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AssigneeDairymaster
InventorsEdmond Patrick HARTY, John Gerard DALY
Estimating the term…
A data collection system (1) for monitoring the behaviour and states of a plurality of animals (2) comprises providing the animals (2) with respective monitoring devices (4) for monitoring the behaviour and states of the animals (2). A drone (7) comprising a mobile data collection device (5) secured thereto is configured to fly past the animals (2) at predefined data collection time intervals, typically of six hourly intervals. Each mobile data collection device (5) comprises a first secondary communications module (15) for wirelessly communicating with a second secondary communications module (32) located in the respective monitoring devices (4) for uploading data indicative of the behaviour and states of the animals (2) to a microcontroller (8) in the mobile data collection device (5). The uploaded data indicative of the behaviour and states of the respective animals (2) is written to and stored in a primary memory (17) of the mobile data collection device (5). A primary communications module (10) in the mobile data collection device (5) transmits the stored data indicative of the behaviour and states of the respective animals (2) which is stored in the primary memory (17) wirelessly to a central server (12). In an alternative embodiment of the invention the mobile data collection device (5) is mounted on one of the animals (2). In a further alternative embodiment of the invention the monitoring devices (4) are omitted from the animals, and the mobile data collection device is provided with a video camera for capturing images and video clips of the respective animals, and data from the video camera is analysed for identifying the animals and the behaviour and states of the respective animals.
1-141. (canceled)
A method for monitoring at least one of the behaviour, at least one state or at least one characteristic of each of a plurality of animals, the method comprising acquiring data indicative of the at least one of the behaviour, the at least one state or the at least one characteristic of each of the animals by a mobile data collection device, storing the acquired data in a primary storing means of the mobile data collection device, communicating the acquired data stored in the primary storing means of the mobile data collection device to a central server, and mounting the mobile data collection device on one of a prime mover and one of the animals.
A data collection system for collecting data relating to at least one of the behaviour, at least one state or at least one characteristic of a plurality of animals, the system comprising a mobile data collection device, the mobile data collection device comprising a data acquisition means for acquiring data indicative of the at least one of the behaviour, the at least one state, or the at least one characteristic of each animal, a primary storing means for storing the acquired data, and a primary communicating means for communicating the stored data in the primary storing means to a central server, the data collection device being configured for mounting on one of a prime mover and one of the animals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.