Remote pet monitoring systems and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for initiating a monitoring session between a user device and a pet monitoring system including a base station and a plurality of monitoring devices. The base station receives a request to monitor the pet from the user device, activates the plurality of monitoring devices, receives data from the plurality of monitoring devices, locates the pet based on the received data from the plurality of monitoring devices, selects a selected monitoring device of the plurality of monitoring devices based upon at least one of the data from the plurality of monitoring devices and the location of the pet, and transmits the data from the selected monitoring device to the user device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of initiating a monitoring session between a user device and a pet monitoring system, the pet monitoring system including a base station and a plurality of monitoring devices in communication with the base station, the method comprising:
 receiving, at the base station, a request to monitor the pet from the user device;   activating, by the base station, the plurality of monitoring devices;   receiving, by the base station, data from the plurality of monitoring devices;   locating, by the base station, the pet based on the received data from the plurality of monitoring devices;   selecting, by the base station, a selected monitoring device of the plurality of monitoring devices based upon at least one of the data from the plurality of monitoring devices and the location of the pet; and   transmitting, by the base station, the data from the selected monitoring device to the user device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selection of the selected monitoring device is based upon at least one of a proximity of the selected monitoring device to the location of the pet, a degree of obstruction between the selected monitoring device and the location of the pet, an orientation of the pet relative to a direction between the selected monitoring device and the location of the pet, and a data quality provided by the selected monitoring device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the base station and from the user device, a request for a two-way communication session between the user device and the monitoring system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising initiating, by the base station, the two-way communication session between the user device and the monitoring system, the two-way communication session allowing a user to send audio to the pet from the user device for output on the selected monitoring device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the selected monitoring device includes a camera, and further comprising transmitting a video stream from the selected monitoring device to the user device during the two-way communication session. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the selected monitoring device includes a camera, and further comprising receiving, by the base station and from the user device, a command to adjust one of a pan function, a tilt function, an illumination function, and a zoom function of the selected monitoring device during the two-way communication session. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising outputting, by the base station, a video stream received from the user device on a display in communication with the base station. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing, by the base station, the data received from the plurality of monitoring devices. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising processing, by the base station, the data received from the plurality of monitoring devices to reduce an amount of storage space required by the data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data is selectively processed based at least in part on whether the data correlates to a specified characteristic of the pet. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the base station, the data received from the plurality of monitoring devices to a remote server. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected monitoring device includes a camera and wherein the transmitting the data includes streaming video from the camera to the user device. 
     
     
         13 . A method of monitoring a pet with a pet monitoring system, the pet monitoring system including a base station and a plurality of monitoring devices in communication with the base station, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the base station, data from the plurality of monitoring devices positioned at different positions within a monitored area, wherein the plurality of monitoring devices include a first camera and a second camera;   locating, by the base station, the pet based on the data received from the plurality of monitoring devices;   determining, by the base station, that the pet is in a first field of view of the first camera;   monitoring, by the base station, the first field of view of the first camera;   determining, by the base station, that the pet is no longer in the first field of view of the first camera and is in a second field of view of the second camera; and   performing a handoff from the first camera to the second camera such that the base station monitors the second field of view of the second camera.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining, by the base station, a characteristic of the pet; and   performing, by the base station, an action in response to determining the characteristic of the pet.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein performing the action includes at least one of generating an audible alert through a monitoring device of the monitoring devices, emitting an odor or a pheromone, and emitting a light or a visual image. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of monitoring devices are configured to monitor an individual area of a plurality of monitored areas within a building, and wherein the method further comprises identifying a first one of the plurality of monitored areas in which the pet is currently located. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising initiating an alert to a user in response to determining the characteristic of the pet. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the alert includes at least one of an e-mail, a text message, and a phone call. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving a response to the alert from the user, wherein the response includes a request for the pet monitoring system to perform an action. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the action includes providing an audible alert, and further comprising sending a command, by the base station, to one of the plurality of monitoring devices to output an audible alert. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the action includes a request to alert a third-party. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising storing, by the base station, the data received from the plurality of monitoring devices, and ranking the stored data based upon the determined characteristic. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the ranking is used to prioritize at least one of display, transmission, or storage space of the stored data. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising processing, by the base station, the data received from the plurality of monitoring devices to reduce an amount of storage space required by the data. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the data is selective processed based at least in part on whether the data correlates to a specified pet activity or characteristic. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising transmitting, by the base station, the data received from the plurality of monitoring devices to a remote server. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of monitoring devices includes a collar configured to be worn by the pet. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising shocking the pet through a shocking device on the collar. 
     
     
         29 . A system for monitoring a pet, comprising:
 a first monitoring device including a first camera defining a first field of view;   a second monitoring device including a second camera defining a second field of view different from the first field of view; and   a processor in communication with the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device, and structured to
 monitor the first field of view, 
 determine a location of the pet as being in the first field of view, 
 subsequently determine that the pet is no longer in the first field of view, 
 monitor the second field of view, 
 determine the location of the pet as being in the second field of view, and 
 perform a handoff from the first camera to the second camera so that the processor no longer monitors the first field of view. 
   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the first monitoring device includes a speaker. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the processor is further structured to determine a physical status of the pet. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the processor is further structured to communicate data received from the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device to a user device. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the processor is further structured to store data received from the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the processor is positioned in a base station that is separate from the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the processor is further structured to provide two-way communication between a user device and at least one of the first monitoring device and the second monitoring device.