# US 2019/0166801 A1 · Imaging and three dimensional reconstruction for weight estimation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0166801 A1 - Document ID: US20190166801A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/833,594 - Filed: 2017-12-06 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Levente Klein; Robin Lougee; Fernando J. Marianno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190166801A1 ## CPC - A01K 29/00: Other apparatus for animal husbandry - A01K 11/006: {Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals (identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004)} - A01K 29/002: {for monitoring or measuring size or weight of the animal, e.g. monitoring growth} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G06T 7/62: of area, perimeter, diameter or volume - H04N 13/282: for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems - H04N 23/23: from thermal infrared radiation - H04N 23/50: Constructional details - G06T 2207/10012: Stereo images - G06T 2207/20081: Training; Learning - 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 weighing station device, a computer-implemented method and a computer program product for estimating a weight of an animal. The weighing station device includes a stall for the animal, a camera in the stall that is activated to capture a plurality of digital images of the animal when a presence of the animal is detected at the stall. A processor obtains the plurality of digital images from the camera, constructs a three-dimensional digital image of the animal from the plurality of digital images, determines a dimension of the animal from the three-dimensional digital image, and estimates the weight of the animal from the determined dimension and a model relating the dimension of the animal to the weight of the animal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of estimating a weight of an animal, the computer-implemented method comprising: activating a camera to obtain a three-dimensional digital image of the animal when a presence of the animal is detected at a selected location; determining, using a processor, a dimension of the animal based at least in part on the three-dimensional digital image; estimating, using the processor, the weight of the animal based at least in part on the determined dimension and a model that associates the determined dimension of the animal to the weight of the animal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the model further associates the weight of the animal to a breed of the animal, an age of the animal and environment conditions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining digital images of the animal with the camera at a plurality of locations with respect to the animal and obtaining the three-dimensional digital image of the animal from the plurality of digital images. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising training the model to estimate the weight of the animal from a training data set that correlates three-dimensional images and an animal breed to weight. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selected location is a stall, further comprising activating the camera when a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in the animal is detected at an RFID detector in the stall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the dimensions of the stall allow for a single animal into the stall at one time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising determining a health condition of the animal from a thermal image obtained from the animal. ### Claim 8 A weighing station device for estimating a weight of an animal, the device comprising: a stall for the animal; a camera in the stall that is activated to capture a plurality of digital images of the animal when a presence of the animal is detected at the stall; and a processor configured to: obtain the plurality of digital images of the animal from the camera; construct a three-dimensional digital image of the animal from the plurality of digital images; determine a dimension of the animal from the three-dimensional digital image; and estimate the weight of the animal from the determined dimension and a model relating the dimension of the animal to the weight of the animal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The weighing station of claim 8, wherein the model further associates the weight of the animal to a breed of the animal, an age of the animal and environment conditions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The weighing station of claim 8, wherein the camera is movable to a plurality of locations with respect to the animal to obtain digital images of the animal at the plurality of locations. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The weighing station of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to train the model to estimate the weight of the animal from a training data set that correlates three-dimensional digital images and an animal breed to weight. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The weighing station of claim 8, wherein the stall includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) detector and the camera is configured to be activated when a RFID chip in the animal is detected at the RFID detector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The weighing station of claim 8, wherein a dimension of the stall allows a single animal into the stall at one time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The weighing station of claim 8, wherein the camera is further configured to obtain a thermal image from the animal and the processor is further configured to determine a health condition of the animal from the thermal image. ### Claim 15 A computer program product for weighing an animal, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform: activating a camera to capture a plurality of digital images of the animal obtained at a plurality of locations with respect to the animal when the animal is detected at a stall for the animal; constructing a three-dimensional digital image of the animal from the plurality of digital images; determining a dimension of the animal from the three-dimensional digital image; ranking the weight of all animals based on their dimensions; and estimating the weight of the animal from the determined dimension and a model relating the dimension of the animal to the weight of the animal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the model further associates the weight of the animal to a breed of the animal, an age of the animal and an environmental condition. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising training the model to estimate the weight of the animal from a training data set that correlates three-dimensional digital images and an animal breed to weight. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising activating the camera when a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip embedded in the animal is brought in proximity of a RFID detector. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the RFID detector is associated with the stall. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising obtaining a thermal image from the animal determining a health condition of the animal from the thermal image.