# US 2024/0201307 A1 · Positioning system, computer-implemented positioning method, computer program and non-volatile data carrier

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- Number: US 2024/0201307 A1
- Document ID: US20240201307A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/566,848
- Filed: 2022-06-02
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-10
- Assignees: DeLaval Holding AB
- Applicants: Delaval Holding AB
- Inventors: Peter BAHLENBERG; Göran ERIKSSON; Anders UMEGÅRD
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201307A1

## CPC

- G01S 5/021: {Calibration, monitoring or correction (G01S5/0252 takes precedence)}
- 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)}
- G01S 5/0205: {Details}
- G01S 5/02213: {Receivers arranged in a network for determining the position of a transmitter}
- G01S 5/0294: {Trajectory determination or predictive filtering, e.g. target tracking or Kalman filtering}
- G01S 2205/01: specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS

## Abstract

A positioning system has a central unit receiving identity and timing information; and based thereon determines a respective position in an area of each of a set of entities. Each entity carries a mobile unit repeatedly transmitting a radio message including the identity information. The positioning system also contains at least three base stations, each receiving the radio messages from the mobile units; and based thereon, forwards the identity and timing information to the central unit. During a measurement period, the central unit registers positions of the entities as a trace for each mobile unit. The central unit checks whether, during the measurement period a first predefined number of traces are interrupted during a first threshold interval, and the predefined number of traces are interrupted in a first zone, which exceeds a first threshold size. If so, a capacity alarm with respect to the first zone is generated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A positioning system comprising:
a central unit (CU) configured to receive identity and timing information, and based thereon determine a respective position in an area (A) of each entity in a set of entities, wherein each of the entities carries a respective mobile unit (U1) repeatedly transmitting a radio message (M1) including the identity information; and
a set of base stations (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) comprising at least three base stations, each of the base stations being arranged;
to receive the radio messages (M1) from the mobile units (U1) in the area (A);
and based thereon,
to forward the identity and timing information to the central unit (CU) via at least one transmission line,
wherein the central unit (CU) is further configured to:
register, during a measurement period (TM), respective positions of the entities in the set of entities in the form of a respective trace (TR1) for each of the mobile units (U1), wherein each said trace is a movement pattern represented by consecutive updates of a respective said entity's position;
determine whether an alarm criterion is fulfilled, wherein the alarm criterion is fulfilled if, during the measurement period (TM):
a first predefined number (ITH) of the traces (TR1) are interrupted during a first threshold interval (TTH), and
the predefined number (ITH) of the traces (TR1) are interrupted in a first zone (Z1) of the area (A), wherein the first zone exceeds a first threshold size (ATH); and
if the alarm criterion is fulfilled, generate a capacity alarm (CA(Z1)) with respect to the first zone (Z1).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the central unit (CU) is further configured to indicate a location for a new said base station (BN) to increase a capacity of the positioning system in the first zone (Z1), wherein the location is at a geometrical middle point (MP) between a first of the base stations (B1) and a second of the base stations (B2) in the set of base stations, the first base station and the second base station (B1, B2) being located closer to the first zone (Z1) than are any other of the base stations in the set of base stations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The positioning system according to claim 2, wherein the central unit (CU) is further configured to:
determine whether an overcapacity criterion is fulfilled, the overcapacity criterion being fulfilled if, during the measurement period (TM):
fewer than a second predefined number of the traces (TR1) cross a second zone (Z2) of the area (A), and
none of the second predefined number of the traces (TR1) is interrupted in the second zone (Z2), wherein the second zone exceeds a second threshold size; and
if the overcapacity criterion is fulfilled, generate an overcapacity indicator (OC(Z2)) with respect to the second zone (Z2).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The positioning system according to claim 3, wherein the central unit (CU) is further configured to identify one of the base stations in the set of base stations (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) as a candidate base station (B5) to be removed from the positioning system, wherein the candidate base station (B5) is a said base station in the set of base stations that is located closer to the second zone (Z2) than is any other said base station in the set of base stations.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein each of the mobile units (U1) in the set of mobile units is configured to transmit the radio message (M1) to each of the base stations in the set of base stations (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) on the ultra-wide band.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The positioning system according to claim 1, wherein the entities in the set of entities are livestock animals.

### Claim 7

A computer-implemented method performed in at least one processor (615) of a positioning system, the method comprising:
receiving, via at least one transmission line, identity and timing information from at least three base stations (B1, B2, B3) in a set of base stations arranged to receive radio messages (M1) from mobile units (U1), each of is the mobile units being carried by a respective entity in a set of entities, each of the mobile units repeatedly transmitting a radio message (M1) including the identity information, wherein the entities move in an area (A), and wherein the base stations forward the identity and timing information;
determining, based on the identity and timing information, a respective position in the area (A) of each of the entities in the set of entities;
registering, during a measurement period (TM), respective said positions of the entities in the set of entities in the form of a respective trace (TR1) for each of the mobile units (U1), wherein each said trace is a movement pattern represented by consecutive updates of a respective said entity's position;
determining whether an alarm criterion is fulfilled, wherein the alarm criterion is fulfilled if, during the measurement period (TM):
a first predefined number (ITH) of the traces (TR1) are interrupted during a first threshold interval (TTH), and
the predefined number (ITH) of the traces (TR1) are interrupted in a first zone (Z1) of the area (A), wherein the first zone exceeds a first threshold size (ATH); and
if the alarm criterion is fulfilled, generating a capacity alarm (CA(Z1)) with respect to the first zone (Z1).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, further comprising:
indicating a location for a new said base station (BN) to increase a capacity of the positioning system in the first zone (Z1), wherein the location is at a geometrical middle point (MP) between a first of the base stations (B1) and a second of the base stations (B2) in the set of base stations, the first base station and the second base station (B1, B2) being located closer to the first zone (Z1) than are any other of the base stations in the set of base stations.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, further comprising:
determining whether an overcapacity criterion is fulfilled, the overcapacity criterion being fulfilled if, during the measurement period (TM):
fewer than a second predefined number of the traces (TR1) cross a second zone (Z2) of the area (A), and
none of the second predefined number of the traces (TR1) is interrupted in the second zone (Z2), wherein the second zone exceeds a second threshold size; and
if the overcapacity criterion is fulfilled, generating an overcapacity indicator (OC(Z2)) with respect to the second zone (Z2).

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, further comprising:
identifying one of the base stations in the set of base stations (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) as a candidate base station (B5) to be removed from the positioning system, wherein the candidate base station (B5) is a said base station in the set of base stations that is located closer to the second zone (Z2) than is any other said base station in the set of base stations.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, further comprising:
transmitting the radio message (M1) from each of the mobile units (U1) in the set of mobile units to each said base station in the set of base stations (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8) on the ultra-wide band.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the entities in the set of entities are livestock animals.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

A non-volatile data carrier readable by a processing unit and having recorded thereon a computer program (417, 517, 617) comprising software configured to execute the method according to claim 7 when the computer program (417, 517, 617) is run on the processing unit (415, 515, 615).

### Claim 14

(canceled)