Patent Publication Number: US-2016227737-A1

Title: Device and method for dispensing a pet treat

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to, and incorporates by reference, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/112,357, filed on Feb. 5, 2015 and owned in common herewith. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to pet treat dispensing and, in particular, to a device and method for remotely dispensing a pet treat. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Pet owners who are away from their pets for prolonged periods of time have limited means for feeding, interacting with or generally checking up on their pets. It would be advantageous to provide devices for pet owners to use to remain connected with their pets even while they are away. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show example embodiments of the present application, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an example pet treat dispensing device, including a main housing and a camera, in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the interior of the main housing of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows another perspective view of the interior of the main housing of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a dispensing turbine, a base and a dispensing chute, in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  shows, in flowchart form, an example method for remotely interacting with a pet. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features. 
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     In accordance with one aspect, the present application describes a pet treat dispensing device. The device includes: a main housing having an outlet opening and a treat dispensing portion disposed in the interior of the main housing. The treat dispensing portion includes: a base; a dispensing chamber configured to rest on at least a portion of the base, the dispensing chamber having a first opening; and a dispensing turbine configured to rotate horizontally within the dispensing chamber, the dispensing turbine including: a turbine hub; and at least one blade attached to a lateral surface of the turbine hub, wherein the first opening of the dispensing chamber is generally aligned with the outlet opening. 
     In accordance with another aspect, the present application describes a method for dispensing a pet treat. The method includes: providing a pet treat dispensing device including a camera; capturing a first image using the camera; based on the first image, determining that a pet is within a field of view of the camera; in response to determining that the pet is within the field of view of the camera, causing the pet treat dispensing device to provide an audible signal to summon the pet and starting capture of camera data using the camera; based on the camera data, determining that a first condition is satisfied and in response to determining that the first condition is satisfied, causing the pet treat dispensing device to dispense a treat and halting capture of camera data. 
     Other example embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. 
     Example Device For Dispensing a Pet Treat 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 1 , which shows a perspective view of an example pet treat dispensing device  100 . It will be understood that the pet treat dispensing device  100  may be used to dispense treats to numerous different types of pets including, but not limited to, dogs and cats. Furthermore, the pet treat dispensing device  100  can be deployed at home, a pet care facility or wherever a pet resides. The pet treat dispensing device  100  can be used and controlled by a user regardless of where the user is located. 
     The pet treat dispensing device  100  includes a main housing  102 . The main housing  102  can have various shapes. For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the main housing  102  has a generally cubic shape. The walls of the main housing  102  define an outer surface and an interior space (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). In some embodiments, the main housing  102  has a front wall  110  and a rear wall. The front wall  110  is a wall of the main housing which may be faced towards a pet when the pet treat dispensing device  100  is in use. The rear wall is a wall of the main housing that is opposite the front wall  110 . 
     The main housing  102  has an outlet opening  104  for dispensing a pet treat. In the example of  FIG. 1 , the outlet opening  104  is positioned on the outer surface of the front wall  110 . The outlet opening  104  may be sized to accommodate pet treats of various shapes and sizes. In some embodiments, the main housing  102  may include a movable cover for the outlet opening  104  such that the size of the opening can be adjusted. 
     In at least some embodiments, the main housing  102  also includes a camera  106 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the camera  106  may be coupled to the main housing  102  and positioned on the outer surface of the front wall  110 . For example, the camera  106  may be positioned adjacent to the outlet opening  104 . In some other embodiments, the camera  106  can be mounted on a top surface of the main housing  102 . The camera  106  may also be removable from the main housing  102  or may be embedded in a wall of the main housing  102 . 
     The camera  106  is configured to generate camera data, such as images in the form of still photographs and motion videos. The camera data may be captured in the form of an electronic signal which is produced by an image sensor associated with the camera  106 . That is, the image sensor converts an optical image into an electronic signal, which may be output from the image sensor by way of one or more electrical connectors associated with the image sensor. The electronic signal represents electronic image data or camera data. 
     In at least some embodiments, the camera  106  may be capable of wireless communication. For example, the camera  106  may be an Internet protocol (IP) camera. An Internet protocol camera can send and receive data via a communication network. In some embodiments, the camera  106  may be able to upload data to a remote server or directly transmit data to a remote electronic device via a communication network. For example, the camera  106  may establish a connection, using Ethernet or Wi-Fi, to a server and transmit camera data captured by the camera  106  to the server. Other types of cameras may be used in the pet treat dispensing device  100 . For example, the camera  106  can be a webcam connected by USB cable to a computing device. 
     In some embodiments, the camera  106  may be coupled to an on-board processor in the pet treat dispensing device  100 . That is, the camera  106  may be connected to or be configured to communicate directly with a processor located in the pet treat dispensing device  100 . An on-board processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU). In some embodiments, the on-board processor may be a processor on a single-board computer, such as the RASPBERRY PI™. In at least some embodiments, the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  may be coupled to a wireless receiver and transmitter. In particular, the pet treat dispensing device  100  may have a communication subsystem, coupled to the processor, for sending data to and receiving data from a wireless communication network. 
     In some embodiments, the main housing  102  may be mountable on a wall in a room. For example, the rear wall of the main housing  102  may have one or more mounting mechanisms for mounting the pet treat dispensing device  100  on a docking support affixed to a wall of a room. In at least some embodiments, the main housing  102  may have a removable lid  108 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a top wall of the main housing  102  may be detached from the main housing  102  and serve as the removable lid  108 . The lid  108  may be mounted on the main housing  102  by a hinge assembly. The lid  108  may also have one or more handles located thereon. 
     The main housing  102  may also include one or more openings for loading pet treats into the pet treat dispensing device  100 . In some embodiments, the lid  108  may be removed such that pet treats can be loaded into the interior space of the main housing  102 . In other embodiments, there may be one or more openings on a wall of the main housing  102  for inserting pet treats into the interior space of the main housing  102 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , which show perspective views of the interior of the main housing  102  of  FIG. 1 . The pet treat dispensing device  100  includes a treat dispensing portion disposed in the interior of the main housing  102 . The treat dispensing portion includes a base  302 , a dispensing chamber  202  and a dispensing turbine  204 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the base  302  comprises a flat horizontal surface in the interior of the main housing  102 . The dispensing chamber  202  is configured to rest on at least a portion of the base  302 . In at least some embodiments, the main housing  102  may have one or more interior side walls  304  defining a cavity that is shaped to receive the dispensing chamber  202 . In  FIG. 3 , the base  302  and perpendicular side walls  304  define a box-shaped cavity for receiving the dispensing chamber  202 . 
     The dispensing chamber  202  may be box-shaped and, specifically, the dispensing chamber  202  may have a cube shape. Alternatively, the dispensing chamber  202  may have a different shape, such as a cylinder or a sphere. The height of the dispensing chamber  202  is less than the height of the main housing  202 . In at least some embodiments, the dispensing chamber  202  may be positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the front wall  110  (in  FIG. 1 ) of the main housing  102 . For example, the dispensing chamber  202  may sit in the interior of the main housing  102  such that it abuts and makes contact with the front wall  110 . The dispensing chamber  202  may be removable from the main housing  102 , or it may be fixedly secured to the base  302  or a wall of the main housing  102 . 
     In at least some embodiments, the dispensing chamber  202  has a bore  203  extending between a top surface of the dispensing chamber  202  and a bottom surface of the dispensing chamber  202 . The bore  203  of the dispensing chamber  202  is adapted to receive pet treats when they are loaded into the pet treat dispensing device  100  before the treats can be dispensed. The bore  203  may be generally centrally located within the dispensing chamber  202 . In some embodiments, the bore  203  has a cylindrical shape. The bore  203  has an open top end, allowing treats to be dropped into the bore  203 . In at least some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the bore  203  may vary along the height of the bore  203 . In particular, the cross-sectional area of the top end of the bore  203  may be different from the cross-sectional area of the bottom end of the bore  203 . For example, the cross-sectional area of the bore  203  may decrease from the top end of the bore  203  to the bottom end of the bore  203 . 
     In some embodiments, the dispensing chamber  202  has a first opening  212 . The first opening  212  may extend between the wall of the bore  203  and an outer surface of the dispensing chamber  202 . For example, the first opening  212  may be a bore passage that extends between the wall of the bore  203  and the outer surface of a front wall  213  of the dispensing chamber  202 . The front wall  213  of the dispensing chamber  202  is a wall of the dispensing chamber  202  that is on the same side of the main housing  102  as the front wall  110  when the dispensing chamber  202  is disposed in the interior of the main housing  102 . Like the front wall  110  of the main housing  102 , the front wall  213  of the dispensing chamber  202  faces towards a pet when the pet treat dispensing device  100  is in use. In at least some embodiments, the first opening  212  of the dispensing chamber  202  may be aligned with the outlet opening  104  of the main housing. The first opening  212  provides an outlet through which pet treats can be ejected from inside the bore  203 . In other words, pet treats can be moved from within the bore  203  and out of the dispensing chamber  202  through the first opening  212 . In some embodiments, the first opening  212  may be positioned on the lower end of the wall of the bore  203  such that pet treats can be pushed out through the lower end of the dispensing chamber  202 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , the first opening  212  is rectangular and is positioned on the lower end of the front wall of the dispensing chamber  202 . In other embodiments, the size and shape of the first opening  212  can be different from the example shown in  FIG. 2 , in order to accommodate a wider range of pet treats. 
       FIG. 2  shows a dispensing turbine  204  positioned inside the bore  203 . In at least some embodiments, the dispensing turbine  204  is configured to rotate horizontally within the bore  203 . The dispensing turbine  203  includes a turbine hub  206  and at least one blade  208  coupled to a lateral surface of the turbine hub  206 . When the dispensing turbine  204  rests inside the bore  203 , the turbine hub  206  may be centrally positioned with respect to the bore  203 . In at least some embodiments, the turbine hub  206  may be cone-shaped.  FIG. 2  shows an example of a cone-shaped turbine hub  206 . In  FIG. 2 , the turbine hub  206  has a slanted lateral side and a flat base. In some embodiments, the flat base may have a diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of the bottom end of the bore  203 . That is, the flat base of the turbine hub  206  may fit the bottom end of the bore  203  closely. In other embodiments, the turbine hub  206  may have a different shape. For example, the turbine hub  206  may be a cylinder. 
     In at least some embodiments, the at least one blade  208  is sized to fit between the lateral surface of the turbine hub  206  and the wall of the bore  203 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the entire dispensing turbine  204 , which includes the turbine hub  206  and at least one blade  208  coupled to the turbine hub  206 , is configured to fit and rotate inside the bore  203 . In some embodiments, the radial length of the at least one blade  208  may be substantially equal to the annular space between the turbine hub  206  and the wall of the bore  203 . In other words, the at least one blade may extend substantially from the lateral surface of the turbine hub  206  to the wall of the bore  203 . The blades  208  may be a projection extending radially outward from the lateral surface of the turbine hub  206 . In some cases, the width of the projection may increase in a radial direction towards the wall of the bore  203 . In some cases, the height of the at least one blade may increase in a radial direction towards the wall of the bore  203 . 
     A dispensing chute  210  is shown in  FIG. 2 . In at least some embodiments, the dispensing chute  210  has a first end, a second end and a ramp  214  extending between the first end and the second end. The first end of the dispensing chute  210  may be in communication with the first opening  212  of the dispensing chamber  202 . In the example of  FIG. 2 , the first end of the dispensing chute  210  is positioned near the first opening  212  and is at a higher elevation than the second end of the dispensing chute  210 . In the illustrated example, the ramp  214  is inclined downward from the first end of the dispensing chute  210  to the second end of the dispensing chute  210 . In some embodiments, the second end of the dispensing chute  210  may be in communication with the outlet opening  104  of the main housing  102 . According to such embodiments, pet treats that are ejected from the first opening  212  of the dispensing chamber  202  can traverse down the inclined ramp  214  of the dispensing chute  210  and exit the main housing  102  by the second end of the dispensing chute. 
     In at least some embodiments, one or more infrared sensors  216  may be positioned on a top surface of the ramp  214  of the dispensing chute  210 . For example, the infrared sensors  216  may be infrared reflectance sensors, containing a matched light-emitting diode (LED) emitter and infrared detector pair. Infrared reflectance sensors operate by measuring an amount of infrared radiation transmitted by the emitter that is reflected into the detector. The infrared sensors  216  may be configured for remote control and touch-less object sensing. By continuously transmitting infrared radiation from the emitter, when an object, such as a pet treat, passes over the infrared sensors  216 , the emitted infrared radiation may be reflected and detected by the detector. The detector may generate an electronic signal having a magnitude proportional to the intensity of the received reflected infrared radiation, and readings from the detector may be collected by, for example, using an analog-to-digital converter coupled to an on-board processor to convert analog electronic signals to digital signals appropriate for further signal processing. In the pet treat dispensing device  100 , the readings from the detector can be monitored in real-time to determine whether pet treats have been successfully dispensed from the main housing  102 . In at least some embodiments, the infrared emitter and infrared detector may be positioned side-by-side on the ramp  214 , separated by a fixed distance between each other. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 4 , which shows the dispensing turbine  204 , the base  302  and the dispensing chute  210  in isolation from each other. In at least some embodiments, the base  302  has a vertical shaft  406  positioned on the top surface. In the example of  FIG. 4 , the vertical shaft  406  has a fixed height and is rotatable with respect to the base  302 . The turbine hub  206  in  FIG. 4  has an axial bore  410  (not shown) extending upward from the bottom surface of the turbine hub  206 , the axial bore  410  being sized to fit over the vertical shaft  406 . That is, the dispensing turbine  204  can rest on the base  302  by fitting the axial bore  410  over the vertical shaft  406 . In some other embodiments, the base  302  may not have a vertical shaft and may instead have a different rotating member that can be attached to the dispensing turbine  204 . For example, the base  302  may have a rotatable plate positioned on the top surface. In such example, the turbine hub  206  may have a groove defined on the bottom surface to fit over and be secured to the rotatable plate. Other mechanisms for rotatably attaching the dispensing turbine  204  to the base  302  may be used in the pet treat dispensing device  100 . 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 4 , rotation of the dispensing turbine  204  is caused by rotation of the vertical shaft  406  with respect to the base when the turbine hub  206  is fit over the vertical shaft  406 . The rotation of the vertical shaft  406  may, in turn, be driven by an electric motor. In some embodiments, the vertical shaft  406  may be coupled to a servo motor. The servo motor may be either an alternating current (AC) motor or a direct current (DC) motor. In other embodiments, a stepper motor may be used. The electric motor may have an associated motor control circuit electronics portion, separate from the electric motor, and both the electric motor and the motor control circuit electronics portion may be located beneath the top surface of the base  302 . Alternatively, the motor control mechanism, including one or more gears, positional sensors and circuit board electronics components, may be built-in to the electric motor. In at least some embodiments, the electric motor and motor control mechanism may be coupled to an on-board processor located in the pet treat dispensing device  100 . 
     Example Method of Remotely Interacting With a Pet 
     Reference will now be made to  FIG. 5 , which shows, in flowchart form, an example method  500  of remotely interacting with a pet. The method  500  can be performed partly by the pet treat dispensing device  100  and partly by a user remotely controlling the pet treat dispensing device  100  via an electronic device. 
     A first image is captured by the camera  106  at operation  502 . The first image may be automatically captured, either periodically or at fixed times throughout a day. Alternatively, the first image may be captured in response to a command transmitted from a remote user. As described above, the camera  106  may be coupled to an on-board processor in the pet treat dispensing device  100 . The processor may be coupled to an on-board memory. In at least some embodiments, the processor may also be configured to receive and send data via a communications subsystem of the pet treat dispensing device  100 , by establishing a connection to a wireless network, for example, using Ethernet or Wi-Fi technology. In this way, the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  can communicate with a remote network or device. For example, camera data captured by the camera  106  may be sent to a remote user either by using a communication functionality of the camera  106  or by first receiving the camera data at the processor and subsequently uploading the camera data to a wireless network. In at least some embodiments, a user may be able transmit commands to the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  via an application on a mobile electronic device, such as a smartphone. In some other embodiments, a user may access a web interface or a software program on a computing device to transmit commands to the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100 . 
     Once the first image has been captured by the camera  106 , the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  determines, at operation  504 , whether there is sufficient light in the captured first image. In some embodiments, the processor may execute an image processing algorithm to determine a brightness of a raw digital image captured by the camera  106 . For example, the processor may compute an average brightness of all pixels in the captured first image. The image brightness value of the first image can then be compared to a predefined threshold to determine whether the first image is sufficiently bright. In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to execute a brightness compensation program on the first image to adjust the brightness of the image. 
     At operation  506 , the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  may compare the first image to a second image previously captured by the camera  106  and stored in the memory coupled to the processor, to determine whether local motion has occurred in the first image based on the comparison. In some embodiments, values of a plurality of pixels at corresponding pixel locations in the first image and the second image may be compared and the differences in the pixel values can be calculated. The difference values may then be compared to a predefined threshold to detect if there has been local motion between the image frames. 
     If there is sufficient brightness and local motion has been detected in the first image, the method  500  proceeds to determine, based on the first image, whether a pet is detected within a field of view of the camera  106 . The field of view of the camera  106  can be the entire field of view of the camera  106  or a sub-region of the field of view. In some embodiments, the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  may execute one or more computer vision and pattern recognition algorithms to determine whether a pet is within the field of view of the camera  106 . By way of illustration and not limitation, a pre-trained convolutional neural network can be used for visually recognizing a type of pet, such as a dog or cat, or a specific pet. Based on a classification of the first image by the neural network, the first image may be considered to include a pet within a field of view of the camera. For example, if the pre-trained model is configured to generate outputs as probabilities, the first image may be determined to correspond to a pet if execution of the model on the first image outputs a probability, greater than a pre-defined threshold value, that a subject in the first image is a pet. In some cases, the threshold value may be adjusted by a user in order to capture a wider range of pet-liked images. In other embodiments, different visual recognition algorithms may be implemented on the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  to locally determine whether a pet is within a field of view of the camera  106 . 
     If a pet is detected at operation  508 , the camera  106  begins capturing camera data. In some embodiments, the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  may be configured to automatically activate the camera  106  upon determining that a pet is detected within a field of view of the camera  106 . In other embodiments, a message can be sent a remote user to indicate that the camera  106  has detected a pet and the user can subsequently transmit a command to activate the camera  106 . The camera data can be image data or video data. The capture of the camera data can be timed or a user can remotely control a duration for which camera data is captured. 
     At operation  512  of the method  500 , the pet treat dispensing device  100  may be configured to provide an audible signal to summon a pet. In at least some embodiments, the processor of the device  100  may cause a pre-recorded sound, such as a tune or an owner&#39;s voice, to be played through a built-in speaker in the pet treat dispensing device  100 . For example, the pre-recorded sound can be a sound that is audible to the pet or a sound with which the pet may already be familiar. In other embodiments, a remote user may be able to communicate directly with the pet by speaking into a microphone in an electronic device and causing the voice data to be transmitted to the pet treat dispensing device  100  to be played to the pet. For example, a remote user can speak into the microphone on a mobile phone and use an application on the mobile phone to send the voice communication, in real-time, to the pet treat dispensing device  100 . 
     After providing an audible signal from the pet treat dispensing device  100 , the processor of the device  100  determines whether a first condition is satisfied, based on the camera data. In some embodiments, the pet treat dispensing device  100  may have one or more sensors in the main housing  102  that are coupled to the processor, the sensors being configured to determine a proximity of a pet to the pet treat dispensing device  100 . If the one or more sensors indicate that a pet is within a predetermined distance of the pet treat dispensing device  100 , the first condition will be satisfied. In other embodiments, a remote user may view the camera data from the camera  106  in real-time and transmit a command to the pet treat dispensing device  100  that the first condition is satisfied. For example, the user may provide a voice command to the pet through a built-in speaker on the pet treat dispensing device  100  and upon visually verifying that the pet has performed a specific action, the user can signal to the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  (via a mobile application, for example) that the first condition is satisfied. In some embodiments, the first condition will be satisfied when it is determined that the pet is performing a specific pose in front of the pet treat dispensing device  100 . Using the camera  106 , camera data can be captured of the pet when the pet is in the field of view of the camera  106 . A convolutional neural network can be pre-trained to recognize specific poses that the pet may perform. For example, the pet owner may train the pet to sit on all four legs or to sit on just the pet&#39;s hind legs, and the neural network can be pre-trained to recognize these poses. The pre-trained neural network can be implemented in a processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  and based on the captured camera data, if certain predefined poses or actions are recognized by the neural network model, the first condition will be satisfied. In yet further embodiments, the first condition may be satisfied by other mechanisms. 
     In response to determining that the first condition is satisfied, the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  causes the device  100  to dispense a treat at operation  514 . In at least some embodiments, the processor may directly control an electric motor connected to the vertical shaft  406  of  FIG. 4  to cause the vertical shaft  406  and the dispensing turbine  206 , fitted over the vertical shaft  406 , to rotate horizontally. As in the example of  FIG. 2 , rotation of the dispensing turbine  206  within the dispensing chamber  202  will cause pet treats stored in the bore  203  to be dispensed through the first opening  212  of the dispensing chamber  212 . In some other embodiments, a remote user may control a motor control circuit coupled to the electric motor to cause the dispensing turbine  206  to rotate within the dispensing chamber  202 . For example, a remote user may use a mobile application to wirelessly transmit a command to the processor of the device  100  to dispense treats. Such command, when received by the processor, may cause the processor to control the electric motor, via motor control circuitry, to actuate a rotating member on the base  302 , such as the vertical shaft  406  of  FIG. 4 . 
     The processor of the device  100  may be in persistent communication with the infrared sensors  216  of  FIG. 2 . After causing rotation of the dispensing turbine  206 , the processor may monitor readings from the infrared sensors  216  (specifically, the infrared detector) to determine whether treats have been properly dispensed by the device  100 . Based upon the infrared sensor data, if it is determined that a treat has been dispensed, rotation of the dispensing turbine  206  will be halted. Alternatively, if a stepper motor is used as the electric motor controlling rotation of the dispensing turbine  206 , a full rotation may be divided into a number of equal steps and the motor&#39;s position can be controlled to move and hold at one of these steps without any feedback from the infrared sensors  216 . 
     If, during rotation of the dispensing turbine  206 , a jam is detected, the electric motor of the device  100  may be controlled to cause rotation of the dispensing turbine  206  in an opposite direction. In at least some embodiments, a jam of the dispensing turbine  206  may be detected by monitoring a level of current drawn by the electric motor of the device  100 . For example, the device  100  may include a current sensing circuit, coupled to the processor of the device  100 , configured to monitor a level of current provided to the electric motor in rotating the dispensing turbine  206 . By way of illustration, a servo motor, when jammed, will apply full current while it attempts to move as commanded, usually resulting in a current level that is much higher than levels during normal operation of the motor. If the level of current drawn by the electric motor exceeds a pre-defined threshold, a jam of the dispensing turbine  206  is determined to have occurred. In some embodiments, a jam of the dispensing turbine  206  may be detected by determining the angular position of a shaft of the electric motor. When the electric motor is unable to produce rotational motion as a result of a jam of the dispensing turbine  206 , the shaft of the electric motor will not move even when the electric motor is activated. By monitoring the angular position or motion of the motor shaft, then, it may be possible to determine whether a jam has occurred. In some cases, a rotary encoder may be used to track the angular position of the motor shaft. The rotary encoder may be either an optical encoder or a magnetic encoder. 
     Once a jam of the dispensing turbine  206  is detected, the dispensing turbine  206  may then be rotated in an opposite direction to try to dislodge a treat causing the jam. During this jam detection and resolution operation, the level of current drawn by the electric motor is continuously monitored. Each significant increase in the level of current may indicate that the dispensing turbine  206  is stuck in its current direction of rotation. As a result, with each such significant increase, the rotation of direction of the dispensing turbine  206  may be reversed. For example, if the level of current drawn by the electric motor increases above a threshold level, a reverse rotation of the dispensing turbine  206  may be produced. In some embodiments, the speed of rotation of the dispensing turbine  206  may be increased each time direction of rotation is reversed, such that increased force can be applied to a jammed treat to try to dislodge it or break it into smaller pieces that can be released from the jam. In some embodiments, each time that a jam is detected and a reverse rotation of the dispensing turbine  206  is produced, the threshold current level for detecting the next jam can be increased. That is, with each reverse rotation of the dispensing turbine  206 , the level of current drawn by the electric motor may be allowed to increase to a higher level or the length of time for which the electric motor draws maximum current may be allowed to increase. This way, it may be possible for the electric motor to apply more rotational power to the dispensing turbine  206  with each successive detected jam, in order to cause the jammed treats to be dislodged or broken. 
     Additionally, in at least some embodiments, the captured camera data may be stored in a memory of the pet treat dispensing device  100 . In other embodiments, the captured camera data may be transmitted wirelessly to a remote user. For example, the processor of the pet treat dispensing device  100  may cause the camera data to be sent to an owner via email, a web interface or a mobile application. 
     The various embodiments presented above are merely examples and are in no way meant to limit the scope of this application. Variations of the innovations described herein will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art, such variations being within the intended scope of the present application. In particular, features from one or more of the above-described example embodiments may be selected to create alternative example embodiments including a sub-combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. In addition, features from one or more of the above-described example embodiments may be selected and combined to create alternative example embodiments including a combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. Features suitable for such combinations and sub-combinations would be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art upon review of the present application as a whole. The subject matter described herein and in the recited claims intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology.