# US 2014/0196665 A1 · Vision system for robotic attacher > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196665 A1 - Document ID: US20140196665A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/217,750 - Filed: 2014-03-18 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-28 - Assignees: Technologies Holdings Corp. - Applicants: Technologies Holdings Corp. - Inventors: Henk Hofman; Peter Willem van der Sluis; Ype Groensma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196665A1 ## CPC - A01J 5/0175: {Attaching of clusters} - A01J 5/007: Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines - A01J 5/017: Automatic attaching or detaching of clusters - A01K 1/12: Milking stations - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G06T 7/74: {involving reference images or patches} - G06T 7/77: using statistical methods - H04N 13/204: using stereoscopic image cameras (stereoscopic photography G03B35/00) - G06T 2207/10012: Stereo images - A01J: MANUFACTURE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A system includes a robotic arm on which at least one camera is attached. It further includes a memory and a controller communicatively coupled to the memory. The memory stores historical information associated with a dairy livestock. The historical information include a previously-determined location of a teat of the dairy livestock. The controller moves the camera on the robotic arm toward the previously-determined location of the teat. The camera generates an image of the teat of the dairy livestock from a position to which it is moved, and the controller determines a current location of the teat of the dairy livestock based at least in part on the image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a robotic arm on which at least one camera is attached; a memory that stores historical information associated with a dairy livestock, the historical information including a previously-determined location of a teat of the dairy livestock; a controller communicatively coupled to the memory and that instructs the robotic arm to move the camera toward the previously-determined location of the teat, wherein the camera generates an image of the teat of the dairy livestock from a position to which it is moved, and the controller determines a current location of the teat of the dairy livestock based at least in part on the image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic arm attaches milking equipment to the teat between the hind legs of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the determined location of the teat. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the milking equipment comprises a milking cup. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller receives identification information for the dairy livestock and accesses the historical information for the dairy livestock based at least in part on the identification information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a three dimensional camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the dairy livestock is located in a milking stall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat is relative to a reference point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the reference point is relative to at least one of a hind leg of the dairy livestock or a mid-point of an udder of the dairy livestock. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat is based on a previous milking cycle for the dairy livestock. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat comprises an average of the locations of the teat during a number of previous milking cycles. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat comprises a location of the teat during a previous milking cycle in which the udder of the dairy livestock was substantially as full of milk as a current milking cycle for the dairy livestock. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: storing historical information associated with a dairy livestock, the historical information including a previously-determined location of a teat of the dairy livestock; moving a camera toward the previously-determined location of the teat using a robotic arm; using the camera to generate an image of the teat of the dairy livestock from a position to which the camera is moved; and determining a current location of the teat of the dairy livestock based at least in part on the image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising attaching milking equipment to the teat between the hind legs of the dairy livestock based at least in part upon the determined location of the teat. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving identification information for the dairy livestock; and accessing the historical information for the dairy livestock based at least in part on the identification information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the camera comprises a three dimensional camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat is relative to a reference point. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the reference point is relative to at least one of a hind leg of the dairy livestock or a mid-point of an udder of the dairy livestock. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat is based on a previous milking cycle for the dairy livestock. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat comprises an average of the locations of the teat during a plurality of previous milking cycles. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the previously-determined location of the teat comprises a location of the teat during a previous milking cycle in which the udder of the dairy livestock was substantially as full of milk as a current milking cycle for the dairy livestock.