US 2018/0007859 A1Published application

System and method for preparation cup attachment

AssigneeTechnologies Holdings Corp.

InventorsMark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost

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Abstract

A robotic arm maneuvers a teat preparation cup and executes instructions from a robotic arm controller. The controller comprises an interface, a memory, and a processor. The processor instructs the sensor to perform a first scan. If the first scan discovers a first set of teats, the processor moves the robotic arm a first distance and instructs the sensor to perform a second scan. If the second scan discovers a second set of teats, the processor moves the robotic arm to a location under the first teat, and instructs the sensor to perform a third scan. The processor determines if the third scan discovers a third set of teats. If each of the first set, second set, and third set of discovered teats comprises the first teat, the processor instructs the robotic arm to attach the preparation cup to the first teat.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a robotic arm having a sensor, wherein the robotic arm is operable to maneuver a teat preparation cup and execute instructions received from a robotic arm controller;
and
the robotic arm controller comprising:
an interface operable to communicate with the robotic arm and the sensor;
a memory operable to store one or more teat identifiers associated with one or more teats of a dairy livestock;
and
a processor operable to:
select a first teat identifier from the memory and instruct the sensor to perform a first scan;
if the first scan discovers a first set of one or more teats, record a first set of identifiers stored in the memory corresponding to the first set of teats, move the robotic arm a first distance toward the dairy livestock and instruct the sensor to perform a second scan;
if the second scan discovers a second set of one or more teats, record a second set of identifiers stored in the memory corresponding to the second set of teats, determine that the first recorded set of teat identifiers and the second recorded set of teat identifiers each comprises the first teat identifier, move the robotic arm to a location under the first teat, and instruct the sensor to perform a third scan;
determine if the third scan discovers a third set of one or more teats and record a third set of teat identifiers stored in the memory corresponding to the third set of teats;
and
if each of the first set, second set, and third set of teat identifiers comprises the first teat identifier, instruct the robotic arm to attach the preparation cup to the first teat.

10 more elements

A method comprising:

selecting, by a processor, a first teat identifier and instructing a sensor to perform a first scan under a dairy livestock;
if the first scan discovers a first set of one or more dairy livestock teats, recording a first set of identifiers corresponding to the first set of discovered teats, moving a robotic arm a first distance toward the dairy livestock and instructing the sensor to perform a second scan;
if the second scan discovers a second set of one or more teats, recording a second set of identifiers corresponding to the second set of discovered teats, determining that the first recorded set of teat identifiers and the second recorded set of teat identifiers each comprises the first teat identifier, moving the robotic arm to a location under the first teat, and instructing the sensor to perform a third scan;
determining if the third scan discovers a third set of one or more teats and recording a third set of teat identifiers corresponding to the third set of discovered teats;
and
if each of the first set, second set, and third set of teat identifiers comprises the first teat identifier, instructing the robotic arm to attach the preparation cup to the first teat.

3 more elements

A controller comprising:

an interface operable to communicate with a robotic arm and a sensor;
a memory operable to store one or more teat identifiers associated with one or more teats of a dairy livestock;
and
a processor operable to:
select a first teat identifier from the memory and instruct the sensor to perform a first scan;
if the first scan discovers a first set of one or more teats, record a first set of teat identifiers from the memory corresponding to the first set of discovered teats, move the robotic arm a first distance toward the dairy livestock and instruct the sensor to perform a second scan;
if the second scan discovers a second set of one or more teats, record a second set of teat identifiers from the memory corresponding to the second set of discovered teats, determine that the first recorded set of teat identifiers and the second recorded set of teat identifiers each comprises the first teat identifier, instruct the robotic arm to move to a location under the first teat, and instruct the sensor to perform a third scan;
determine if the third scan discovers a third set of one or more teats and record a third set of teat identifiers corresponding to the third set of teats;
and
if each of the first set, second set, and third set of teat identifiers comprises the first teat identifier, instruct the robotic arm to attach a cup to the first teat.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.