ANIMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
An animal management system includes an interior shelter, an enclosed exterior exposed to ambient, and automated controls. The interior shelter includes multiple kennels having access to an aisle through which animals are introduced to the kennels. The enclosed exterior includes a run accessible from each kennel via motorized interior door, and a yard accessible from each run via motorized external door. A main controller and local controllers allow remote operation of the doors and of louvered pergolas that cover each run. Electrical and mechanical interlocks prevent simultaneous actuation of any door by more than one controller. A main computer can run customizable algorithms to command the controllers to automate animal egress among kennels, runs, and yard. In case of fire detection, the system opens all kennel doors in a controlled sequence to prevent power supply overload.
1 . A system for housing animals, having an interior shelter and an enclosed exterior, the system, comprising:
(a) within the interior shelter:
a first kennel;
at least one second kennel; and
an aisle adjacent to and providing access to the first kennel and the at least one second kennel;
(b) within the enclosed exterior:
a first run;
at least one second run; and
an uncovered yard accessible by each of the first run and the at least one second run, the first run and the at least one second run located between the interior shelter and the uncovered yard;
(c) an interior door separating the first kennel from the first run;
(d) an exterior door separating the first run from the yard;
(e) a main controller configured to actuate the interior door and the exterior door; and
(f) a remote control device having a user interface, the remote control device communicatively coupled to the main controller and configured to command the main controller to cause actuation of the interior door and actuation of the exterior door.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote control device is communicatively coupled to the main controller over a local area network.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote control device comprises a mobile phone.
4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless personal area network transceiver in communication with the remote control device and with the main controller.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the remote control device is configured to receive voice commands and convert the voice commands into computer readable commands.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer readable commands that are transmitted to the main controller via the wireless personal area network transceiver.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the interior shelter further comprises a plurality of kennels arranged along the aisle, a plurality of runs within the enclosed exterior, and a plurality of interior doors, wherein each one of the plurality of kennels accesses, via only one of the interior doors, only one of the plurality of runs.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein each one of the plurality of runs accesses the yard via only one exterior door.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein each interior door and each exterior door is configured for actuation by the main controller.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the remote control device is configured to command the main controller to actuate any one of the interior doors and any one of the exterior doors.
11 . A system for housing animals, having an interior shelter and an enclosed exterior, the system, comprising:
(a) within the interior shelter:
a first kennel;
at least one second kennel; and
an aisle adjacent to and providing access to the first kennel and the at least one second kennel;
(b) within the enclosed exterior:
a first run;
at least one second run; and
an uncovered yard accessible by each of the first run and the at least one second run, the first run and the at least one second run located between the interior shelter and the uncovered yard;
(c) an interior door separating the first kennel from the first run;
(d) an exterior door separating the first run from the yard;
(e) a main controller configured to actuate the interior door and the exterior door; and
(f) at least one louvered pergola in communication with the main controller and configured to open and close in response to a command received from the main controller, the at least one louvered pergola providing partial roof coverage of the first run.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the interior shelter further comprises a plurality of kennels arranged along the aisle, a plurality of runs within the enclosed exterior, and a plurality of interior doors, wherein each one of the plurality of kennels accesses, via only one of the interior doors, only one of the plurality of runs.
13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of louvered pergolas, wherein each of the plurality of runs is partially covered by one of the plurality of louvered pergolas.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one louvered pergola comprises a plurality of individual interconnected slats and a linear actuator, the linear actuator controlled by the main controller to open and close the louvered pergola.
15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising a remote control device communicatively coupled to the main controller, the remote control device configured to command the main controller to open and close the louvered pergola.
16 . A system for housing animals, having an interior shelter and an enclosed exterior, the system, comprising:
(a) within the interior shelter:
a plurality of kennels; and
an aisle adjacent to and providing access to each one of the kennels;
(b) within the enclosed exterior:
a plurality of runs, each run accessible by one of the plurality of kennels;
(c) a plurality of interior doors, each of the interior doors separating one of the kennels from one of the runs;
(d) one or more shared power supplies, each shared power supply configured to provide power to two or more of the interior doors;
(e) a main controller configured to actuate, via the one or more shared power supplies, each of the interior doors; and
(f) an event sensor configured to detect an event within the interior shelter and communicate the sensed event to the main controller, wherein the main controller, in response to receiving the sensed event, sequentially actuates the two or more interior doors power by each of the shared power supplies.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the sequential actuation further comprises a time delay between actuation commands, the time delay configured to prevent the shared power supply from overloading.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the time delay corresponds to an actuation time for a single interior door.
19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the event sensor is selected from a group consisting of a smoke detector, a heat detector, or a carbon monoxide detector.
20 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a remote control device communicatively coupled to the main controller, wherein the main controller is configured to send an alert to the remote control device upon receiving the sensed event from the event sensor.