Cat litter box system

Abstract

A litter box monitoring system including: one or more sensors associated with one or more litter boxes; one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer readable media coupled to the one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising: detecting, using the one or more sensors, at least one of entry or exit of an animal relative to the one or more litter boxes; and calculating, using the one or more processors, frequency of use of the one or more litter boxes based on the detected at least one of entry or exit of an animal relative to the one or more litter boxes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A litter box monitoring system comprising:
 one or more sensors associated with one or more litter boxes;   one or more processors; and   one or more non-transitory computer readable media coupled to the one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:   detecting, using the one or more sensors, at least one of entry or exit of an animal relative to the one or more litter boxes; and   calculating, using the one or more processors, frequency of use of the one or more litter boxes based on the detected at least one of entry or exit of an animal relative to the one or more litter boxes.   
     
     
         2 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 comparing, using the one or more processors, the calculated frequency to a predetermined frequency parameter; and   generating, using the one or more processors, an alert upon the condition that the calculated frequency is outside the predetermined frequency parameter.   
     
     
         3 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 determining, using the one or more processors, an identity of an animal using the one or more litter boxes.   
     
     
         4 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 3 , where the step of determining is based on data read by the one or more sensors from an RFID tag. 
     
     
         5 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of monitoring, using the one or more processors, behavior of the identified animal based on the calculated frequency of use. 
     
     
         6 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of detecting, using the one or more sensors, weight of the identified animal. 
     
     
         7 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 6 , wherein the step of determining an identity of the animal is based on the detected weight of the animal. 
     
     
         8 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of calculating, using the one or more processors, weight change of the identified animal based on the detected weight. 
     
     
         9 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
 comparing, using the one or more processors, the calculated weight change to a predetermined weight change parameter; and   generating, using the one or more processors, an alert upon the condition that the calculated weight change is outside the predetermined weight change parameter.   
     
     
         10 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 detecting, using the one or more processors, that a first litter box of the one or more litter boxes is being used by an animal; and   controlling, using the one or more processors, operation of a second litter box of the one or more litter boxes so that the second litter box does not operate while the first litter box is operating.   
     
     
         11 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 10 , wherein the step of controlling comprises delaying operation of the second litter box for a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
         12 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 10 , wherein the step of controlling comprises terminating operation of the second litter box. 
     
     
         13 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more litter boxes comprises a respective one of the one or more sensors, a respective one of the one or more processors and a respective one of the one or more computer readable media. 
     
     
         14 . The litter box monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more litter boxes comprises a respective one of the one or more sensors, and the one or more processors and the one or more computer readable media are part of a central computer system.