Detector system, sensor and dairy animal treatment device
AssigneeLely Patent N.V.
InventorsFrans Emo Diderik VAN HALSEMA, Pieter Gerlof DE GROOT, Hélèna Geralda Maria VIJVERBERG
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Abstract
Sensor system with a sensor device having a through-flow cell for liquid, a detector device for measuring a property of the liquid in the through-flow cell and for generating an associated detector signal, a sensor control for analyzing the detector signal, wherein the sensor control detects a liquid transition between two different liquids in the through-flow cell when a change (per unit time) in the detector signal is greater than a threshold value. In the case of such a liquid transition detection, the sensor control generates an alarm signal. Liquid transition detection is carried out by optical, temperature and/or conductivity sensors.
Claims19
A dairy animal treatment device, comprising;
- a teat detection device for detecting the teats of a dairy animal;
- a teat treatment device for carrying out a teat-related operation on the teat;
- a robot arm with a control device configured to operatively bring the teat treatment device to at least one of the teats by means of the teat detection device;
- at least one liquid line;
- and
- a sensor system, the sensor system further comprising
- a through-flow cell in communication with the liquid line,
- a detector device for measuring a property of liquid in the through-flow cell and
- generating an associated detector signal, and
- a sensor control to analyze the detector signal,
- wherein the sensor control detects a liquid transition between two different liquids in the through-flow cell upon detecting at least one of (1) a change in the detector signal per unit time, (2) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined change threshold value, and (3) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined threshold value, wherein the change in the detector signal comprises at least one peak or trough in the detector signal, and wherein the peak or the trough has at least a predetermined magnitude.
A dairy animal treatment device, comprising:
- a teak detection device for detecting the teats of a dairy animal;
- a teat treatment device for carrying out a teat-related operation on the teat;
- a robot arm with a control device configured to operatively bring the teat treatment device to at least one of the teats by means of the teat detection device;
- at least one liquid line;
- and
- and a sensor system, the sensor system further comprising
- a through-flow cell in communication with the liquid line,
- a temperature sensor to measure a temperature of liquid in the through-flow cell and to generate an associated detector signal, and
- a sensor control to analyze the detector signal,
- wherein the sensor control is configured to detect a liquid transition between two different liquids in the through-flow cell upon detecting at least one of (1) a change in the detector signal per unit time, (2) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined change threshold value, and (3) a change in the detector signal greater than a predetermined threshold value, and
- wherein the sensor control is configured to generate an alarm signal if the sensor control detects the liquid transition and If, within a predetermined time period, the temperature shows a peak of at least a predetermined magnitude, followed by a decrease by at least a predetermined decrease threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.