# US 12,599,115 B2 · Animal husbandry system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,599,115 B2 - Document ID: US12599115B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/255,797 - Filed: 2021-12-10 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-15 - Assignees: Lely Patent N.V. - Applicants: Lely Patent N.V. - Inventors: Karel Van Den Berg; Aalte Wille Mijnte De Kruijf; Paulus Jacobus Maria Van Adrichem - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12599115B2 ## CPC - A01K 29/005: {Monitoring or measuring activity} - A01K 1/01: Removal of dung or urine {; Removal of manure from stables}(A01K1/015 takes precedence) - 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: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS ## Abstract A animal husbandry system, where a group of animals can move about freely in a shed, a plurality of sensors being provided, suitable for monitoring respective different regions of the shed, the sensors being provided in such a way that, collectively, they are suitable for monitoring substantially the complete shed. The animal identification system provided is suitable for identifying and locating individual animals in the shed, and includes processing means operatively connected to the sensors and to the animal identification system, the processing means being programmed for determining for each individual animal a urinating and/or defecating pattern or frequency. In this way, a highly useful system is realized. Firstly, in order to be able to monitor the health status of animals, urinating and/or defecating patterns or frequencies are highly meaningful. Secondly, they render an efficient cleaning of the shed possible. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An animal husbandry system, wherein a group of animals can move about freely in a shed, comprising: a plurality of sensors suitable for monitoring respective different regions of the shed, wherein the sensors collectively are suitable for monitoring substantially the complete shed, an animal identification system suitable for identifying and locating individual animals in the shed, a processing means being provided, operatively connected to the sensors and to the animal identification system, said processing means being programmed for determining for each individual animal a urinating pattern and a defecating pattern and for generating a signal based on the urinating and/or defecating pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein said processing means are programmed for detecting animal excretion actions of a urine and/or a feces, and to link every detected animal excretion action to an individual animal in the shed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The animal husbandry system according to claim 2, wherein the processing means are programmed for recognizing, with the aid of the sensors, if an animal lifts its tail. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The animal husbandry system according to claim 2, wherein the processing means are programmed to determine a spatial parameter and/or a temporal parameter related to the detected animal excretion actions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein said processing means are programmed for detecting animal excrement actions on a shed floor, and to link every detected animal excrement action to an individual animal in the shed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The animal husbandry system according to claim 5, wherein the processing means are programmed to determine spatial and/or temporal parameters related to the detected animal excrement actions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The animal husbandry system according to claim 2, wherein the processing means are programmed to distinguish between the urine and the feces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means are programmed to generate a health status signal based upon the determined animal urinating pattern and/or the determined animal defecating pattern. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means are programmed to generate a calving status signal based upon the determined animal urinating pattern and/or the determined animal defecating. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means are programmed to generate a stress status signal based upon the determined animal urinating pattern and/or the determined animal defecating pattern or the frequency. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means are suitable for an artificial intelligence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein the processing means are programmed for determining that a certain area of the shed has to be cleaned and for generating a dedicated cleaning signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic cleaning means suitable for cleaning at least a part of the shed floor, wherein the processing means is programmed for establishing a degree of pollution of at least a part of the shed floor, and for activating the automatic cleaning means to clean said part of the shed floor as soon as a certain pollution threshold has been reached. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The animal husbandry system according to claim 13, wherein the automatic cleaning means comprise a cleaning robot suitable for picking up and removing feces, and the processing means being programmed for guiding the cleaning robot to a relevant part of the shed floor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The animal husbandry system according to claim 12, wherein the processing means predict which area of the shed has to be cleaned, based on the determined animal urinating pattern and/or the determined animal defecating pattern. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein said processing means are programmed for detecting urine and feces on the shed floor and to link every detected animal excrement action to an individual animal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The animal husbandry system according to claim 1, wherein the animals are cows.