Bird station

Abstract

A bird station comprising a perching area, and a detachable electronic control module comprising: at least one of a camera unit and a microphone unit; a controller; and an object detection unit comprising a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). The VCSEL is operable to generate a source beam directed towards the perching area of the bird station. The object detection unit is arranged to detect a return beam formed by reflection of the source beam from an object when the object is located in the perching area of the bird station and, based on a detection of the return beam, determine that there is an object located in the perching area. The controller is operable to activate the one of the camera unit and the microphone unit in response to the object detection unit determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bird station comprising:
 a perching area; and   a detachable electronic control module comprising:
 at least one of a camera unit and a microphone unit; 
   a controller; and   an object detection unit comprising a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), wherein the VCSEL is operable to generate a source beam directed towards the perching area of the bird station,   the object detection unit is arranged to detect a return beam formed by reflection of the source beam from an object when the object is located in the perching area of the bird station and, based on a detection of the return beam, determine that there is an object located in the perching area, and   the controller is operable to activate the at least one of the camera unit and the microphone unit in response to the object detection unit determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station.   
     
     
         2 . The bird station of  claim 1 , wherein the bird station further comprises a bird feed receptacle, and the electronic control module further comprises a feed sensor arrangement operable to detect a level of bird feed in the bird feed receptacle. 
     
     
         3 . The bird station of  claim 2 , wherein the feed sensor arrangement is further arranged to detect whether the level of bird feed is below a threshold level, and the controller is further operable to output a low feed signal in response to the feed sensor arrangement detecting that the level of bird feed is below the threshold level. 
     
     
         4 . The bird station of  claim 2 , wherein the feed sensor arrangement comprises one or more capacitive sensors operable to detect a moisture content of the bird feed indicative of a presence of bird feed proximate the one or more capacitive sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The bird station of  claim 2 , wherein the feed sensor arrangement comprises one or more luminosity sensors operable to detect a luminosity level in the bird feed receptacle to determine a presence of bird feed proximate the one or more luminosity sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The bird station of  claim 1 , the electronic control unit further comprising a wireless communication module configured to send a notification to a remote computing device via a wireless network in response to the object detection unit determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station. 
     
     
         7 . The bird station of  claim 1 , wherein the object detection unit is arranged to determine that there is an object located in the perching area by:
 processing the detection of the return beam to determine a distance of the object from the object detection unit;   comparing the distance of the object to a threshold distance; and   determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station when the determined distance of the object from the object detection unit is within the threshold distance.   
     
     
         8 . The bird station of  claim 1 , wherein the bird station is at least one of a bird feeder, a bird bath or a bird nesting box. 
     
     
         9 . An electronic control module for a bird station comprising:
 at least one of a camera unit and a microphone unit;   a controller; and   an object detection unit comprising a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL),   wherein the VCSEL is operable to generate a source beam directed towards the perching area of the bird station,   the object detection unit is arranged to detect a return beam formed by reflection of the source beam from an object when the object is located in the perching area of the bird station and, based on a detection of the return beam, determine that there is an object located in the perching area; and   the controller is operable to activate the at least one of the camera unit and the microphone unit in response to the object detection unit determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station.   
     
     
         10 . A bird station comprising:
 a perching area; and   a detachable electronic control module comprising:
 a controller; 
 an object detection unit arranged to detect an object located in the perching area; and 
 a Hall Effect sensor operable to detect a detachment of the electronic control module from the bird station, wherein the controller is operable to de-activate the object detection unit in response to the Hall Effect sensor detecting the detachment. 
   
     
     
         11 . The bird station of  claim 10 , wherein the Hall Effect sensor is further operable to detect attachment of the electronic control module to the bird station, and the controller is further operable to activate the object detection unit in response to the Hall Effect sensor detecting attachment of the electronic control module to the bird station. 
     
     
         12 . The bird station of  claim 10 , wherein the electronic control module further comprises at least one of a camera unit and a microphone unit, wherein the object detection unit is arranged to generate a source beam directed towards the perching area of the bird station, detect a return beam formed by reflection of the source beam from an object when the object is located in the perching area of the bird station and, based on a detection of the return beam, determine that there is an object located in the perching area, and wherein the controller is operable to activate the at least one of the camera unit and the microphone unit in response to the object detection unit determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station. 
     
     
         13 . The bird station of  claim 10 , wherein the bird station further comprises a bird feed receptacle, and the electronic control module further comprises a feed sensor arrangement operable to detect a level of bird feed in the bird feed receptacle. 
     
     
         14 . The bird station of  claim 13 , wherein the feed sensor arrangement is further arranged to detect whether the level of bird feed is below a threshold level, and the controller is further operable to output a low feed signal in response to the feed sensor arrangement detecting that the level of bird feed is below the threshold level. 
     
     
         15 . The bird station of  claim 13 , wherein the feed sensor arrangement comprises one or more capacitive sensors operable to detect a moisture content of the bird feed indicative of a presence of bird feed proximate the one or more capacitive sensors. 
     
     
         16 . The bird station of  claim 13 , wherein the feed sensor arrangement comprises one or more luminosity sensors operable to detect a luminosity level in the bird feed receptacle to determine a presence of bird feed proximate the one or more luminosity sensors. 
     
     
         17 . The bird station of  claim 10 , the electronic control unit further comprising a wireless communication module configured to send a notification to a remote computing device via a wireless network in response to the object detection unit determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station. 
     
     
         18 . The bird station of  claim 12 , wherein the object detection unit is arranged to determine that there is an object located in the perching area by:
 processing the detection of the return beam to determine a distance of the object from the object detection unit;   comparing the distance of the object to a threshold distance; and   determining that there is an object located in the perching area of the bird station when the determined distance of the object from the object detection unit is within the threshold distance.   
     
     
         19 . The bird station of  claim 10 , wherein the object detection unit comprises a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). 
     
     
         20 . The bird station of  claim 10 , wherein the bird station is at least one of a bird feeder, a bird bath or a bird nesting box. 
     
     
         21 . An electronic control module for a bird station comprising:
 a controller;   an object detection unit arranged to detect an object located in a perching area of the bird station; and   a Hall Effect sensor operable to detect a detachment of the electronic control module from the bird station, wherein the controller is operable to de-activate the object detection unit in response to the Hall Effect sensor detecting the detachment.