Patent ID: 6864914

Claim:
An apparatus for monitoring at least a part of an animal related space, comprising a controllable device ( 2 , 22 ) and at least one image capturing device ( 14 , 15 ) for generating and supplying captured image data regarding said animal related space, characterised in that: said image capturing device ( 14 , 15 ) is associated with a communications port ( 24 ) connectible to a telecommunications network ( 26 ); a remote control device ( 28 ) is associated with a further communications port ( 30 ) connectible to said telecommunications network ( 26 ); said image capturing device ( 14 , 15 ) is connectible to said remote control device ( 28 ) via said telecommunications network ( 26 ); said remote control device ( 28 ) is adapted to receive said captured image data; said remote control device ( 28 ) is associated with a display unit ( 32 ) for allowing viewing of said captured image data; a data input means ( 34 ) is associated with said remote control device ( 28 ), for entering a control instruction; said remote control device ( 28 ) is adapted to output said control instruction via said further communications port ( 30 ); and, said controllable device ( 2 , 22 ) is arranged to be interactively manipulated by said remote control device ( 28 ) in response to said control instruction, wherein, a control means ( 16 ) is provided between said controllable device ( 2 , 22 ) and said communications port ( 24 ), said controllable device ( 2 , 22 ) being automatically controlled by said control means ( 16 ), said control means ( 16 ) is provided with a display unit for allowing viewing of said captured image data, a local data input means is associated with said control means ( 16 ), for locally entering a control instruction, and a switch means ( 36 ) is provided for allowing by-pass of said control means ( 16 ) to allow a user to choose between i) local manual or automatic control of said controllable device and ii) remote manual or automatic control of said controllable device.