Patent Publication Number: US-2021161096-A1

Title: Litter collection device for efficient animal waste removal and method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a bypass continuation of PCT application No. PCT/CN2019/102034 filed Aug. 22, 2019, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/112,918 filed on Aug. 27, 2018, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a litter collection device for sifting animal waste, and more particularly, to an improved self-cleaning device that automatically separates animal waste from litter material efficiently. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A potty device filled with litter material, such as sand, dried clay, or cat litter, can be used to let pet animals to excrete waste. After the excretion, the waste sticks to or soils the litter material to form soiled animal waste so that the potty device can be easily cleaned up. However, the used litter material must be cleaned before the animal waste piled up to a certain extent. In an effort to relieve pet owners from performing a highly unpleasant recurring task of cleaning the animal waste, such as animal excrement or coagulated litter, from the unsoiled litter material, various types of self-cleaning potty device are designed to separate animal waste automatically from the litter material for the ease of disposal. One method is to use a motor to drive a separation device, such as rake, porous scoop, sifting screen, filtration grid, or sifting drawer, through the litter material and thus separate the animal waste from the litter material. The separated animal waste is then pushed to a waste collector, such as storage bag or waste compartment placed outside the chamber, for cleaning. 
     However, the conventional self-cleaning potty devices are usually structured with a chamber partially filled with litter material comprising at least two openings. The first opening provides an entrance and an exit for the pet animal, while the second opening is provided for accessing a waste collector outside the chamber whereby the waste material may be dropped into. Such conventional devices with two openings have great disadvantages. When the devices are sifting the waste material and dumping the waste material through the second opening, for example, by rotating the chamber to a predetermined position, the first opening is still accessible by pet animals. This poses a threat to the pet animal&#39;s safety as they may get injured by the moving parts when the moving parts drive through the litter material. Furthermore, the chamber with two openings cannot provide sufficient space for a large opening as entrance or exit. For example, if the pet animal is very tall, it will be very difficult for the pet animal to squeeze itself into the chamber. 
     Other conventional self-cleaning potty devices use a separation device that is movably mounted in the interior volume of the chamber. By a predefined movement of the separation device inside the chamber, the waste material is separated from the litter by the separation device. The drawback of these devices is that they require a complicated design to ensure the effectiveness of the separation device at every corner of the chamber. Also, the movable parts of the separation device inside the chamber can trap small material. Clumps of waste material or litter material can be wedged and built-up within the separation device. As a result, the separation device or other moving parts inside the chamber may be clogged or jammed and the waste can easily be accumulated therein, causing odors and unpleasant smells. More pet owner manual interactions are required to remove the waste material trapped inside the separation device, which is not a pleasant experience for the pet owner. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure address the above problems by providing a litter collection device for separating animal waste using an improved sifting method for filtering the animal waste without posing any danger to the pet animals. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the disclosure provide a device for handling an animal waste deposited by an animal. The device includes a device base including a receptacle and a chamber located on the device base that is rotatable about an axis of rotation. The chamber includes a chamber opening being operable as an ingress for the animal to deposit the animal waste when the chamber is in a first position and being operable as a waste opening for dumping the animal waste to the receptacle when the chamber is in a second position, and a partition located within the chamber. The partition includes one or more screen sections, each having one or more screen openings thereon, and at least one non-opening section being connected to an interior wall of the chamber. The non-opening section and the interior wall of the chamber form a trough for temporarily storing a litter material. When the chamber is rotated from the first position to the second position, the litter material passes through at least one of the screen sections and enters the trough, and the animal waste is kept out of the trough by the partition and removed to the receptacle through the chamber opening. When the chamber is rotated from the second position to a third position, the litter material exits the trough. 
     Embodiments of the disclosure also provide a method for handling an animal waste deposited in a device. The method includes providing a litter collection device having a receptacle and a chamber with a chamber opening. The chamber opening serves as an ingress for the animal to deposit the animal waste on a litter material when the chamber is in a first position. The method also includes rotating the chamber from the first position to a second position. A litter material passes through at least one of one or more screen sections in the chamber and enters a trough. The animal waste is kept out of the trough by a partition and removed to a receptacle through the chamber opening. The method further includes rotating the chamber from the second position to a third position for the litter material to exit the trough. The method further includes rotating the chamber back to the first position for leveling the litter material. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a litter collection device, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates another exploded perspective view of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an interior view of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1  without the upper base and top cover, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exploded view of the chamber of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an interior view of the chamber showing the screening of the animal waste from the litter material, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an interior view of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1  showing the structure of the partition, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a side view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a bottom view of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 13A-13D  illustrate a clockwise rotation of the chamber during the first stage of cleaning cycle for separating and dumping the animal waste, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 14A-14E  illustrate a counterclockwise rotation of the chamber during the second stage of cleaning cycle for reintroducing the litter material to the chamber, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 15A-15B  illustrate a clockwise rotation of the chamber during the third stage of cleaning cycle for returning to the stand-by position, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a microprocessor controller for controlling the litter collection device, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 17  illustrates a flowchart showing the initialization of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 18  illustrates a flowchart showing the litter emptying cycle of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 19  illustrates a flowchart showing the litter cleaning cycle of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1  after being used by an animal, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 20  illustrates a front view of a manually controlled litter collection device, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 21  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the manually controlled litter collection device of  FIG. 20 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 22  illustrates a plastic film for attaching to the interior longitudinal wall of the chamber, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 23  illustrates an exploded view of the chamber with a plastic film attached to the interior longitudinal wall of the chamber of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 24  illustrates a perspective view of the litter collection device of  FIG. 1  with a plastic film attached to the interior longitudinal wall of the chamber, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 25  illustrates a perspective view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1  when the shutter door is fully closed, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 26  illustrates an exploded view of the receptacle of  FIG. 25 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 27  illustrates a perspective view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1  when the shutter door is moving, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 28  illustrates an exploded view of the receptacle of  FIG. 27 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 29  illustrates a perspective view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1  when the shutter door is fully opened, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 30  illustrates an exploded view of the receptacle of  FIG. 29 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 31  illustrates a semi-exploded view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 32  illustrates an exploded view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 33  illustrates a perspective view of the receptacle of  FIG. 1 , according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 34  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method for handling an animal waste deposited in a device, according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
     The following terms are used herein in the specification and appended claims. The term “litter material” as used herein is any granular or particulate material that serves as a waste holding media into which the animal may deposit bodily wastes, such as sand, dried clay, or cat litter. The term “unsoiled litter material” as used herein refers to the litter material that is substantially uncontaminated. The term “animal waste” as used herein means both animal excrement, clumps of litter, and soiled litter material which is the litter material after contacting with animal excrement or urine. 
     The term “dirty” when used to describe air refers to the air that contains undesirable odors associated with animal waste. The term “clean” when used to describe air refers to the air that is generally odor-free after passing through an odor absorbing filter or being processed to remove the undesirable odors. 
     When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the preferred embodiments thereof, the articles “a,” “an” and “the” are not intended to denote a limitation of quantity, but rather to denote the presence of at least one of the items being referred to, unless otherwise indicated or clearly contradicted by context. Further, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
     Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “inner,” “outer,” “front,” “rear,” and variations thereof herein are used for ease of description to explain the positioning of one element relative to a second element, and are not intended to be limiting to a specific orientation or position. 
     Terms such as “first,” “second,” and variations thereof herein are used to describe various elements, regions, sections, etc. and are not intended to be limiting. 
     Terms such as “connected,” “in communication with,” “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, communication and mountings; and are not restricted to electrical, physical or mechanical attachments, connections, or mountings. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved litter collection device for separating animal waste using an improved sifting method for filtering the animal waste without posing any danger to the pet animals. It would be preferred for the device to have a chamber with adequate interior space for pet animals so that they can move around when staying inside the device. The device should also have an entry opening that is large enough for pet animals of taller size to poke their head out vertically from the opening of the chamber without being obstructed. It would also be preferred for the device to have means for sanitizing the air inside the device and contain or control the unpleasant odors from the animal waste. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a litter collection device  01  according to the present disclosure, and  FIG. 2  is a side view of  FIG. 1 . Litter collection device  01  can be used for separating litter material  50  (not shown in  FIG. 1 or 2 ) of substantially smaller size from animal waste  51  (not shown in  FIG. 1 or 2 ) of substantially larger size automatically. Litter collection device  01  can also be used for dumping animal waste  51  into a receptacle  35  for disposal. In some embodiments, the particle size of litter material  50  may be of 10 cubic millimeters, 20 cubic millimeters, 30 cubic millimeters or 35 cubic millimeters, while the particle size of animal waste  51  may be of 10 cubic centimeters, 20 cubic centimeters, 30 cubic centimeters or 35 cubic centimeters. It is contemplated that so long as the size of litter material  50  is substantially smaller than (for example, more than 5 times smaller than) animal waste  51 , it can be separated from animal waste  51  by litter collection device  01 . The particle size of litter material  50  and that of animal waste  51  are not limited to the sizes disclosed above, and they can be of any other size as long as the object of the present disclosure is achieved. The litter collection device  01  may be used by any domesticated animals, such as a cat, dog, ferret, squirrel, rabbit, or other pet animals. In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may include a top cover  30 , a device base  34  and a chamber  10 . Device base  34  and top cover  30  may be connected to form an outer shell for litter collection device  01 , which may collectively provide a cavity for housing chamber  10 . Litter collection device  01  may be sized to fit a domesticated animal into chamber  10  to deposit animal waste  51 . For example, litter collection device  01  may be designed to allow a cat to enter into, and move around inside litter collection device  01 . In one embodiment, litter collection device  01  has a width of 648.6 mm (W), a depth of 529.7 mm (D), and a height of 594.4 mm (H). 
     Device base  34  can be disassembled into an upper base  32  and a lower base  33 . A cross-sectional shape of device base  34  may be circular, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, elliptic cylinder, or any other similar shape. Device base  34 , which supports chamber  10  on a surface such as a table, floor, slightly inclined plane or rough surface, may be of any size or shape without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. Upper base  32  may be secured on lower base  33  by a plurality of connecting columns  46 . Lower base  33  may include a plurality of anti-slippery patterns  40  for increasing the friction between litter collection device  01  and the surface. For example, lower base  33  may include treads and/or a pattern of grooves to increase the friction between litter collection device  01  and the surface. 
     Device base  34  may also include a receptacle  35  such that animal waste  51  can drop thereto when chamber  10  is rotated to a position for dumping animal waste  51 . Receptacle  35  may include a plurality of shallow carvings  37  (e.g., treads and/or a pattern of grooves) to form an anti-slippery surface texture that may be used by the animal as the step to enter or exit chamber  10  through chamber opening  14 . The plurality of shallow carvings  37  can be made of rubber, plastic, polymer, natural material, synthetic material, or a combination thereof. The plurality of shallow carvings  37  may be inclined by an angle from the vertical plane, and has a rough surface texture so that it is not too slippery for the animal. The range of the angle may be, for example, 30 to 60 degrees, 35 to 65 degrees, or 40 to 70 degrees, etc. In some embodiments, shallow carvings  37  can be a separated platform with an anti-slippery surface for the animal to step in. A doorstep  24  can be attached to chamber opening  14  as an entry passage for assisting smaller animal to step into chamber  10 . Doorstep  24  may also include a plurality of holes arranged in rows and columns, in which the animals can clean litter material  50  or other remnants stuck on their paws by rubbing their paws on doorstep  24 . Doorstep  24  can remain attached to chamber opening  14  during the litter cleaning cycle ( FIG. 19 ), but may be disassembled during the litter emptying cycle ( FIG. 18 ) such that litter material  50  would not be hindered or prevented from falling into receptacle  35 . Receptacle  35  can be opened by a receptacle handle  57 . Receptacle handle  57  may be a protrusion connected to receptacle  35  or may be a hollow portion within receptacle  35 . 
     Top cover  30  may be a protective case disposed at the upper portion of litter collection device  01  covering chamber  10 . In some embodiments, top cover  30  may include one or more device handles  31  and one or more hinges  45 . Top cover  30  can be made from plastic, wood, metal, or transparent material such as glass or acrylic glass. Top cover  30  and device base  34  may be connected via one or more hinges  45  on the rear side of top cover  30 . Hinges  45  may be used for pivoting top cover  30  with respect to device base  34 , such that top cover  30  may be openable against chamber  10  for preventing the animal from getting inside chamber  10  during rotation. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , top cover  30  may further include one or more locking clamps  38 . Device base  34  may further include one or more locking protrusions  39  for securing and fastening top cover  30  onto device base  34 . It is contemplated that top cover  30  is an optional component. In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may not have top cover  30 , such that chamber  10  is at the top of litter collection device  01 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 6 , chamber  10  is located on device base  34  and housed in a cavity enclosed by device base  34  and top cover  30 . In some embodiments, chamber  10  may be a semi-open circular chamber in the shape of a barrel with a longitudinal length (CL) in the range of 400 mm to 500 mm. In these embodiments, a cross-sectional diameter ( 0 ) of chamber  10  at the middle of the longitudinal side of chamber  10  may be about 460 mm. In some other embodiments, chamber  10  may be shaped like a globe, an arch or a sphere. In some embodiments, chamber  10  is large enough so that most pet animals, including cats or dogs, can fit within chamber  10 . In particular, chamber  10  may have a size such that animals with a taller size may poke their head out vertically from chamber opening  14  without being obstructed. Litter material  50  is placed at the inner bottom part of chamber  10 . In some embodiments, chamber  10  is partially filled with litter material  50  to a level not higher than the chamber opening  14 . For example, chamber  10  may be filled with litter material  50  that approximately occupies one fifth of its whole inner space. Litter material  50  can give the animal a feeling similar to the outdoor environment when depositing animal waste  51  thereon. As shown in  FIGS. 22-24 , films  19  or other disposable layers may be attached to the interior wall, such as interior longitudinal wall  18   d  of chamber  10 , so that chamber  10  is prevented from being polluted or stuck by litter material  50  or animal waste  51 . Chamber  10  may include a partition  20 , a gear track  15 , a chamber opening  14 , a left wheel cap  11   a  and a right wheel cap  11   b . Both left and right longitudinal ends  18   a  and  18   b  of chamber  10  are closed, when left longitudinal end  18   a  of chamber  10  (to the left in  FIG. 5 ) is encircled by a gear track  15 . Left wheel cap  11   a  may be assembled on left longitudinal end  18   a , and right wheel cap  11   b  may be assembled on right longitudinal end  18   b . When chamber  10  is rested on device base  34 , left and right wheel caps  11   a  and  11   b  may be supported by two semi-circular notches  12  of device base  34 . 
     In some embodiments, films  19  (as shown in  FIGS. 22-24 ) may be made from plastic. In other embodiments, films  19  may be made from a specially designed material that consists primarily of glue, silica gel, and hardener. Here, “primarily” means at least 99% of the contents thereof. These three ingredients are mixed and applied to the interior wall of chamber  10 . For example, films  19  may be applied on one or both of the bottom (not shown in  FIGS. 22-24 ) and longitudinal wall  18   d  of chamber  10 . Films  19  made from the specially designed material have a superior non-sticky characteristic with respect to litter material  50  and animal waste  51 . 
     In some embodiments, chamber  10  is rotatable about an axis of rotation  13  which may be a horizontal line connecting the center of left wheel cap  11   a  and the center of right wheel cap  11   b  through chamber  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . Axis of rotation  13  can be defined as a virtual line that is perpendicular to both the vertical plane and the direction of the movement of an animal when entering and exiting chamber  10  through chamber opening  14 . The rotation is bi-directional and can be operated manually or automatically. For example, a user of litter collection device  01  (e.g., the pet owner) may manually rotate chamber  10  clockwise or counter-clockwise about axis of rotation  13 . In another example, chamber  10  may rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise about axis of rotation  13  automatically according to some pre-programed computer instructions. 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the rotation of chamber  10  and the corresponding alternation of orientation are driven by a motor  17  automatically. Gear track  15  on chamber  10  cooperates with a motor gear  16  secured to the output shaft of motor  17 . In some embodiments, motor gear  16  lies in the same vertical plane as gear track  15  on the left side of device base  34 . A microprocessor controller  60  may be used to control motor  17  by communicating computer instructions to motor  17 . Microprocessor controller  60  may be disposed in device base  34 . The computer instructions may be automatically generated upon detection of animal movement by sensors, or they may be converted from user instructions. In some embodiments, the computer instructions may determine the angle of rotation and the corresponding orientation of the rotation of chamber  10 . It is contemplated that gear track  15  may be placed on right longitudinal end  18   b  of chamber  10  if motor  17  and motor gear  16  are located on the right side of device base  34 . In one embodiment, motor gear  16  may have a module size (m) of 5 with 12 teeth (z), and gear track  15  may have a module size (m) of 5 with 78 teeth (z). It is contemplated that the examples of the spatial location and physical parameters of motor  17 , motor gear  16 , and gear track  15  disclosed herein are only for illustrative purpose and should not be interpreted in any way that limits the spatial location and physical parameters of these components that would otherwise be compatible with the present disclosure. 
     In one example, motor  17  may drive motor gear  16  with a turning speed of, for example, 0.065rad/sec, which can complete turning a full cleaning cycle in approximately 97 seconds. The gear ratio of gear track  15  and motor gear  16  may be in a range between about 2 to 20, which amplifies the output torque. The frictional force incurred between left and right wheel caps  11   a  and  11   b  and semi-circular notches  12  can be minimized by implementing friction-reducing mechanisms, such as using the circular contact thereof and/or lubricants thereon. Chamber  10  can be rotated to a plurality of positions, including a first position corresponding to a stand-by mode that allows an animal to enter and exit chamber  10  through chamber opening  14 , a second position corresponding to a waste dumping mode for removing animal waste  51  from chamber  10 , and a third position corresponding to a litter reintroduction mode for reintroducing litter material  50  into chamber  10 . 
     On the front of device base  34 , there is an LED button  41  and a display panel  42 . LED button  41  may be a control button for controlling litter collection device  01  with various functions, including pausing, triggering a cleaning cycle, triggering an empty cycle and connecting to a portable device via a network, such as a Wi-Fi network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a wireless network using radio waves, a cellular network, a satellite communication network, and/or a local or short-range wireless network (e.g., Bluetooth). In some embodiments, LED button  41  may also be a switch button for switching the power ON/OFF. Display panel  42  may be configured to show the status of litter collection device  01 , including countdown, cleaning, emptying, full, error, and pairing (WIFI or Bluetooth), etc. Display panel  42  according to the present disclosure may be implemented using one or more of the following lighting or display devices: a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display, a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) display, an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display, or any other suitable type of display. Therefore, display panel  42  may provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) presented on the display for user input and data demonstration. The display of display panel  42  may include a number of different types of materials, such as plastic or glass, and may be touch-sensitive to receive inputs from the user. For example, the display may be covered by a touch-sensitive material that is substantially rigid, such as Gorilla Glass™, or substantially pliable, such as Willow Glass™. Using touch-sensitive displays has the advantage of dispensing the need of additional input buttons. 
     A sensor unit that includes one or more sensors may be provided within litter collection device  01  and, for example, on the curved surface of each of semi-circular notches  12  in order to detect the position of chamber  10  with respect to device base  34 . In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 4 , litter collection device  01  may include one or more Hall Effect sensors  27  that detect the change in a magnetic field. In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 6 , one or more permanent magnets  25  may be disposed on an inner surface of each of left and right wheel caps  11   a  and  11   b . Hall Effect sensors  27  and permanent magnets  25  may be combined to form a position sensor unit for detecting the position of chamber  10  with respect to device base  34 , and supplying one or more position signals to microprocessor controller  60 . For example, the movement or change of position of permanent magnets  25  disposed on the inner surface of each of left and right wheel caps  11   a  and  11   b  may cause a change of magnetic field around Hall Effect sensors  27 , which is sensed by Hall Effect sensors  27 . Based on the sensing result, Hall Effect sensors  27  may determine the position of chamber  10  with respect to device base  34 . It is contemplated that other sensor/sensing mechanism (e.g., a light sensor) may also be used as the position sensor unit. In some embodiments, Hall Effect sensors  27  may also detect the positions of permanent magnets  25  for determining the degree of rotation of chamber  10 . Based on the determination, the orientation of chamber  10  may be accurately determined and controlled by microprocessor controller  60 . 
     One or more chamber weight sensors  26  may be disposed at a bottom surface of each of the semi-circular notches  12 . The chamber weight sensors  26  may be used to detect any change of weight of the entire chamber  10 , either caused by an entry or an exit of the animal or a change of the litter material  50  and/or animal waste  51 . Chamber weight sensors  26  may include force collector sensors, piezoresistive strain sensors, capacitive sensors, electromagnetic sensors, optical sensors, force balancing sensors or a combination of two or more thereof. One or more chamber weight signals may be supplied to microprocessor controller  60  for determining whether an animal is present within chamber  10 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , one or more receptacle weight sensors  43  may be disposed at the bottom of device base  34 . For example, when receptacle  35  is properly installed to device base  34 , receptacle weight sensors  43  are placed under one or more sensor slots  44 , which can be used to detect any change of weight of receptacle  35  and the change of weight of the content therein. Receptacle weight sensors  43  can be a strain gauge, load cell, a force-sensing resistor or a combination of two or more thereof. One or more receptacle weight signals may be supplied to microprocessor controller  60  for determining whether receptacle area  36  is full of animal waste  51 . It is noted that the number of receptacle weight sensor  43  may correspond to the number of sensor slots  44  so that each receptacle weight sensor  43  may be under one sensor slot  44 , according to some embodiments of the disclosure. In other embodiments though, the number of sensor slots  44  may be more or less than the number of receptacle weight sensors  43 , so that sensor slots  44  and receptacle weight sensors  43  do not have a one-to-one configuration. 
     Also shown in  FIGS. 3-4 , one or more waste level gauges  28  may be disposed inside device base  34  adjacent to receptacle  35 . Waste level gauges  28  may be used to detect the level of waste accumulated in receptacle  35 . A waste level gauge  28  may be an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, a camera or a combination of two or more thereof. One or more waste level signals may be supplied to microprocessor controller  60  for determining whether receptacle area  36  is full or substantially full of animal waste  51  or not. “Substantially full” used in these embodiments may have the meaning that more than 80 percent of the volume of receptacle  35  is occupied. In other embodiments, the meaning of “substantially full” may change according to a preset value of litter collection device  01 , or a value set by the user. 
     In order to drive motor  17 , sensors, LEDs, microprocessor controller  60  and other electronic parts, electrical power may be supplied to device base  34 . The electrical power can be supplied to litter collection device  01  from a battery, a power outlet, or alternatively through a voltage regulator. Interconnecting wiring and cables, power supply housing and other electronic parts may be used in device base  34 . For convenience and simplicity, the electrical power and the respective electronic parts have not been shown in the figures. 
     According to some embodiments, chamber opening  14  may be positioned on a longitudinal wall  18   c  at the middle of chamber  10 , which is a rectangular opening that may have, for example, a height of around 515.4 mm and a width of around 200.6 mm along the circular barrel-shaped surface. In certain embodiments, chamber opening  14  can be made larger in height and top cover  30  can be removed, such that chamber  10  can have no ceiling at the first position. The “no ceiling” arrangement can provide more space for animals of larger size to enter and use litter collection device  01 . In particular, animals with taller size may poke their head out vertically from chamber opening  14  without being obstructed. 
     In some embodiments, chamber opening  14  is operable as an ingress and an egress for the animal to deposit animal waste  51  when chamber  10  is in the first position, and chamber opening  14  is operable as a waste opening for dumping animal waste  51  to receptacle  35  when chamber  10  is rotated by a predetermined angle to the second position such that animal waste  51  may drop down into receptacle  35  in device base  34  by, for example, gravitational force or the force of inertia. 
     In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may also include a monitoring system (not shown) for monitoring the animal. For example, when the animal is releasing, the monitoring system in litter collection device  01  may measure the weight, temperature, amount of the released waste, duration of release, or other physical characteristics of the animal. In some embodiments, these measured data may be stored and compared with the prior measurement(s) of the same physical characteristic(s) so that the monitoring system may determine the health of the animal health based on the comparison. Such measured data may be stored in and read from a storage or memory disposed in litter collection device  01 , or in the cloud or another system or device via wired or wireless communication links between litter collection device  01  and the cloud or the system or device. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , partition  20  may include one or more screen sections  21 , each of which has one or more screen openings  23  thereon, and one or more non-opening sections  22  that have no screen openings. Partition  20  may be generally flat and may be made of plastic, metal or any other suitable material. At least one of non-opening sections  22  of partition  20  may be connected to an interior wall of chamber  10 . For example, non-opening sections  22  of partition  20  may be glued, attached to, or otherwise in contact with an interior longitudinal wall  18   d  of chamber  10  adjacent to chamber opening  14 . In some embodiments, partition  20  is not moveable on its own, but may rotate together with and in the same manner as chamber  10 . In some embodiments, at least one non-opening section  22  and interior longitudinal wall  18   d  of chamber  10  may collectively form a trough  52  such that litter material  50  may pass through at least one of screen sections  21  of partition  20 , enter trough  52  and be retained inside trough  52 . In some embodiments, screen sections  21  of partition  20  may be designed such that animal waste  51  of substantially larger size cannot pass through screen sections  21  (i.e. one or more screen openings  23 ) of partition  20  while litter material  50  may pass through. Therefore, the animal waste  51  may be retained by screen sections  21 , kept out of the trough  52  and separated from litter material  50 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , a screen opening  23  on a screen section  21  may be sized to permit litter material  50  to pass through, while preventing animal waste  51  with a substantially larger size from passing through. For example, a screen opening  23  may be slightly larger than the size of litter material  50 , but substantially smaller than the size of animal waste  51 . In some embodiments, a screen opening  23  may have a hexagonal shape with a diagonal between about 10 mm and about 30 mm, or a rounded rectangle shape with a size of about 10 mm×20 mm. Litter material  50  passing through screen openings  23  is unsoiled litter material which is substantially uncontaminated by animal waste  51 . Such unsoiled litter material  50  may be retained within trough  52  and recycled for future use when dumping animal waste  51 . Unsoiled litter material  50  may be used again when chamber  10  is rotated back to the stand-by position (e.g., the first position). 
       FIGS. 9 and 10  show various views of receptacle  35  according to the present disclosure. In some embodiments, receptacle  35  may include a receptacle area  36 , a plurality of connection bolts  47  and an air treatment device, such as a deodorizing unit  53 . Receptacle  35  may be adapted to receive one or more storage bags or plastic bags (not shown in the figures) and may further include means for facilitating installation and removal of the storage bags or plastic bags. The installation and removal of the storage bags or plastic bags can be achieved with various mounting devices, such as using one or more connection bolts  47  and one or more connection slots  48 . A connection bolt  47  may be attached to its cooperating connection slot  48  inside receptacle area  36 , such that the storage bags or plastic bags are mounted within receptacle  35  for collecting animal waste  51  and can be removed from receptacle  35 . 
     In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may also include a sealing unit for sealing the storage bag when the storage bag is full or substantially full, so that the unpleasant odors from animal waste  51  may be suppressed or prevented from leaking outside when the storage bag is disposed. For example, the sealing unit may use a heat seal mechanism, a plastic wrap, or an interlocking grove and ridge structure to seal the opening of the storage bag when the storage bag is full or substantially full. “Substantially full” used in these embodiments may have the meaning that more than 80 percent of the volume of the storage bag is occupied. In other embodiments, litter collection device  01  may be preset with a threshold value of at least one of the waste level signals that triggers the sealing unit to seal the storage bag, or the user can set up the threshold value on his or her own with respect to the triggering of the sealing unit to seal the storage bag, and the meaning of “substantially full” may change accordingly. The sealing unit may be manually activated by the user, such as by the user pressing a button or instructing the sealing unit via a remote control. The sealing unit may also operate automatically, such as by using a sensor to detect the fullness of the storage bag. 
     An exemplary internal structure of deodorizing unit  53  according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated in  FIG. 11 . In some embodiments, deodorizing unit  53  may be a compact air treatment device that is installed within receptacle  35  for creating a circulation of air within device base  34  and sanitizing the air inside receptacle  35 . In some embodiments, deodorizing unit  53  may include one or more fans  54 , one or more filters  55 , and one or more vents  56 . A filter  55  may be an absorbent made of an odor absorbing material, such as an activated charcoal, silica gel, zeolite, or a combination thereof. For example, air circulation within receptacle  35  may be performed from one vent  56  to another vent  56 . A filter  55  may be disposed in front of one fan  54  along the air path, such that the air drawn into one vent  56  by fan  54  is filtered by removing the undesirable odors, and expelled out to receptacle  35  through another vent  56 . The air expelled from deodorizing unit  53  is generally clean and odor-free. In some embodiments, filters  55  may be anti-bacteria filters, such that deodorizing unit  53  may also minimize the bacteria growth within litter collection device  01 . 
     In some embodiments, the air treatment device may only include odor-absorbing materials, without the structure of vents  56 , filters  55  and fans  54  discussed above. In one example, the odor-absorbing materials may be replaceable via a cover or an opening (not shown) at the front of receptacle  35 . In other examples, they may also be reachable from other side (e.g., surrounding, up, or down) of receptacle  35  upon design choice of a person of skill in the art and not limited to the front side of receptacle  35 . In other embodiments, the air treatment device may include an air refresher that releases aroma or neutralizing spray by squeezing a soft container of aroma liquid or air to reduce the unpleasant odors and fresh the air. For example, the air refresher can automatically release aroma or neutralizing spray upon the rolling up of shutter door  61  (to be discussed in  FIGS. 25-32 ). The release may also be set periodically at a time interval preset by the user. The release may further be set to start before the user cleans up receptacle  35 . 
     In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may also include an animal waste processing equipment. The animal waste processing equipment may be provided at an end of receptacle  35  or below receptacle  35 . For example, the animal waste processing equipment may include at least one of a dehydrator, a dryer, and/or a grinder. The processing greatly reduces the odors of animal waste  51  and also prevents fermentation of animal waste  51  when left unattended for a long period of time. 
       FIG. 33  illustrates a perspective view of receptacle  35  configured to have a slope structure, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The exemplary receptacle  35  in  FIG. 33  is designed to have its back end  92  elevated to form a slope  90 . This allows animal waste  51  to gradually move or slide to the lower portion of the slope, and thus will not pile up in the center area of receptacle  35 . As a result, the user does not have to clean up receptacle  35  as often as he or she needs with respect to a design of flat bottom of receptacle  35 . In some embodiments, receptacle  35  may include a sweeper (not shown), sweeping back-and-forth, left-and-right, or between selected directions, so that animal waste  51  may be swept to the lower portion of the slope of receptacle  35 . In other embodiments, a fan may be provided at the higher portion of the slope in order to blow the piled up animal waste  51  to the lower portion of the slope. In embodiments where a waste processing equipment is provided, the lower portion of the slope may be connected with the animal waste processing equipment, so that animal waste  51  may be processed before it piles up in receptacle  35 . 
     According to other embodiments of the present disclosure, receptacle  35  may have a swaying mechanism. The swaying mechanism may cause receptacle  35  to sway intermittently in order to avoid pile-up of animal waste  51 . In one preferred embodiment, the swaying mechanism may start to sway immediately after a dumping cycle is over or shutter door  61  is closed. 
     According to further embodiments of the present disclosure, the path for dumping animal waste  51  from chamber  10  to receptacle  35  may be provided with a valve that may control the size and position of an opening of the path, thus avoiding piling up of animal waste in a particular spot in receptacle  35 . For example, the position of the opening may first be located near the center area of receptacle  35 , and after a predetermined number of times of dumping (e.g., 1, 2, or 3), the opening may be relocated to one of the four corners of receptacle  35 . Subsequent re-positioning of the opening is also possible according to the present disclosure. The size of the opening may be first configured to be a circle having a diameter equal to the width of receptacle  35 , and may be reduced subsequently upon re-positioning of the opening. 
     In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may also include an air conditioning device, such as an AC or a dehumidifier. An AC may lower the air temperature of receptacle  35 , and a dehumidifier may keep the air dry within receptacle  35 . Dry and cool air may help suppress fermentation of animal waste  51 . This is a significant improvement from conventional animal potty devices because it allows the animal owner to leave home for a much longer period of time without worrying about the unpleasant smell of animal waste  51  that may accumulate if left unintended or without proper treatment. 
       FIG. 12  shows a bottom view of litter collection device  01 . One or more device weight sensors  49  may be disposed at the bottom of litter collection device  01  and in contact with the bottom surface. A device weight sensor  49  can be a strain gauge, load cell, a force-sensing resistor or a combination of two or more thereof. Device weight sensors  49  may be used to detect any change of weight of the entire litter collection device  01 , either caused by an entry or an exit of the animal, a change of litter material  50 , or a disposal of waste material  51  to receptacle  35 . One or more device weight signals may be supplied to the microprocessor controller  60  when weight changes have been detected. 
     In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may further include one or more presence sensors  29  for detecting a presence or an absence of the animal within a predetermined distance from chamber  10 . A presence sensor  29  can be a microwave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a thermal imaging sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, a laser sensor or a combination of two or more thereof. One or more presence signals may be supplied to microprocessor controller  60  to determine the presence or absence of the animal within the predetermined distance from chamber  10 . For example, the predetermined distance may be 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 50 cm or 1 m. Presence sensors  29  may supply one or more presence signals to microprocessor controller  60  when it determines the presence or absence of the animal within the range. 
       FIG. 25  is a simplified view illustrating receptacle  35  with a shutter door  61  fully closed.  FIG. 27  illustrates a perspective view of receptacle  35  when shutter door  61  is moving and  FIG. 29  illustrates a perspective view of receptacle  35  when shutter door  61  is fully opened. The respective exploded views are illustrated in  FIG. 26 ,  FIG. 28  and  FIG. 30 . In some embodiments, shutter door  61  can be an add-on component that can be used to contain or control the unpleasant odors from animal waste  51  in receptacle  35 . A shutter track  64  may be a track allowing shutter door  61  to move along. Shutter track  64  may be disposed at the top of receptacle area  36 . Shutter door  61  may be extended from one end of receptacle area  36  to an opposite end of receptacle area  36  (shown in  FIGS. 9 and 11 ). In some embodiments, the movement of shutter door  61  may be driven by a plurality of shutter gears  62  and a shutter motor (not shown in  FIGS. 25-30 ), controlled by microprocessor controller  60 . A shutter cover  63 , for example, with a shape of the letter “U”, is positioned above shutter door  61 . When closed, shutter cover  63  and shutter door  61  may collectively form an airtight partition for preventing the unpleasant odors of animal waste  51  from entering other area of chamber  10  or any other parts of litter collection device  01 . 
       FIGS. 31 and 32  respectively illustrate a semi-exploded view and an exploded view of receptacle  35 , according to some further embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, as illustrated in  FIG. 31 , shutter door  61  may include a rod  71  on one end of shutter door  61  that is attached to a shutter cover  72  so that shutter cover  72  moves along with rod  71  when shutter door  61  is rolling forward (to close shutter door  61 ) or backward (to open shutter door  61 ). Shutter door  61  may also include a receiving storage  73  on the other end for storing the rolled-up shutter cover  72  when shutter door  61  is being opened. A first spring  74  and a second spring  75  may be disposed on each side of rod  71 . One end of first spring  74  may be connected to an end of rod  71 , while the other end of first spring  74  may be clamped with a side wall  76  of receptacle  35 . Similarly, one end of second spring  75  may be connected to the other end of rod  71 , while the other end of second spring  75  may be clamped with side wall  76  with a distance from the other end of first spring  74 . Both first and second springs  74  and  75  may be covered under side bars  77  of receptacle  35  to prevent external damage to the springs. As shutter door  61  rolls forward, springs  74  and  75  may retract; as shutter door  61  rolls backward, springs  74  and  75  may extend. 
     According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the material of shutter cover  72  may be polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or plastic. The current disclosure does not limit the door materials to these two alone. As long as the material can keep shutter cover  72  elastic and be able to substantially prevent the unpleasant odors from leaking out of receptacle  35  when closed, a person of skill in the art would know how to apply that material to the present disclosure. 
     Consistent with the present disclosure, the open and close of shutter door  61  can be automatic. In some embodiments, the rolling of shutter door  61  may be driven by a shutter motor  81 . One example of shutter motor  81  is a step motor. The rolling distance of shutter door  61 , as well as the position of rod  71 , can be calculated by the rolling time and rotation speed of the step motor. In some embodiments, shutter motor  81  may be activated when chamber  10  starts to rotate from the first position in order to dump animal waste  51  to receptacle  35 . In some other embodiments, the rolling speed of shutter door  61  may be set to be equal to or faster than a speed at which the shutter door  61  becomes fully open when chamber  10  rotates to the second position. Therefore, animal waste  51  will not be dumped on top of shutter cover  72 . When chamber  10  starts rotating away from the second position, shutter motor  81  may be activated again, but in a different direction, to close shutter door  61 . The closing of shutter door  61  may start immediately after chamber  10  starts rotating away, or after a short time interval (e.g., 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, etc.). This can minimize the dispersion of unpleasant odors of animal waste  51 . In some embodiments, a switch (not shown) may be provided to detect the rotation steps and hold the rotation of shutter motor  81  when shutter door is fully open or fully closed. 
       FIG. 34  illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method for handling an animal waste deposited into a litter collection device, according to embodiments of the disclosure. The litter collection device may be the same as litter collection device  01  described in the present disclosure, which includes chamber  10  with chamber opening  14 . At step S 1002 , chamber opening  14  may be operable as an ingress and an egress for the animal to deposit animal waste  51  when chamber  10  is in the first position. Chamber opening  14  may be operable as a waste opening for dumping animal waste  51  to receptacle  35  when chamber  10  is rotated by a predetermined angle to the second position such that animal waste  51  may be dropped into receptacle  35  in device base  34 , as discussed in conjunction with step S 1004 . The structure of partition  20  may include one or more screen sections  21 , each of which has one or more screen openings  23  thereon, and one or more non-opening sections  22 . Therefore, partition  20  may screen animal waste  51  from litter material  50  through the movement of chamber  10 . After animal waste  51  is dumped into receptacle  35 , chamber  10  may be rotated by a second angle to third position for reintroducing litter material  50 , as discussed in conjunction with step S 1006 , and then by a third angle back to the stand-by position for leveling litter material  50 , as discussed in conjunction with step S 1008 . 
     In some embodiments, during the litter cleaning cycle, the litter collection device  01  can be seen to operate as follows and as is shown in  FIGS. 13A-13D, 14A-14E and 15A-15B . The stand-by position of chamber  10  is illustrated in  FIG. 5  and the cross-sectional view thereof is illustrated in  FIG. 13A . A desired quantity of litter material  50  can be placed into chamber  10 . The animal may enter chamber  10  through chamber opening  14  and deposits animal waste  51  into litter material  50  when chamber  10  is in the stand-by position as shown in  FIG. 13A . 
     At step S 1004 , when litter collection device  01  begins a litter cleaning cycle, chamber  10  may be rotated by a first angle from the stand-by position as shown in  FIG. 13A  to a waste dumping position (second position) as shown in  FIG. 13D  in a clockwise direction (as viewed in  FIGS. 13B-13D ). The first angle may be in the range of 120° to 180°, 100° to 160°, 90° to 150°, 110° to 170°, or 130° to 190° clockwise. For example, the first angle may be 150° clockwise. During the rotation, litter material  50  may slide along the internal surface of chamber  10  by the gravitational force, pass through screen sections  21  and enter trough  52 . Concurrently, animal waste  51  with a substantially larger size is too large to sift through screen openings  23 , so that animal waste  51  will continue to slide through screen sections  21  and be kept out of trough  52  by partition  20 . When chamber opening  14  is rotated to a position above receptacle  35 , animal waste  51  will then drop out through chamber opening  14  to receptacle  35  by the gravitational force. Thereby, animal waste  51  may be separated from litter material  50  by partition  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 13C and 13D , litter material  50  may be trapped within trough  52  and can thus be reused. 
     At step S 1006 , after dumping animal waste  51  into the receptacle  35 , chamber  10  may be rotated in an opposite direction by a second angle (counterclockwise as viewed in  FIGS. 14A-14E ) to a third position. The second angle may be in the range of 145° to 205° counterclockwise. For example, the second angle may be 175° counterclockwise. By doing so, litter material  50  may be reintroduced such that it passes through screen sections  21  for the second time and may leave trough  52 . Thus, trough  52  may be emptied when chamber  10  is rotated to the third position as shown in  FIG. 14E . For example, litter material  50  may exit trough  52  when chamber  10  rotates from the second position to a third position. It can be appreciated that, instead of being dropped directly from a significant height to the bottom of chamber  10 , litter material  50  can smoothly slide along the inner surface of chamber  10 . This reduces the probability that litter material  50  escapes chamber  10  and the need to refill litter material  50 . Alternatively, when chamber  10  rotates clockwise to the third position, litter material  50  would first be trapped temporarily in trough  52  as it cannot pass through the wall of non-opening sections  22 , and then be dropped from a significant height to the bottom of chamber  10  when partition  20  is rotated to the top before chamber  10  reaches the third position as shown in  FIG. 14E . This is a more speedy solution as compared to the other embodiments as discussed immediately above. 
     At step S 1008 , after reintroducing litter material  50 , chamber  10  may be rotated clockwise by a third angle (as viewed in  FIGS. 15A-15B ) for restoring the stand-by position ( FIG. 15B ). Thus, litter material  50  may be leveled to the position before the animal deposited the waste. For example, the third angle may be 25° clockwise or any angular difference between the first angle and the second angle. This would enable the animal to enter chamber  10  again at the first position via chamber opening  14  to deposit animal waste again. 
     In some embodiments, litter collection device  01  may further include a flushing device for flushing receptacle  35  in order to remove animal waste  51  from receptacle  35 . The flushing device may use liquid (e.g., water or diluted detergent) or airflow to flush animal waste  51  deposited into receptacle  35 . The flushing device may have a container that contains such liquid, which may be refilled from time to time. Receptacle  35  may have an inlet connected with an airflow supply or a liquid supply (such as a water tap). Receptacle  35  may have an outlet connected with an inlet of a home sewage, so that animal waste  51  may be conveniently flushed away from litter collection device  01 . Litter material  50  in these embodiments are preferred to include decomposable materials, such as corn grains or tofu dregs. It may further include a dryer in or near receptacle  35  to dry up the inside of receptacle  35  after receptacle  35  is flushed by liquid. 
     As shown in  FIG. 16 , microprocessor controller  60  for controlling the litter collection device  01  is illustrated. Microprocessor controller  60  may be implemented using general purpose or specialized computing devices, encompassed within a microcontroller unit (MCU), a custom integrated circuit, a digital signal processors (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a computer device to perform a method, a programmable I/O device, other semiconductor devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing for executing a method for controlling litter collection device  01  in accordance with the methods described herein. 
     In some embodiments, microprocessor controller  60  may receive at least one input signal from a plurality of sensors. The at least one input signal may include one or more of presence signals, weight signals, position signals, waste level signals, or a combination of two or more thereof. The presence signals are supplied by presence sensor  29 . The weight signals, including one or more weight signals regarding the weight of chamber  10 , one or more receptacle weight signals, and one or more device weight signals, may be supplied by chamber weight sensors  26 , receptacle weight sensors  43 , and device weight sensors  49  respectively to microprocessor controller  60 . The position signals may be supplied by the Hall Effect sensors  27 . The waste level signals are supplied by the waste level gauges  28 . 
     In some embodiments, microprocessor controller  60  may also receive manual instructions from LED button  41  and/or signals from a user interface (for example, an Application (App)) installed on a smart device, such as a tablet or a smartphone. LED button  41  may allow control of litter collection device  01  by various actions, such as a single press, a press and held, a double-press or a combination of two or more thereof. When litter collection device  01  is controlled by the App, data transmissions can be established between the smart device and litter collection device  01 , via a network, such as a Wi-Fi network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a wireless network using radio waves, a cellular network, a satellite communication network, and/or a local or short-range wireless network (e.g., Bluetooth). When there is any malfunction detected, microprocessor controller  60  can also receive an error signal, which can immediately put the operation in pause until a further action is taken by the user. 
     In some embodiments, microprocessor controller  60  responds to the foregoing input signals to provide a plurality of output signals, including a motor control signal for rotating the motor  17  clockwise, or counterclockwise, a motor stop signal, a white LED enable/blinking signal for controlling the white LED in LED button  41 , a red LED enable signal for turning LED button  41  on with a red color, a plurality of control signals for driving the display panel  42 , an enable signal for turning fan  54  on/off, an enable signal for closing/opening shutter door  61 , and other data signals for data recording. 
       FIG. 17  is a flowchart showing the initialization of the litter collection device  01 . Upon powering on litter collection device  01 , litter collection device  01  can first be connected to a smartphone by a Wi-Fi connection. The user can then top up fresh litter material  50  to chamber  10  to a recommended level. For example, the recommended level of litter material  50  may be not higher than the chamber opening  14 . 
       FIG. 18  is a flowchart showing a litter emptying cycle of litter collection device  01  for dumping litter material  50 . When litter material  50  needs to be changed from time to time, the user may manually trigger an empty instruction to litter collection device  01  via a user interface, such as a user interface in a smartphone, or by pressing LED button  41 . Under the empty instruction, chamber  10  may be rotated in a counterclockwise manner (opposite direction as the rotation in the litter cleaning cycle) and litter material  50  will fall into receptacle  35 . The user can remove litter material  50  by removing receptacle  35 , discarding the content therein, rinsing chamber  10 , and reloading receptacle  35  back to the litter collection device  01 . Litter material  50  can then be refilled to a recommended level, and the user can initiate a new cleaning cycle so that chamber  10  can be returned to its stand-by position. 
       FIG. 19  is a flowchart showing the automatic litter cleaning cycle of litter collection device  01  after being used by an animal. Waste level gauges  28  and receptacle weight sensors  43  may first determine a waste level of receptacle  35 , such that litter device  01  may be paused from any further cycle and may provide an alert to the user if receptacle  35  is full. After the animal enters and subsequently exits chamber  10  through chamber opening  14  when chamber  10  is in the stand-by position, a countdown, e.g., a 10-minute countdown, may be triggered for initiating a cleaning cycle. The countdown for a preset interval allows sufficient time for litter material  50  to clump with/mixed up with the urine of the animal. In some embodiments, the preset interval is about 10 minutes. Presence sensor  29  may then determine whether an animal is within a predetermined distance from chamber  10 . A chamber weight sensor  26  and a device weight sensor  49  may determine whether an animal is within chamber  10 . If an animal is detected to be within chamber  10  or within a predetermined distance from chamber  10 , a protection procedure may be triggered such that the litter cleaning cycle may be paused until no animal is detected. Chamber  10  is then rotated by a first angle from the stand-by position to the waste dumping position ( FIGS. 13A-13D ) such that the animal waste  51  may be separated from the litter material  50  by partition  20  and may be dropped to receptacle  35  through chamber opening  14  by gravitational force. After dumping animal waste  51 , chamber  10  may rotate in an opposite direction by a second angle ( FIGS. 14A-14E ) to a third position for reintroducing litter material and rotate by a third angle ( FIGS. 15A-15B ) for restoring the stand-by position. 
     In accordance with an alternative embodiment, the present disclosure also provides a manually controlled litter collection device  02  as depicted in  FIGS. 20-21 . The manually controlled litter collection device  02  can be used for separating litter material  50  of substantially smaller size from animal waste  51  of substantially larger size by a manual movement of chamber  10  and dumping animal waste  51  into a receptacle  35  for disposal. In some embodiments, the manually controlled litter collection device  02  may include a device base  34  and a chamber  10 . Chamber  10  may include a partition  20 , a chamber opening  14 , a left wheel cap  11   a  and a right wheel cap  11   b . Chamber  10  may be disposed on device base  34  and is rotatable about an axis of rotation  13 . When chamber  10  is rested on device base  34 , left and right wheel caps  11   a  and  11   b  may be supported by two semi-circular notches  12 . Axis of rotation  13  may be a horizontal line through the chamber from the center of left wheel cap  11   a  to the center of right wheel cap  11   b , which can be defined as a virtual line that is perpendicular to both the vertical plane and the direction of the movement of an animal when entering and exiting chamber  10  through chamber opening  14 . For ease of illustration, same or similar components illustrated in litter collection device  01  are not repeated in the description. 
     It is contemplated that the rotation of chamber  10  can be bi-directional, such as clockwise and counterclockwise. Also the rotation can be operated by manually turning chamber  10  to a plurality of positions. For example, chamber  10  may be manually turned to a first position corresponding to the stand-by position that allows an animal to enter and exit chamber  10  through chamber opening  14 , a second position corresponding to the waste dumping position for removing animal waste  51  from chamber  10 , and a third position corresponding to the litter reintroduction position for reintroducing litter material  50  into chamber  10 . 
     Accordingly, various structures, devices, and methods for separating a litter material from an animal waste deposited by an animal, and dumping the animal waste are provided. While exemplary embodiments have been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of equivalent variations exist. It should also be appreciated that these exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention. Various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.