# US 11,054,298 B2 · Animal identification and data association > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,054,298 B2 - Document ID: US11054298B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/351,692 - Filed: 2019-03-13 - Published: 2019-09-26 - Granted: 2021-07-06 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-26 - Assignees: Scale Tec, Ltd. - Applicants: Scale Tec, Ltd. - Inventors: Nicholas Von Muenster - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11054298B2 ## CPC - G01G 17/08: for weighing livestock - A01K 11/006: {Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals (identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004)} - A01K 29/002: {for monitoring or measuring size or weight of the animal, e.g. monitoring growth} - G01G 23/36: Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells - G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16) - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract A scale controller is in communication with a weighing scale for receiving a weight signal, translating the weight signal into a weight for the animal, receiving a wireless identification signal from a transmitter on the animal, translating the wireless identification signal into an animal identification value, associating the weight of the animal with the animal identification value, and transmitting to a data storage unit a data packet containing the weight of the animal and the animal identification value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An animal weighing system comprising: a weighing scale for translating a weight of the animal into a weight signal; and a scale controller in communication with the weighing scale configured for: receiving the weight signal, translating the weight signal into a weight for the animal, receiving a wireless identification signal from an active RFID attached to the animal for continuously transmitting a wireless identification signal from the animal without being energized by an external device, measuring a strength of the wireless identification signal for the animal and the strength of the other wireless identification signals, distinguishing between the wireless identification signal for the animal on the weighting scale and a plurality of other wireless identification signals from a corresponding plurality of animals by a strength of the wireless identification signal for the animal on the weighing scale, translating the wireless identification signal into an animal identification value, associating the weight of the animal with the animal identification value, and transmitting to a data storage unit a data packet containing the weight of the animal and the animal identification value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The animal weighing system of claim 1, wherein the scale controller further comprises of a power meter for measuring the strength of the wireless identification signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The animal weighing system of claim 1, wherein the scale controller further comprises an antenna for receiving the wireless identification signal from the animal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The animal weighing system of claim 1, wherein the data packet from the active RFID comprises of a device type, device identification, battery level, firm ware version, and transmit power level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The animal weighing system of claim 1, wherein the active RFID is a Bluetooth® Low Energy beacon. ### Claim 6 A method for animal management, the method comprising: receiving a weight signal from a weighing scale; translating the weight signal into a weight for an animal; receiving a wireless identification signal from a transmitter on an animal, which transmitter is continuously transmitting the wireless identification signal from the animal without being energized by an external device, distinguishing between the continuously transmitting wireless identification signal for the animal on the weighting scale and a plurality of other continuously transmitting wireless identification signals from a corresponding plurality of animals by a strength of the wireless identification signal for the animal on the weighting scale; translating the wireless identification signal into an animal identification value; associating the weight of the animal with an animal identification value; and transmitting to a data storage unit a data packet containing the weight of the animal and the animal identification value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, and further comprising measuring a strength of the wireless identification signal for the animal and the strength of the other wireless identification signals to identify the wireless identification signal for the animal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, and further comprising measuring the strength of the wireless identification signal with a power meter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, and further comprising receiving the wireless identification signal from the animal with an antenna. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, and further comprising transmitting actively a wireless identification signal from the transmitter on the animal using an active RFID attached to the animal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, and further comprising sending from the active RFID a data packet comprising a device type, device identification, battery level, firm ware version, and transmit power level. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the active RFID is a Bluetooth® Low Energy beacon.