivated.

Whilst the above embodiments describe the use of a tilt sensor, it will be appreciated that other closure opening sensors are available and may be substituted. For example a sensing means may be provided in the vicinity of the closure pivot point to detect rotation of the closure about a predetermined angle. Other suitable sensing means may comprise contact sensors, proximity sensors or the like.

It will also be appreciated that the deterrent of the present invention is triggered automatically upon detection of the closure opening in the absence of an authorised signal being detected by the apparatus 10. Thus the need for human intervention is minimised. However it is possible that the present invention may be used in conjunction with manual or automated locking systems should an additional level of security be required. For example, the alarm system of the present invention may provide additional security in the event that a conventional locking system fails.

Claims

Claims:

1. Animal access control apparatus for use with a pet door comprising: a first sensing means for sensing actuation of a pet door between an open or closed condition; second sensing means for sensing the presence of an authorised animal in the vicinity of the pet door; and, animal deterrent means arranged for operation upon sensing of the actuation of the pet door by said first sensing means, wherein the operation of the deterrent means is inhibited by the sensing of an authorised animal by said second sensing means.

2. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising control means for controlling operation of the deterrent, the control means being arranged to receive an output from the first and second sensing means and to trigger or deactivate the deterrent means in response to the combined outputs of the first and second sensing means.

3. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means is arranged to trigger the deterrent means upon sensing of a value by the first and/or second sensing means at or above a predetermined threshold value.

4. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the threshold value for the first sensing means comprises a predetermined angle of the pet door.

5. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the threshold value for the second sensing means comprises a signal strength of a received authorisation signal.

6. Animal access control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the deterrent means comprises a sounder.

7. Animal access control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the deterrent means comprises an ultrasonic signal generation means.

8. Animal access control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first sensing means comprises a tilt sensor which is attachable to a closure member of the pet door.

9. Animal access control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the second sensing means comprises a wireless signal receiver.

10. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the wireless signal receiver is arranged to receive a data signal from a wireless signal transmitter associated with an authorised animal.

11. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the wireless signal is a coded authorisation signal.

12. Animal access control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus further comprises a wireless data signal transmitter arranged to be carried by a pet, the transmitter being arranged to transmit an authorisation signal over a predetermined range.

13. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit the authorisation signal intermittently.

14. Animal access control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises a housing which is arranged to be attached to an internal or external fixture or fitting of a premises.

15. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the housing comprises a first housing portion and a second housing portion, the second housing portion being arranged to house at least the first sensing means and being attachable to a closure member of the pet door.

16. Animal access control apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the or each housing is arranged to be attachable to the internal or external fixture or fitting or the pet door closure by an adhesive material.

17. Animal access control apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus further comprises visual indication means to indicate to a user a predetermined status of the apparatus determined by the controller.

18. An animal access control system for use with a pet door comprising: sensing means for sensing actuation of a pet door between an open or closed condition; a portable wireless data transmitter arranged to be carried by a pet and to transmit an authorisation signal; a wireless data signal receiver for receiving wireless data signals and determining whether a received signal matches authorisation signal criteria; animal deterrent means arranged for operation upon sensing of the actuation of the pet door by said sensing means; and, control means arranged to receive an output from said sensing means and said receiver, wherein the control means is arranged to automatically prevent operation of the animal deterrent means upon receipt the authorisation signal by the receiver.

19. Animal access control apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. An animal access control system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.