System and method for animal location tracking and health monitoring using long range RFID and temperature monitoring

A system providing RFID location tracking and health monitoring for animals:

• an RFID device mounted on a tag body, said RFID device comprising:
• (a) a microcontroller with preprogrammed instructions for control of the device;
• (b) a transceiver electrically coupled to said microcontroller for communicating with a remote RFID reader to provide location data of said device;
• (c) an antenna electrically coupled to said transceiver for receiving and transmitting radio signals of said transceiver;
• (d) a temperature reader circuit connected to and electrically coupled to said microcontroller, said temperature reader circuit producing an electromagnetic field at a desired frequency;
• (e) a temperature sensor secured to the animal and inductively coupled to said temperature reader circuit, said temperature sensor including an inductor and a capacitor thereby forming an LC circuit;
• wherein said temperature reader circuit includes a coil that is periodically energized to induce a voltage in said LC circuit, and said temperature reader circuit subsequently receives and records changes in capacitance of said LC circuit corresponding to a temperature of the animal;
• an RFID reader communicating with said transceiver for receiving radio signals including identification data that uniquely identifies the animal and temperature data corresponding to temperature readings of the animal taken over a period of time;
• and
• a remote computing device communicating with said RFID reader that receives the identification data from said RFID reader and said temperature data, said remote computer device automatically generating at least one user output that provides a user with at least one of (a) information regarding the location and movement of the animal (b) temperature readings of the animal (c) indications of the health of the animal based on the temperature data and (d) further indications of the health of the animal based on typical or atypical movements of the animal.

A method for location tracking and health monitoring of an animal tagged with an RFID device, said method comprising:

• providing an RFID device mounted on a tag body comprising:
• (a) a microcontroller with preprogrammed instructions for control of the device;
• (b) a transceiver electrically coupled to said microcontroller for communicating with a remote RFID reader to provide location data of said device;
• (c) an antenna electrically coupled to said transceiver for receiving and transmitting radio signals of said transceiver;
• (d) a temperature reader circuit connected to and electrically coupled to said microcontroller, said temperature reader circuit producing an electromagnetic field at a desired frequency;
• securing the RFID device to the animal to be tracked and monitored;
• interrogating the RFID device with an RFID reader and transmitting location data by said transceiver to said RFID reader;
• communicating location data to a remote computing device that receives and records the location data to determine the location of the animal;
• securing a temperature sensor to the animal;
• inductively coupling said temperature reader circuit to said temperature sensor, said sensor including an inductor and a capacitor thereby forming an LC circuit;
• selectively energizing a coil of said temperature reader circuit to produce the electromagnetic field and to induce a voltage in said LC circuit;
• and
• said temperature reader circuit subsequently receiving and recording changes in capacitance of said LC circuit corresponding to a temperature of the animal.

A method for health monitoring of an animal tagged with an RFD device and located within a known location, said method comprising:

• providing an RFID device mounted on a tag body comprising:
• (a) a microcontroller with preprogrammed instructions for control of the device;
• (b) a transceiver electrically coupled to said microcontroller for communicating with a remote RFID reader to provide location data of said device;
• (c) an antenna electrically coupled to said transceiver for receiving and transmitting radio signals of said transceiver;
• securing the RFID device to the animal to be tracked and monitored;
• (d) a temperature reader circuit connected to and electrically coupled to said microcontroller, said temperature reader circuit producing an electromagnetic field at a desired frequency;
• interrogating the RFID device with an RFID reader and transmitting location data by said transceiver to said RFID reader;
• communicating location data to a remote computing device that receives and records the location data to determine location changes of the animal;
• establishing predicted movements of the animal while in the known location, said predicted movements including frequency of movement occurrences and distances travelled during said occurrences;
• determining threshold numerical values for movement occurrences and numerical values for distances travelled over designated periods of time wherein sufficient numerical values of movement occurrences or distances travelled indicate a healthy animal and insufficient numerical values of movement occurrences or distances travelled indicate a potentially sick animal;
• recording actual movement occurrences and distances travelled by the animal in said remote computer device by comparing said location changes over time;
• comparing said actual movement occurrences and distances travelled by the animal against said threshold numerical values;
• automatically calculating whether said numerical values for actual movement occurrences and distances travelled by the animal have numerical values that are sufficient or insufficient;
• and
• automatically generating a message to other communication devices by said remote computer device that indicates whether the animal is healthy or potentially sick.

An RFID location tracking and health monitoring device for an animal comprising:

• a tag body;
• a microcontroller with preprogrammed instructions for control of the device mounted on said tag body, said control including location tracking functions and temperature recording functions;
• a transceiver electrically coupled to said microcontroller on said tag body for communicating with a remote RFID reader to provide location data of said device;
• an antenna electrically coupled to said transceiver for receiving and transmitting radio signals of said transceiver;
• a temperature reader circuit connected to and electrically coupled to said microcontroller on said tag body, said temperature reader circuit producing an electromagnetic field at a desired frequency;
• a temperature sensor secured to the animal and spaced from said tag body, and inductively coupled to said temperature reader circuit, said temperature sensor including an inductor and a capacitor thereby forming an LC circuit;
• said electromagnetic field being a driver signal to energize said LC circuit;
• and
• wherein said temperature reader circuit includes a coil that is periodically energized to produce said electromagnetic field and to thereby induce a voltage in said LC circuit to energize said LC circuit, and said temperature reader circuit subsequently receives and records changes in capacitance of said LC circuit corresponding to a temperature of the animal, said changes being conveyed as data to said microcontroller.