Method and control arrangement for controlling an automated crowd gate
AssigneeDeLaval Holding AB
InventorsIlka Klaas, Anders Umegård
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and control arrangement for controlling an automated crowd gate that operates to form a side of a holding area and moves in relation to an entrance of a destination in order to cause animals located in the holding area to move towards the destination, wherein location data defining individual positions of one or more animals located in the holding area is obtained from a real-time location system, location data, a current position of the crowd gate is obtained, and an operation of the crowd gate is controlled based on the obtained position of the crowd gate and the obtained location data of the animals.
Claims33
A method for controlling an automated crowd gate (20) operable to form a side of a holding area (30) and to move in relation to an entrance (41) of a destination (40), in order to cause animals (10) located in the holding area (30) to move towards the destination (40), the animals having active tags that transmit signals usable to determine each animal's location within the holding area (30), the method comprising:
- obtaining (S1), from a real-time location system (50) comprising plural readers that receive the signals transmitted by the active tags, location data defining real-time individual positions of all the animals (10) located in the holding area (30);
- obtaining (S2) a current position of the crowd gate (20) moving from a starting position in a first direction (25) towards the entrance (41) of the destination (40), the current position including all intermediate positions between the starting position and the entrance (41) of the destination (40);
- controlling (S5) an operation associated with the crowd gate (20), based on the obtained current position of the crowd gate (20) and the location data, the obtained current position including all the intermediate positions;
- and
- determining (S3a), based on the location data, a count of animals (10) located within a distance (d1) of the crowd gate (20) and/or within a distance (d2) of the entrance (41),
- wherein the controlling (S5) comprises controlling (S5a) the operation associated with the crowd gate (20) based on the determined count of animals (10) located within a distance (d1) of the crowd gate (20) and/or within a distance (d2) of the entrance.
A control arrangement (100) for controlling an automated crowd gate (20), the crowd gate (20) being operable to form a side of a holding area (30) and to move in relation to an entrance (41) of a destination (40), in order to cause animals (10) located in the holding area (30) to move towards the destination (40), the animals having active tags that transmit signals usable to determine each animal's location within the holding area (30), the control arrangement (100) being configured to:
- obtain, from a real-time location system (50) comprising plural readers that receive the signals transmitted by the active tags, location data defining real-time individual positions of all the animals (10) located in the holding area (30);
- and
- obtain a current position of the crowd gate (20) moving from a starting position in a first direction (25) towards the entrance (41) of the destination (40), the current position including all intermediate positions between the starting position and the entrance (41) of the destination (40);
- and
- control an operation associated with the crowd gate (20), based on the obtained current position of the crowd gate (20) and the location data, the obtained current position including all the intermediate positions,
- wherein the control arrangement (100) is configured to determine, based on the location data, a count of animals (10) located within a distance (d1) of the crowd gate (20) and/or within a distance (d2) of the entrance (41), and
- to control the operation associated with the crowd gate (20) based on the determined count of animals (10) located within a distance (d1) of the crowd gate (20) and/or within a distance (d2) of the entrance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.