# US 2023/0404031 A1 · Reusable ear tag > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0404031 A1 - Document ID: US20230404031A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/332,556 - Filed: 2023-06-09 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Earliest claimed: 2022-06-10 - Assignees: Movella Inc. - Applicants: Movella Inc. - Inventors: Yu-Chia CHANG; Cheng LUCKY; Cheng Pin HUANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230404031A1 ## CPC - A01K 11/004: {with electronic identification means, e.g. transponders} - A01K 11/001: {Ear-tags} - A01K 29/005: {Monitoring or measuring activity} - A61B 5/01: Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) - A61B 5/02055: {Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature} - A61B 5/6817: {Ear canal} - A61D 13/00: Thermometer holders specially adapted to veterinary purposes - G01K 13/20: Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals - A61B 2503/40: Animals - A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61D: VETERINARY INSTRUMENTS, IMPLEMENTS, TOOLS, OR METHODS - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) ## Abstract A biometric monitoring device for an animal ear includes a male portion on a first side of the ear including a base having an upper surface towards the first side including openings and a protrusion having an upper portion for penetrating from the first side a second side of the ear, and a female portion for the second side of the ear including a housing having a bottom surface towards the second side of the ear including an internal opening configured to receive the upper portion of the protrusion, a retention portion configured to releasably retain the upper portion of the protrusion, a plurality of electronic components including a battery, a processor, and a temperature sensor, and a thermally conductive ring disposed upon on the bottom surface configured to be disposed against the second side, and wherein the thermally conductive ring is thermally coupled to the temperature sensor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A biometric monitoring device for an ear of an animal comprises: a male portion configured to be disposed on a first side of the ear comprising: a base having an upper surface configured to be disposed towards the first side of the ear, wherein the upper surface includes a plurality of openings; and at least one protrusion disposed upon the upper surface of the base, wherein an upper portion is configured to be disposed through the ear from the first side of the ear to a second side of the ear; and a female portion configured to be disposed on a second side of the ear comprising: a housing having a lower surface configured to be disposed towards a second side of the ear; an internal opening in the lower surface of the housing, wherein the internal opening is configured to receive the upper portion of the protrusion; a retention portion disposed within the housing, wherein the retention portion is configured to releasably retain the upper portion of the protrusion when the first protrusion is disposed through the internal opening, wherein the male portion is secured relatively to the female portion when the retention portion retains the upper portion of the protrusion; a plurality of electronic components disposed within the housing, including a battery, a processor, and a temperature sensor; and a thermally conductive ring disposed upon on the lower surface of the housing, wherein the ring is configured to be disposed against the second side of the ear and wherein the thermally conductive ring is thermally coupled to the temperature sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is characterized by an electronic characteristic in response to a temperature of the temperature sensor; and wherein the electronic characteristic is selected from a group consisting of: an electronic resistance, a voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a material selected from a group consisting of: plastic, metal, silicone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components includes a short-range communications circuits selected from a group consisting of: near-field communication (NFC), ultrawide band (UWB), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Bluetooth (BLE). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components further includes an electronic component selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a humidity sensor, an IR sensor, a magnetometer, a heart rate sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, a microphone and a pressure sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein a material for the thermally conductive ring is selected from a group consisting of: silver or silver alloy, copper or copper alloy, aluminum compound, gold, diamond, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, graphite, and graphene. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components includes a magnetic switch configured to be activated, and wherein the short-range communications circuits is configured to output data to a remote computing device in response to an activation of the magnetic switch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a spacer portion configured to be disposed between the first side of the ear and the upper surface of the base, wherein the spacer portion includes a first side, wherein first portions of the first side are configured to be disposed against the first side of the ear, wherein second portions of the first side are configured to be disposed a distance away from the first side of the ear; and wherein the second portions are configured to allow air to flow between the spacer portion and the first side of the ear. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8 wherein the spacer portion is configured to rotate relative to the at least one protrusion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8 wherein the spacer portion or the male portion includes a protrusion; and wherein the male portion or the spacer portion comprises an opening, wherein the opening is configured to receive and physically retain the protrusion of the spacer portion or the male portion. ### Claim 11 A biometric monitoring device for an ear of an animal comprises: a male portion configured to be disposed on a first side of the ear comprising: a base having an upper surface configured to be disposed towards the first side of the ear, wherein the upper surface includes a plurality of openings; a spacer configured to be disposed between the first side of the ear and the upper surface of the base, wherein only a portion of the spacer contacts the first side of the ear, wherein the portion of the spacer is substantially flat; and at least one protrusion disposed upon the upper surface of the base extending through the spacer, wherein an upper portion is configured to be disposed through the ear from the first side of the ear to a second side of the ear; and a female portion configured to be disposed on a second side of the ear comprising: a housing having a lower surface configured to be disposed towards a second side of the ear; an internal opening in the lower surface of the housing, wherein the internal opening is configured to receive the upper portion of the protrusion; a retention portion disposed within the housing, wherein the retention portion is configured to repeatedly retain the upper portion of the protrusion when the first protrusion is disposed through the internal opening, wherein the male portion is secured relatively to the female portion when the retention portion retains the upper portion of the protrusion, wherein the retention portion comprises a release configured to repeatedly release the upper portion of the protrusion from the retention portion; a plurality of electronic components disposed within the housing, including a battery, a processor, and a temperature sensor; and a thermally conductive ring disposed upon on the lower surface of the housing, wherein the ring is configured to be disposed against the second side of the ear and wherein the thermally conductive ring is thermally coupled to the temperature sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the temperature sensor is characterized by an electronic characteristic in response to a temperature of the temperature sensor; and wherein the electronic characteristic is selected from a group consisting of: an electronic resistance, a voltage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the housing comprises a material selected from a group consisting of: plastic, metal, silicone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components includes a short-range communications circuits selected from a group consisting of: near-field communication (NFC), ultrawide band (UWB), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Bluetooth (BLE). ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the plurality of electronic components further includes an electronic component selected from the group consisting of: an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a humidity sensor, an IR sensor, a magnetometer, a heart rate sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, a microphone and a pressure sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein a material for the thermally conductive ring is selected from a group consisting of: silver or silver alloy, copper or copper alloy, aluminum compound, gold, diamond, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, graphite, and graphene. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the plurality of electronic components includes a magnetic switch configured to be activated, and wherein the short-range communications circuits is configured to output data to a remote computing device in response to an activation of the magnetic switch. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the device includes at least one light emitting diode (LED) configured to provide a visual output. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the spacer portion is configured to rotate relative to the base. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11 wherein the spacer portion is configured to be stationary relative to the base.