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US 11,140,875 B2Granted
Method for locating animals
AssigneeSmartbow GmbH
InventorWolfgang Auer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for automatically locating an animal by means of radio waves and a plurality of nodes, wherein the animal is located on a ground and is equipped with a node of the radio locating system to be located and with one or more acceleration sensors. By evaluating the measurement results of the acceleration sensors, a conclusion is drawn about which activity the animal is presently performing and at which height above the ground the node is located. The calculation of the position of the node to be located from the measurement results of the radio locating system is influenced by the assumption of said height as a constraint.
Claims17
A radio location apparatus for locating an animal, the apparatus comprising:
- a data processing system including a processor and memory, the data processing system configured to
- control a first fixed node at a first fixed position to transmit a first radio signal to a mobile node attached to the animal and receive a first response signal from the mobile node, the first response signal including an acceleration measurement from a sensor on the animal,
- determine a height of the mobile node based on the acceleration measurement,
- determine a distance between the first fixed node and the mobile node based on the first radio signal and the first response signal, and
- determine whether the mobile node is in a direct line of sight of the first fixed node based on the first radio signal and the first response signal, wherein
- in response to determining the mobile node is in the direct line of sight of the first fixed node, the data processing system is further configured to
- determine a plurality of possible positions of the mobile node in the direct line of sight of the first fixed node based on the distance between the first fixed node and mobile node,
- eliminate positions from the plurality of possible positions in the direct line of sight of the first fixed node based on the direct line of sight determination and the height of the mobile node, and
- determine an actual position of the mobile node from remaining positions of the plurality of possible positions in the direct line of sight of the first fixed node, and
- in response to determining the mobile node is not in the direct line of sight of the first fixed node,
- determine a plurality of possible positions of the mobile node outside the direct line of sight of the first fixed node,
- eliminate positions from the plurality of possible positions outside the direct line of sight of the first fixed node based on the height of the mobile node, and
- determine a position of the mobile node outside the direct line of sight of the first fixed node from remaining possible positions outside the direct line of sight of the first fixed node based on the height of the mobile node.
10 more elements
A radio location system for locating an animal, the system comprising:
- one or more fixed nodes configured to respectively transmit a radio signal and receive corresponding response signals, the one or more fixed nodes further configured to be installed at fixed positions;
- a mobile node configured to receive the respective radio signals from each of the one or more fixed nodes and to transmit the corresponding response signals to each of the one or more fixed nodes, the mobile node further configured to attach to the animal;
- a sensor configured to take an acceleration measurement and include the acceleration measurement in the corresponding response signals, the sensor further configured to attach to the animal and to connect to the mobile node;
- a data processing system including a memory and a processor, the data processing system configured to
- control the one or more fixed nodes to transmit the respective radio signals to the mobile node and receive the corresponding response signals from the mobile nodes,
- determine a height of the mobile node based on the acceleration measurement,
- determine a respective distance between each of the one or more fixed nodes and the mobile node based on the respective radio signals from each of the one or more fixed nodes and the corresponding response signals, and
- respectively determine for each of the one or more fixed nodes, whether the mobile node is in a direct line of sight of each of the one or more fixed nodes based on the respective radio signals from each of the one or more fixed nodes and the corresponding response signals, wherein
- in response to determining the mobile node is in the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes, the data processing system is further configured to
- determine a plurality of possible positions of the mobile node in the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes based on the respective distances between the one or more fixed nodes and the mobile node,
- eliminate positions from the plurality of possible positions in the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes based on the respective direct line of sight determinations and the height of the mobile node, and
- determine an actual position of the mobile node from remaining positions of the plurality of possible positions within the direct line of sight of the first fixed node, and
- in response to determining the mobile is not in the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes, the data processing system is further configured to
- determine a plurality of possible positions outside the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes,
- eliminate positions from the plurality of possible positions outside the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes based on the height of the mobile node, and
- determine a position of the mobile node outside the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes from remaining possible positions outside the direct line of sight of the one or more fixed nodes based on the height of the mobile node.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.