US 2012/0089340 A1Published application

Animal identification, measurement, monitoring and management system

AssigneeGrowsafe Systems Ltd.

InventorCamiel HUISMA

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Abstract

A highly automated system and method for acquiring animal consumption and behavior data comprising stations where consumables are fed to animals. The stations being equipped with RFID equipment for reading RFID tags in close proximity to the station, and weighing devices for measuring the weight of the consumables. The RFID equipment and the weighing device are connected to a computer which calculates the weight of the trough at specific times by using weight data collected before and after the specified time to enhance the accuracy of the weight measurement. The computer uses a “mathematical weighted filter technique” to estimate the weight of the trough before and after a consumption event. The computer uses a method to divide the reduction/increase in weighed matter between the RFID tag last seen and the next RFID tag appearing, providing the reduction/increase in matter is less than a specified amount.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method for automated acquisition of animal consumption data utilizing a system comprising a plurality of consumption stations with each of the plurality of consumption stations comprising a separate radio frequency identification detection antenna, a separate feed trough for containing a desired amount of feed, an associated weighing device for weighing at least the feed contained within the feed trough, and at least one control panel being coupled to each of the radio frequency identification detection antennas and the weighing devices for receiving data therefrom, and the at least one control panel being coupled to a processing computer for processing the collected data, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically transmitting weight measurement data from each of the separate weighing devices to the processing computer;
periodically transmitting identification data from each of the separate detection antenna to the processing computer;
collecting and storing the weight measurement data and the identification data together with time stamp information indicating when the weight measurement data and the identification data was collected;
and
processing the stored data once a sufficient amount of data is collected to determine subsequently an initial weight of the feed within the feed trough and an end weight of the feed within the feed trough in order to determine an amount of feed consumed by the animal during a consumption event.

2 more elements

A method for automatically acquiring animal consumption and behavior data using a system comprising at least one station where consumables are being fed to an animal, the station being equipped with RFID equipment and weighing devices, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring the weight of the consumables with the weighing devices;
reading identification data from an RFID tag fixed to the animal with the RFID equipment when the animal is in close proximity of the weighing device;
connecting the RFID equipment and the weighing device to a computer and transferring weight data from the weighing devices and the identification data from the RFID equipment to the computer;
calculating, with the computer, a weight of the consumables at a specific time using the weight data which was measured before and after the specific time to enhance the accuracy of a weight of the consumables at the specific time;
computing, with the computer, the weight of the consumables before and after a feeding event using a mathematical weighted filter technique;
and
dividing, with the computer, a difference in the weight of the consumables at a time of the last reading of the identification data from the RFID tag of a prior animal to a time of a subsequent reading of the identification data from the RFID tag of a subsequent animal, if the difference in the weight of the consumables is less than a specified amount.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/253,570Filed 5 Oct 2011
Priority: 7 Oct 2010
Published: 12 Apr 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

A01K 29/005
Other apparatus for animal husbandry: monitoring or measuring activity
A01K 5/02
Feeding devices for stock or game ; Feeding wagons; Feeding stacks: automatic devices
G01G 19/4146
Using electronic computing means only: for controlling caloric intake, e.g. diet control
A01K
Animal husbandry