Patent ID: 7798103

Claim:
An electronic pet door; said electronic pet door comprising: a frame defining a through-way, the through-way having a tapered contour such that the through-way includes a less tapered portion and a most tapered portion, said frame defining a engagement shoulder, the engagement shoulder outlining a portion of the through-way; a locking mechanism disposed at said frame; a flap disposed within the through-way and having a tapered contour corresponding to the tapered contour of the through-way such that said flap includes a less tapered portion and a most tapered portion, said flap defining an engagement slot, the less tapered portion of said flap being secured to said locking mechanism such that said flap pivots bi-directionally at said locking mechanism in response to a lateral force applied at said flap to the extent that said flap is capable of a closed position and an open position, said flap being at the closed position when the engagement slot is aligned with the engagement shoulder, said flap being at the open position when the engagement slot is not aligned with the engagement shoulder, said locking mechanism situating said flap at an unlocked position and a locked position, said flap being at the unlocked position when said locking mechanism situates said flap at the less tapered portion of the through-way such that said flap pivots between the open position and the closed position without being restricted by said frame, said flap being at the locked position when said locking mechanism situates said flap at the most tapered portion of the through-way such that the engagement shoulder is received by the engagement slot to the extent that said frame restricts said flap to the closed position; a processing device in electrical communication with said locking mechanism, said processing device causing said locking mechanism to situate said flap at the unlocked position and the locked position; a receiver in electrical communication with said processing device; and a transmitter in wireless communication with said receiver, said transmitter transmitting a presence signal, said receiver being responsive to the presence signal such that said receiver generates a detection signal upon receiving the presence signal, the detection signal being received by said processing device, said processing device causes said locking mechanism to situate said flap at the unlocked position when said processing device receives the detection signal, said processing device causes said locking mechanism to situate said flap at the locked position when said processing device does not receive the detection signal, said transmitter adapted to be carried by an animal.