US 12,727,575 B2Granted

System and computer-implemented method for determining an offset for a milking tool in an automatic milking machine, computer program and non-volatile data carrier

AssigneeDeLaval Holding AB

InventorsAnders Dueholm, Andreas Eriksson

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Abstract

An offset for a first milking tool in a tool carrier of an automatic milking machine is determined as a spatial vector between a tool reference position (TRP) and an estimated actual position (TAP) of the milking tool. A three-dimensional image data is registered that represents a teat (T) during attachment to and/or detachment from the milking tool. The image data is processed by searching, within a search zone, for a predefined part (MP) of the teat (T) while the teat (T) is attached to the milking tool. Provided that the predefined part (MP) fulfills a measurement criterion, a distance (doff) is calculated between a specific point of the predefined part (MP) and the tool reference position (TRP). The offset is then determined based on the calculated distance (doff).

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for determining an offset for a first milking tool (100, 1001), which offset designates a spatial vector between a tool reference position (TRP, TRP1) and an estimated actual position (TAP) of the first milking tool (100, 1001) in a tool carrier (101) of an automatic milking machine, the system comprising:

a camera (110) configured to register three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) representing a teat (T) during attachment to and/or detachment from the first milking tool (100, 1001);
and
a control unit (120) configured to receive the image data (Dimg3D) from the camera (110), and process the image data (Dimg3D) by:
searching, within a search zone (SZ), for a predefined part (MP) of the teat (T) while the teat (T) is attached to the first milking tool (100, 1001), which predefined part (MP) fulfills a measurement criterion, the search zone (SZ) comprising a part of the registered three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) that is estimated to represent a portion of said teat (T) being located above a mouthpiece (210) of the first milking tool (100, 1001), the mouthpiece (210) being configured to receive the teat (T),
calculating, in response to the predefined part (MP) being found, a distance (doff) between a specific point of the predefined part (MP) and the tool reference position (TRP, TRP1), and
determining said offset based on said calculated distance (doff).

3 more elements

A computer-implemented method of determining an offset for a first milking tool (100, 1001), which offset designates a spatial vector between a tool reference position (TRP, TRP1) and an estimated actual position (TAP) of the first milking tool (100, 1001) in a tool carrier (101) of an automatic milking machine, the method comprising a computer processing three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) that represent a teat (T) during attachment to and/or detachment from the first milking tool (100, 1001) by:

searching, within a search zone (SZ), for a predefined part (MP) of the teat (T) while the teat (T) is attached to the first milking tool (100, 1001), which predefined part (MP) fulfills a measurement criterion, the search zone (SZ) comprising a part of the registered three-dimensional image data (Dimg3D) that is estimated to represent a portion of said teat (T) being located above a mouthpiece (210) of the first milking tool (100, 1001), the mouthpiece (210) being configured to receive the teat (T),
calculating, in response to the predefined part (MP) being found, a distance (doff) between a specific point of the predefined part (MP) and the tool reference position (TRP, TRP1) and
determining said offset based on said calculated distance (doff).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.