A method for dispensing material consumed by an animal and monitoring the animal's consumption of the material, and related systems and devices

A method for monitoring an animal's consumption of material, the method comprising:

• a transmitter transmitting a signal toward material located in a container;
• reflecting the signal from a surface of the material;
• a receiver receiving the echo of the transmitted signal;
• analyzing the echo for noise;
• in response to the echo having noise in an amount less than a threshold amount of noise:
• using the echo to determine the distance of the surface of the material from the receiver;
• comparing the determined distance with the distance of the surface of the material from the receiver that was determined from a previous echo from the surface of the material located in the container;
• in response to the previously determined distance being shorter than the currently determined distance:
• comparing the currently determined distance with a maximum distance, and, in response to the currently determined distance exceeding the maximum distance, adding material to the container.

A system for monitoring an animal's consumption of material, the system comprising:

• a transmitter operable to transmit a signal toward material located in a container;
• a receiver operable to receive the signal reflected from a surface of the material;
• a valve operable to control the flow of the material into the container from a source of the material;
• and
• a controller coupled with the sensor and with the valve, and operable to:
• analyze the signal received by the receiver for noise, and in response to the received signal having noise in an amount less than a threshold amount of noise then the controller is operable to:
• use the received signal to determine the distance of the surface of the material from the receiver;
• compare the determined distance with the distance of the surface of the material from the receiver that was determined from a signal previously reflected from the surface of the material located in the container, and in response to the previously determined distance being shorter than the currently determined distance, the controller is operable to compare the currently determined distance with a maximum distance, and:
• open the valve to add material to the container if the currently determined distance is greater than a maximum distance, and
• close the valve to not add material to the container if the currently determined distance is less than a minimum distance wherein the minimum distance is different than the maximum distance.