Patent ID: 8588967

Claim:
An Internet-accessible apparatus for dispensing a pet treat using a remote Internet-accessible electronic device, the pet treat dispensing apparatus comprising: (a) a treat dispensing unit comprising a treat rack for storing a plurality of pet treats, a delivery plate, a base plate, and a mechanism for sliding the delivery plate over the base plate, the base plate comprising a base plate cutout, the delivery plate comprising a delivery plate cutout; (b) a control circuit electronics portion attached to the treat dispensing unit, the control circuit electronics portion being in communication with the mechanism for sliding the delivery plate and with a local computer, the local computer also being in communication with at least one remote Internet-accessible electronic device; and (c) at least one video camera portion in communication with the local computer; wherein the treat dispensing unit comprises at least a dispensing position and a parked position, a lower opening of the treat rack being positioned over the delivery plate cutout when the treat dispensing unit is in the parked position, the plate cutouts being substantially aligned when the treat dispensing unit is in the dispensing position, and not aligned when the treat dispensing unit is in the parked position; and wherein the control circuit electronics portion further comprises an Internet-controlled relay and a timing mechanism for delaying release of the pet treat by the treat dispensing unit, and the mechanism for sliding the delivery plate comprises an actuator, the actuator being controllable by the Internet-controlled relay.