System and method for tracing members of an animal population

A method for tracing members of an animal population throughout a process including moving at least some of the members, between (a) a plurality of physically separate locations and (b) one or more virtual stations, in a given order, the method comprising:

• providing:
• (a) a plurality of identification devices, each being attached to, and uniquely identifying, a respective member of the members;
• (b) a plurality of identification device readers, each capable of being located at a respective physically separate location of the physically separate locations, and each capable of reading the identification devices to uniquely identify the respective member;
• and
• (c) a data repository comprising one or more records, each of the records (i) being associated with a respective member of the members, and (ii) including a unique animal identifier associated with the identification device attached to, and uniquely identifying, the respective member of the members;
• and
• performing the following:
• (A) upon any given member of the members arriving at any of the physically separate locations, or departing from any of the physically separate locations:
• obtaining a reading of the given member's identification device attached to, and uniquely identifying, the given member, the reading acquired by the identification device reader located at the respective distinct physically separate location;
• and
• inserting a location change record to the data repository, indicating that the given member arrived at, or departed from, the distinct physically separate location, the location change record including an indication of an arrival time of the given member to the respective distinct physically separate location or the departure time of the given member from the respective distinct physically separate location, thereby enabling tracing the members throughout the process;
• and
• (B) upon any given member of the members visiting any of the virtual stations:
• obtaining a virtual station reading of an identification device attached to, and uniquely identifying a virtual station visiting member of the animal population, visiting the virtual station;
• and
• inserting a virtual station record to the data repository, indicating that the virtual station visiting member visited the virtual station;
• wherein the process is selected from a plurality of processes, each defined by a user of the system, and each defining respective process stations, the process stations including a subset of the plurality of physically separate locations, and at least one of the virtual stations, between which the respective animal population is to be moved in a given order.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code, executable by at least one processing circuitry of a computer to perform a method for tracing members of an animal population throughout a process including moving at least some of the members, between (a) a plurality of physically separate locations and (b) one or more virtual stations, in a given order, the method comprising:

• providing:
• (a) a plurality of identification devices, each being attached to, and uniquely identifying, a respective member of the members;
• (b) a plurality of identification device readers, each capable of being located at a respective physically separate location of the physically separate locations, and each capable of reading the identification devices to uniquely identify the respective member;
• and
• (c) a data repository comprising one or more records, each of the records (i) being associated with a respective member of the members, and (ii) including a unique animal identifier associated with the identification device attached to, and uniquely identifying, the respective member of the members;
• and
• performing the following:
• (A) upon any given member of the members arriving at any of the physically separate locations, or departing from any of the physically separate locations:
• obtaining a reading of the given member's identification device attached to, and uniquely identifying, the given member, the reading acquired by the identification device reader located at the respective distinct physically separate location;
• and
• inserting a location change record to the data repository, indicating that the given member arrived at, or departed from, the distinct physically separate location, the location change record including an indication of an arrival time of the given member to the respective distinct physically separate location or the departure time of the given member from the respective distinct physically separate location, thereby enabling tracing the members throughout the process;
• and
• (B) upon any given member of the members visiting any of the virtual stations:
• obtaining a virtual station reading of an identification device attached to, and uniquely identifying a virtual station visiting member of the animal population, visiting the virtual station;
• and
• inserting a virtual station record to the data repository, indicating that the virtual station visiting member visited the virtual station;
• wherein the process is selected from a plurality of processes, each defined by a user of the system, and each defining respective process stations, the process stations including a subset of the plurality of physically separate locations, and at least one of the virtual stations, between which the respective animal population is to be moved in a given order.