AU2014290924A1 - Methods and systems relating to milking sheds - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining the positions of animals and/or equipment in a farm setting. Individual animals may be associated with milking clusters or other equipment. Animal position may be determined using animal ID tags. Equipment position may be determined using one or more markers arranged on or near the equipment.

Description

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 1 METHODS AND SYSTEMS RELATING TO MILKING SHEDS FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 The invention relates to systems and methods for determining the location of milking animals and/or milking equipment. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 10 Known milking systems use milking clusters to obtain milk from milking animals, such as cows, goats and sheep. Each cluster includes a number of milking teatcups (four milking teatcups for dairy cows) and optionally a "claw" to which the teatcups are connected by their "short milk tubes" for the flow of milk and "short pulse tubes" for providing pulsations to the teatcups. The teatcups are attached to the milking 15 animal's teats, either manually or automatically, and feed milk to the claw. The claw is generally connected to one or more long pulse tubes and to a long milk tube. Milk flows from the claw through the long milk tube to a central milk line and then to a storage tank. In clusters without a claw the short milk tubes and short pulse tubes are connected via adaptors to the long milk tubes and long pulse tubes respectively. 20 At least in New Zealand most new milking sheds use rotary dairy platforms, which include a number of stalls and a single milking cluster permanently associated with each stall. The stalls are demarcated by rails, with a single cow being positioned in each stall during milking. 25 It is desirable to be able to identify a particular milking animal with a particular stall. This allows performance and health information to be gathered for individual animals. One example of such a system is found in the Applicant's earlier application published as W02008/030116, the entire contents of which are hereby 30 incorporated by reference herein.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 2 Once the association of an animal with a stall (and therefore with a milking cluster) has been made, information for that individual animal can be gathered, including milk flow, mass, volume, yield (including volume, fat and protein) and end of milking. Further, health information can also be gathered, including for example indicators of 5 mastitis, for the individual milking animal. Various sensors may be mounted in the milking cluster, including sensors described in the Applicant's WO03/104785, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. The Applicant's prior systems therefore determine stall location on a rotary dairy 10 platform and associate a particular cow with that stall. However, this is not possible with some other types of milking environment. In particular, in "herringbone" milking sheds as typically found in New Zealand there are no stalls demarcated by rails and the milking clusters are not associated with a single milking position. 15 The basic structure of such a herringbone platform is shown schematically in Figure 1. The platform includes a central pit 1 and first and second dairy cow milking regions 2, 3 positioned on either side of the pit 1. The pit is at a lower level than the floor of the milking regions 2, 3 and workers stand in the pit 1 so that the dairy cows' teats are at a convenient working height. 20 Cows 4 enter the herringbone platform along a race 5, 6 and walk into the milking regions 2 and 3, possibly changing their entry order as they move to position themselves generally parallel to the end rails 8 and 9. 25 In such herringbone platforms the spacing between cows is not defined by well demarcated stalls, but depends on the size of the cows, the stage of the season, gaps or missing cows and how tightly packed the cows are. Cow position therefore also depends on these factors. 30 In addition, a "swing-over" herringbone platform generally includes a central milk line 10. Milking clusters (not shown) hang at regular spacing from long milk tubes, which WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 3 themselves are typically supported to a degree by metal "dropper" tubes that are in turn supported via flexible attachments to the central milk line 10 or a separate support rail, and which are connected via this central milk line 10 to a milk collection system. In use, a worker standing in the pit 1 swings a milking cluster across to 5 apply that cluster's teatcups to a cow's teats. A typical dairy platform might be designed to hold 40 cows in each milking region 2, 3, although many different platform sizes are available. The actual number of cows held in each region will vary depending on the cow spacing, as discussed above. 10 This typical platform will generally include around 40 milking clusters spaced along the length of the central milk line 10. Ideally, 40 cows will line up in a first milking region 2. Those cows will be milked using the 40 milking clusters, with each cow nicely aligned with a milking cluster, 15 while cows enter the other milking region 3. When milking of cows in one milking region is complete, the milking clusters are moved to cows in the other milking region. However, in practice the cow order is uncertain, and both missing (in this example, 20 fewer than 40) and extra (more than 40) cows are possibilities in such herringbone sheds. Along with variations in cow size, this means that cow positions often do not align well with milking cluster (and "bail") positions. That is, the milking clusters in their regular spacing position (i.e. as they hang freely from the central milk line 10, typically hooked onto a metal dropper tube) are not necessarily a good indication of 25 cow position. Hence, in such a herringbone shed it is not possible to refer to well defined bail positions, and this is problematic for implementation of a fully automated milking data system. Compounding the issue, where an extra cow is positioned on one side of the shed, 30 the worker will transfer the milking cluster from an adjacent, or at least nearby, faster milking cow in the same milking region to the extra cow before completion and WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 4 clearing of this milking region. The workers are also required to transfer the milking clusters from cows on one side of the pit to cows on the other side, typically as and when each cow completes her milking. The various milking clusters therefore tend not to be used in an ideal, synchronised manner. Further the order of the milking 5 clusters on the cows does not always correspond to the order of their connected long milk tube attachments to the central milk line 10. That is, the long milk tubes often cross. Therefore, the particular milking cluster used to milk a cow in a particular position is 10 not certain. Rather, it will depend on the position of the cow, the availability of free milking clusters in the vicinity of the cow and even on unpredictable worker choice. The availability of free milking clusters will of course depend on the milking processes that have already occurred. 15 This makes animal and milking cluster identification based on the regular spacing of milking cluster position a poor approach for correlating treatment and milking performance to specific cows and for assigning in-line sensor information to specific cows. 20 Cow healthcare administered within the milking shed also suffers from similar bail delineation problems when trying to link the treatment with the individual cow. Such healthcare applications do not necessarily require identification of milking clusters. In summary, associating a particular cow with a particular milking cluster is difficult in 25 such a herringbone platform because of two important problems. First, cow position is not defined by stalls and varies based on cow spacing etc. This means that determination of cow position is difficult. Second, the milking cluster used to milk a cow in a particular position is not defined. This means that associating a cluster with a particular cow, even when that cow's position has been determined, is difficult. 30 Similarly, positioning other equipment, such as healthcare equipment, and/or WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 5 associating such equipment with individual cows is also difficult in herringbone platforms and other farm environments. It is an object of the invention to provide improved location information for milking 5 animals, milking equipment and/or other mobile equipment, and/or association of milking animals with milking equipment or other mobile equipment in a milking shed environment, or at least to provide the public with a useful choice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 10 In one aspect the invention provides a milking system, including: a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster including a number of teatcups configured for placement on a milking animal's teats; a plurality of markers, each marker mounted on or near one of the plurality of milking 15 clusters; and a positioning arrangement configured to determine the position of each marker, and thereby the position of each milking cluster. Preferably the markers are radio frequency markers. 20 Preferably the positioning arrangement includes one or more radio frequency antennas each with a known position, wherein each radio frequency marker receives signals from, or transmits signals to, one or more of the one or more radio frequency antennas. 25 Preferably the positioning arrangement is configured to determine a plurality of marker vectors. Preferably the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency 30 antennas and is configured to determine at least two and more preferably three or multiple redundant marker vectors for each radio frequency marker.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 6 Preferably the positioning arrangement is configured to determine the positions of the markers based on the marker vectors. 5 Preferably each radio frequency marker includes at least two detectors arranged at an angle to each other. Preferably the detectors are detector coils. Preferably the at least two detector coils are orthogonal to each other. Preferably the detector coils are arranged to lie in substantially vertical planes when the respective milking cluster is in a milking position. 10 Preferably the positioning arrangement is configured to determine the marker vector for a particular marker using a comparison between the signals received by the different detector coils. 15 Preferably the radio frequency antennas are also configured as animal ID reader antennas. Preferably signals transmitted by the radio frequency antennas are received simultaneously by one or more of the radio frequency markers and by one or more 20 RFID tags attached to animals. Alternatively the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency antennas and is configured to receive or determine, for each radio frequency marker, a plurality of signal strength indicators, each signal strength indicator being indicative 25 of the strength of a received signal transmitted between that radio frequency marker and one of the radio frequency antennas. The positioning arrangement may be configured to determine the positions of the markers based on the signal strength indicators. 30 Alternatively each marker is an optical marker and the positioning arrangement includes one or more cameras configured to determine the positions of the markers WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 7 based on one or more images captured by the one or more cameras. The optical markers may be luminescent or reflective or retroreflective markers. The optical markers are active in the infrared. The system may include an infrared source arranged to illuminate the markers. 5 Alternatively each marker is an acoustic marker and the positioning arrangement includes one or more acoustic components configured to determine the positions of the markers. 10 In a second aspect the invention provides a method for determining a position of a milking cluster in a milking system, including: arranging a plurality of markers such that each marker is mounted on or near one of a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster including a number of teatcups configured for placement on a milking animal's teats; and 15 using a positioning arrangement, determining the position of each marker, and thereby the position of each milking cluster. Preferably the markers are radio frequency markers. 20 Preferably the positioning arrangement includes one or more radio frequency antennas each with a known position, wherein each radio frequency marker receives signals from, or transmits signals to, one or more of the one or more radio frequency antennas. 25 Preferably the positioning arrangement determines a plurality of marker vectors. Preferably the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency antennas, the positioning arrangement determining at least two and preferably three or multiple redundant marker vectors for each radio frequency marker. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 8 Preferably the positioning arrangement determines the positions of the markers based on the marker vectors. Preferably each radio frequency marker includes at least two detectors arranged at 5 an angle to each other, the positioning arrangement determining the marker vector using a comparison between the signals received by the different detectors. Preferably the detectors are detector coils. Preferably the at least two detector coils are orthogonal to each other. Preferably the detector coils are arranged to lie in 10 substantially vertical planes when the respective milking cluster is in a milking position. Alternatively the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency antennas and determines, for each radio frequency marker, a plurality of signal 15 strength indicators, each signal strength indicator being indicative of the strength of a received signal transmitted between that radio frequency marker and one of the radio frequency antennas. Preferably the positioning arrangement determines the positions of the markers based on the signal strength indicators. 20 Alternatively each marker is an optical marker and the positioning arrangement includes one or more cameras and determines the positions of the markers based on one or more images captured by the one or more cameras. The optical markers may be luminescent or reflective or retroreflective markers. The optical markers may be active in the infrared. The method may include illuminating the markers using an 25 infrared source. Alternatively each marker is an acoustic marker and the positioning arrangement includes one or more acoustic components configured to determine the positions of the markers. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 9 In a further aspect the invention provides a system for determining a position of an animal tagged with an electronic ID tag, including: a plurality of ID reader antennas configured to collect animal ID reads from animal ID tags, 5 a processor configured to: identify an individual animal from the collected ID reads, and based on a spatial distribution of animal ID reads, identify a position of the identified animal. 10 Preferably the ID reader antennas are distributed along a milking area. Preferably the plurality of ID reader antennas are provided in one or more antenna arrays. 15 Preferably the system includes one or more controllers configured to switch between the ID reader antennas. In another aspect the invention provides a method of determining a position of an animal tagged with an electronic ID tag, including: 20 receiving electronic ID reads from animal ID tags using a plurality of ID reader antennas; identifying an individual animal from the collected ID reads; and based on a spatial distribution of animal ID reads, identifying a most likely position of the identified animal. 25 Preferably the ID reader antennas are distributed along a milking area. Preferably the plurality of ID reader antennas are provided in one or more antenna arrays. 30 Preferably the method includes switching between the ID reader antennas.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 10 In a further aspect the invention provides a method for determining a position of mobile equipment in a farm environment, including: arranging a marker on or near the equipment; and 5 using a positioning arrangement, determining the position of the marker, and thereby the position of the equipment. In another aspect the invention provides a method for associating individual animals with equipment including the steps of: 10 collecting a plurality of animal ID reads from animal ID tags using one or more ID reader antennas; identifying individual animals from the collected ID reads; determining the positions of the identified animals from the collected ID reads; collecting position information for the equipment; and 15 using the equipment position information and the determined positions of the identified milking animals, associating the equipment with an identified milking animal. In a further aspect the invention provides a system including a milking system and an 20 animal positioning system as defined above, the system configured to associate the identified milking animal with a particular milking cluster based on the milking animal position and the positions of the milking clusters. Preferably the plurality of ID reader antennas form part of the positioning 25 arrangement. In another aspect the invention provides a method for associating individual milking animals with milking clusters including the steps of: collecting a plurality of milking animal ID reads from milking animal ID tags using 30 one or more ID reader antennas; identifying an individual milking animal from the collected ID reads; WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 11 determining the position of the identified milking animal from the collected ID reads; collecting position information for a plurality of milking clusters; and using the milking cluster position information and the determined position of the 5 identified milking animal, associating a particular milking cluster with the identified milking animal. Preferably the step of collecting position information for a plurality of milking clusters is performed by the method defined above. 10 In a further aspect the invention provides a system for associating individual milking animals with milking clusters including: a milking animal positioning arrangement including a plurality of ID reader antennas configured to collect milking animal ID reads from milking animal ID 15 tags, and to identify an individual milking animal from the collected ID reads, the ID reader antennas being distributed in space so as to provide a spatial distribution of milking animal ID reads; a milking cluster positioning arrangement configured to determine milking cluster positions; and 20 a processor configured to determine a milking animal position based on the spatial distribution of milking animal ID reads and to associate an identified milking animal with a particular milking cluster based on a milking animal position and a milking cluster position. 25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 30 Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art herringbone dairy shed; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating two embodiments; WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 12 Figure 3 shows a milking cluster in use; Figure 4 is a further schematic diagram illustrating a further two embodiments; Figure 5 is a schematic end view of a dairy shed illustrating one embodiment; Figure 6 shows an antenna panel according to one embodiment; 5 Figure 7 shows stacked antenna panels forming an antenna array; Figure 8 is a schematic end view of a dairy shed illustrating another embodiment; Figure 9 is a schematic top view further illustrating the embodiment of Figure 8; Figure 10 shows a marker assembly according to one embodiment; 10 Figure 11 shows the marker assembly of Figure 10, installed on a milking cluster; Figure 12 shows an alternative marker assembly, installed on a milking cluster; Figure 13 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of one embodiment; and Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a system according to one embodiment. 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 2 illustrates two embodiments of the Applicant's system, with reference to a herringbone milking shed as typically found in New Zealand. A first cow milking 20 region or area 2 is equipped with an antenna array 20. This antenna array 20 is positioned along the length of the milking region 2, and includes a number of antenna elements distributed along that length. The antenna array 20 may be attached to the rail 21 or mounted to some other support. 25 Each cow 4 is fitted with an electronic identification tag, such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, which may be in the form of an ear tag, anklet tag or any other suitable arrangement. The use of such tags is well-known. The antenna elements are all capable of receiving cow ID read signals in an appropriate frequency range for the particular type of tag used. The Applicant's system is not 30 limited to a particular type of tag or particular type of tag attachment.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 13 Preferably, each ID tag uniquely identifies the cow to which it is fitted. The system is thus able to identify the cows in the milking region 2 based on the signals received by the antenna array 20. 5 Signals may be retrieved from the antenna elements using any suitable scheme. For example, a switching system can be used to switch the antenna elements on and off in sequence. Alternatively, signals could be retrieved from all antenna elements simultaneously so long as some method for separate collection of signals from different elements is employed. In other words, it should be possible to identify the 10 ID tags read by individual antennas within the antenna array 20. The cow ID read signals collected from different antenna elements in the antenna array 20 therefore provide spatial information over a period of time. Each antenna element may receive signals identifying a number of cows, the number and identities 15 of cows varying somewhat during the period of time that the cows are resident within milking region 2. The cow ID read signals appearing across the terminals of each of the of the antenna elements will vary depending on the distances and orientations between the antenna element and the different, relatively nearby, ID tags. 20 By analysing signals from the different antenna elements in the antenna array 20 it is possible to build up a spatial distribution of cow ID reads for each cow during the period that she is resident within region 2. Such a spatial distribution may, and would typically, also be temporally (e.g. read-count) weighted, such that the relative time that a cow's ID tag spends within the read range of one antenna element 25 compared with another element would be accounted for in the spatial distribution. Based on one or more of these spatial distributions it is possible to determine position information for the cows 4. For example, it may be possible to determine an absolute cow position, or a relative position (e.g. a first cow is to the left of a second cow) or simply an ordering of the cows in the milking region 2. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 14 Further, by limiting the read range, the number of different ID tags read by each antenna element during the period that the cows are resident and relatively stationary within milking region 2 may be limited. In the simplest case the read range may be such that an antenna element reads only a single ID tag on the 5 nearest cow. However, a larger number of cows (e.g. two to three cows) may be identified by a single antenna element. In either case, the spatial distribution of ID reads across the different antenna elements can be used to identify the positions of individual ID tags along the length of the antenna array 20. 10 Thus, the antenna array 20 is used to provide a spatial distribution of cow ID reads and therefore to determine position information for the cows 4. For some embodiments described below it is desirable to be able to associate the cow position with the position of other equipment, such as a milking cluster. In the 15 case of a milking cluster the position of the cow's udder will depend on the position of the ID tag and the orientation of the cow. In a herringbone shed the cow orientation is known, within limits. That is, cows will generally align approximately parallel to the end rails 8, 9. Reasonable assumptions can therefore be made as to the cow orientation to allow association of cow position with milking cluster position. 20 In other milking or farm environments other suitable assumptions as to cow orientation may be made. A further embodiment is illustrated with reference to the second milking region 3. In this embodiment the antenna array is formed from a number of separate antennas 25 22, which are separate from each other. The antennas 22 otherwise function in a similar manner to the antenna array 20. In general any suitable distribution of antennas or antenna arrays may be used. The system may also include a positioning arrangement configured to determine the 30 position of milking clusters or other mobile equipment (e.g. drenching guns; other WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 15 testing, dosing or treatment equipment), or personnel moving within the milking environment. In general the positioning of milking clusters and other mobile equipment relies on 5 the use of reference and marker components. Each reference component is located in a known spatial position within the shed (preferably a fixed, known position although references with moving, known positions may be suitable in some applications). The markers are located in, on or around the milking cluster or other piece of mobile equipment. The known fixed positions of the references allow the 10 positions of the markers to be determined, for example using known triangulation techniques, thereby allowing the positions and possibly the orientations of the milking clusters or mobile equipment, with which the markers are associated, to be determined. 15 The reference and marker components may rely on any suitable technology, including both passive and active communication. The system may be optical, electromagnetic (electrical and magnetic field) or acoustic. One method of determining milking cluster position by an optical method will now be 20 described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. A number of cameras 24 are provided as reference components, with known positions, positioned to have a good view of the milking operation. As shown, the cameras 24 may be positioned near the central milk line 10. Alternatively, the 25 cameras could be positioned on a separate structure. Preferably low cost cameras, such as simple CCD cameras or webcams, are used. Each milking cluster includes a set of milking teatcups (where a set of milking teatcups includes four teatcups for application to a single cow) and is marked using 30 an optical marker. In one embodiment the markers can be detected using the cameras as follows.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 16 A light source 26, preferably a near infrared source (IR) to allow operation in all visible light conditions, is mounted so as to provide radiation to the markers, which function as passive markers. Alternatively the markers could be powered and be 5 active sources of optical energy. The passive markers are simple reflectors attached to the milking clusters, preferably near each milking cluster on the long milk tube that connects the milking cluster to the central milk line 10. Each camera may filter for the light used and detects the radiation reflected or 10 emitted by the markers. Positional information for each of the markers and therefore for each milking cluster can be determined based on the captured images and the position and orientation of each camera. For an IR source, each camera may be equipped with an IR-pass filter, in order to 15 block visible light and allow for more accurate detection of the markers. Figure 3 shows a milking cluster 30, in use. The teatcups 31 are attached to the teats of a cow 4 and a number of incorporated short milk tubes lead from the teatcups 31 to a long milk tube 33 which leads up to the central milk line 10 (not 20 shown in Figure 3). The skilled reader will understand that short pulse tubes and one or more long pulse tubes will also be provided, but are not shown in Figure 3. In this specification, the term "milking cluster" is intended to refer to the set of teatcups 31, including incorporated or attached short milk and pulse tubes. The milking cluster may also include a claw and/or other (e.g. adapting/connecting) components, 25 depending on the particular milking system used. Figure 3 also shows a marker 35 which is positioned on the long milk tube 33 near the milking cluster 30. Alternatively a marker 36 could be provided on one or more of the milking teatcups 31. As a milking shed is generally a dirty environment, large 30 markers may be preferred, or several markers may be used for each milking cluster. This will help to prevent the markers from being obscured, improving reliability.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 17 Markers may be shaped distinctively, for example as triangles or stars, in order to aid recognition of the markers. Shaped or multiple markers, or some form of coding on the markers, could also be used to indicate an orientation of the milking cluster or the 5 long milk tube 33. This may allow more accurate determination of position. Further, in some embodiments there may be sufficient different marker shapes, codes or the like, such that each marker is uniquely identifiable within the field of view of each camera. Similarly, other types of markers should be uniquely 10 identifiable. Electronic markers may include an electronic identification code for example. The markers will be pre-matched, for example in a database or lookup table, with the cluster or other equipment to which they are attached. The reference components should also be individually controllable and/or identifiable, with their known positions accessible in a database or lookup table. 15 The term "marker" is intended to encompass any detectable marking, including labels or the like, paints, coatings or even special materials incorporated during manufacture of the teatcups or other parts of the milking cluster or the long milk tube. The marker could be luminescent or reflective, or have any other suitable property 20 allowing marker detection. The marker need not be an optical marker. As will become clear below, electromagnetic (e.g. RFID) or acoustic markers may be used in some embodiments. Various possible milking cluster positioning arrangements relying on electromagnetic 25 principles are discussed below with reference to Figures 4 and 8 to 12. Figure 4 illustrates two further embodiments. In each embodiment the system for detection of milking cluster position uses one or more RFID markers (not shown) attached to each milking cluster. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 18 The cameras of Figure 2 have been replaced with an antenna array 41. In the embodiment shown with respect to the first milking region 2 the antenna array 41 is installed as a single unit. Each antenna element within the antenna array 41 has a known fixed position and acts as a reference component. In the embodiment shown 5 with respect to the second milking region 3 the antenna array is replaced by a number of separate antennas 42, each having a known fixed position and acting as a reference component. The antenna array 41 or separate antennas 42 operate in a similar manner to the 10 antenna array 20 or antennas 22. However, rather than providing animal position information, they now operate in order to provide milking cluster position information from the spatial distribution of marker reads. Figures 5 to 7 illustrate a further antenna system for animal positioning. Further, this 15 system may also form part of the milking cluster positioning arrangements of Figures 8 to 12. Figure 5 is an end view of the milking shed, showing the pit 1, cows 4, front rails 21 and back rails 21a. Each cow has an RFID ear tag 43. In this embodiment a plurality 20 of RFID reader antennas are mounted on an overhead support 45, preferably in the form of a number of antenna arrays 46. Such a system may be used to identify animals and/or determine animal position for milking and non-milking applications (e.g. when applying treatments to the animals, or for other animal health activities, or for automated individual feeding purposes). The animal positioning methods are 25 generally similar to those discussed above with reference to Figure 2. Figure 6 shows an antenna array 46. This antenna array 46 includes seven antennas 47, each in the form of a loop or coil antenna. Each loop antenna may have any suitable dimensions and number of turns for the RFID tags used, and the 30 design of such antennas is well understood. In one embodiment, the loop antennas may be rectangular in form, with dimensions around 400 by 300 mm, and with three WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 19 loops. The antenna loops may be formed using coiled wire or by printing on a PCB or the like. The antenna array 46 includes a central signal connector 48, which is configured to transmit signals between the antenna array and external circuitry. The central connector 48 is connected to a local switch 49, which controls switching 5 between the antenna elements 47. The local switch 49 connects to each antenna element 47 via junctions 50. The antenna array 46 may be mounted on any suitable support, such as a plastic substrate 51. Figure 7 shows how the antenna arrays 46 of Figure 6 may be stacked end to end 10 and connected electrically. Figure 7 shows four antenna arrays 46, but any number of arrays may be used. A bus 52 is connected between the signal connectors 48 in each antenna array 46. An RFID reader 53 and a multiplexing controller 54 are connected to the antennas and to each other, to control the switching of antenna elements and the reading of ID tags and to optionally allow communication of ID tags 15 read by the RFID reader 53 to the multiplexing controller 54. A central controller 55 may communicate with the multiplexer 54 and/or RFID reader 53 over a wired or wireless link 56. Figures 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams showing a milking cluster positioning 20 system according to a further embodiment, relying on electromagnetic principles. In the end view of Figure 8 the milking cluster 60 is in a milking position, with the teatcups attached to the cow's udder 61. The cluster 60 is connected to a milk collection system via long milk tube 62. A marker 63 is mounted on the long milk 25 tube 62 close to the cluster 60. In this embodiment the marker 63 is a radio frequency marker. Figure 9 is a schematic top view. An RFID reader antenna array 65 is arranged along the length of the milking region. Each antenna within the antenna array has a 30 fixed, known position and acts as a reference component.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 20 The antenna array may include stacked antenna modules as in Figure 7. The multiplexed RFID reader antennas read the animal ID ear tags 43 and may provide animal positioning information, as discussed above. Further, the RFID readers may also form part of the milking cluster positioning system, independent of reading the 5 animal ID ear tags or other animal ID components. Alternatively, their function may be provided by a number of further antennas separate from the ID system. In Figure 9, a single loop antenna 66 is active at any one time, with this switching being controlled by the switches and controllers described above. The loop antenna 10 66 emits a wake-up signal, shown schematically at 67, which activates the RF markers 63 that are within range. However, the range of this wakeup signal is limited, so, for example, in Figure 9 the wakeup signals activates the three nearest RF markers. 15 The strength of the wakeup signal received by a detector coil or coils on each marker depends on the distance (r) between the marker and the reference antenna, and to some extent also on the angle between the central axis of the loop antenna and a line drawn between the centre of the loop antenna and the position of the marker. The marker receives a RF magnetic field where field strength approaches an inverse 20 dependence on r 3 . (In practice, this relationship is more complex, particularly in regions closer to the antenna, as is well understood in the art.) The marker that receives the strongest wakeup signal is therefore the marker closest to the active reference loop antenna 66. 25 Each marker 63 is configured to transmit an indicator of the received wakeup signal strength. This indicator may be raw data, or the signal may be processed within the marker 63 to produce the indicator. The indicator is sent to a controller, for example via a central communications hub 68 arranged to communicate with all or a subset of the markers 63 in the milking shed. This communication is preferably over a 30 wireless link 69, although a wired connection could be run along the long milk tube WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 21 62 and connect to a data and power supply bus running along the central milk line 10 or a separate support rail. The collection of signal strength information can be repeated for each loop antenna 5 in the antenna array 65. Each marker will provide signal strength indicators (and therefore marker vector and distance information) for a plurality of reference loop antennas. As the reference loop antenna positions are known, each marker position (and therefore each milking cluster position) can be determined based on the marker vectors between that marker and two or preferably three or more loop antennas. 10 Figures 10 to 12 show two further embodiments of a milking cluster positioning system. These embodiments also rely on electromagnetic principles. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a marker assembly according to one 15 embodiment. The marker 70 includes an outer cover or box 71 with one or preferably a pair of detector coils 72, 73 arranged at an angle to each other. Preferably the detector coils 72, 73 are orthogonal to each other and lie in substantially vertical planes when the milking cluster is in a milking position. Coils in vertical planes measure the horizontal component of signals from the antenna 20 reference devices as is preferable for determining the marker position in a horizontal plane. Other coil alignments are also possible, in which case the marker position can be determined with suitable coordinate transformations. More than two coils may be used, but two is expected to be sufficient for most applications. As shown, the detector coils 72, 73 may extend along the diagonals of the outer cover 71. In 25 practice, one of the detector coils may have a height slightly less than the other, to allow it to fit within the other coil. The outer cover may have a substantially square base, with dimension 74 substantially equal to dimension 75. The height 76 may have any suitable dimension for the coils used. The outer cover may be formed from any suitable material for protection of the antennas and associated electronic 30 components, such as a rigid plastic material.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 22 Optionally a central bore 77 (shown in dashed line) may be formed through the marker assembly. Figure 11 shows how the marker assembly 70 may be mounted on the long milk tube or long milk tube connector 78 connecting the milking cluster 79 to the central milk line and thence the milk collection system. This provides a 5 robust and simple attachment of the marker 70 near the cluster 79. Figure 11 also shows the claw 80. The long milk tube connector 78 connects into the claw 80. Four short milk tube connectors 82 connect the claw to the teatcups (not shown in Figure 11) via the teatcups' short milk tubes. Long pulse tubes also 10 connect to the claw 80 via the two long pulse tube connectors 83. Short pulse tubes will also be provided, between the claw 80 and the teatcups, but are not shown in Figure 11. The construction of such milking clusters is well known. Figure 12 is a similar view to Figure 11, but in this embodiment the marker assembly 15 has no through bore 77 and is mounted to the cluster 79 rather than to the long milk tube 78. In the embodiments of Figure 10 to 12, the signal strength sensed by a single detector coil such as one of the pair of detector coils 72, 73 need not be used, at 20 least on its own, to determine marker position. Rather, the configuration of the two or more detector coils 72, 73 allows a marker vector to be determined. Again, a single reference loop antenna from the antenna array is activated at any one time. However, the flux through each of the detector coils will depend on the angle of that detector coil with respect to the RF magnetic field vector at the location of the 25 detector coil, produced by the reference loop antenna. As two orthogonal coils are provided, the marker vector, representative of the RF magnetic field vector at the location of the marker (nominally in the horizontal plane, at least), may be determined. The magnitude of this vector generally provides a better indication of the distance between the transmitting reference loop antenna and the marker than 30 can be provided by employing a single detector coil. Distances between the marker and two or more references may be determined using the vector magnitude in a WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 23 similar manner to the signal strength method discussed above. However, better accuracy is expected to be provided using vector directions as discussed below. Furthermore, the orientation of the marker vector depends on the relative positions 5 and orientations of the reference and marker. For situations where the angle between the central axis of the reference loop antenna and a line drawn between the centre of the loop antenna and the position of the marker is quite small, for example less than 20*, the orientation of the marker vector corresponds approximately to a direction between the marker and a reference antenna emitting a signal received by 10 the marker. Thus reference loop antennas may be cycled as described above, with two or preferably three or more marker vectors being determined for each marker using different reference antennas from the antenna array. Using known positions of the reference loop antennas and the related vectors both the marker position and orientation (angle) relative to the reference loop antennas can be calculated. This 15 provides information on the orientation of the cluster. The magnitude and orientation of the marker vectors may both be used as inputs to the position determination. 20 In a milking position the cluster and the cow are generally aligned in a known manner, with some variation. The cluster orientation therefore provides information on the cow orientation, which can be used either alone or together with cow position information as an input or cross-check to improve the accuracy of the system. 25 Other types of marker (such as those used in Figures 8 and 9) may be attached to the cluster using a similar mounting mechanism to either that of Figure 11 or that of Figure 12. Figure 13 is a flow chart illustrating one method for association of a particular cow 30 with a particular milking cluster. At step 100 cow ID reads are received using the antenna array. At step 101, the cow ID reads are interpreted to identify a cow or WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 24 cows. At step 102 the spatial distribution of the ID reads is used to determine position information for the identified cows. At step 103, the position of the milking clusters is determined. At step 104, based on 5 the cow position information and the milking cluster position information, a particular cow is associated with a particular milking cluster. Figure 14 shows one embodiment of the Applicant's system. A central processor 110 receives information via wired or wireless communications links 111, 112 from 10 the antenna array 113 and the cluster positioning system 114. The processor is arranged to process this information for position determination and association of particular cows with particular milking clusters. This may be based on a suitable model (e.g. a heuristic model) reliant at least to a significant degree upon the various inputs from the markers, references and any other system components. The model 15 may also rely on known or expected limits (for example on cow orientation, spacing etc), the known associations of markers with individual milking clusters, cow ID databases etc. Other sensors 115 (e.g. flow rate sensors, mastitis sensors etc) are also connected 20 to the processor 110, and data from these sensors can also be associated with particular cows. In some systems, these other sensors 115 will be located in the milking teatcups, elsewhere in the cluster or in the long milk tube. The system also includes memory 116 in which the various information can be 25 stored for subsequent processing or retrieval. It generally takes between 5 and 8 minutes to milk a cow. This means that the methods described above do not need to work instantly. Rather, signals can be monitored over a period of time and this may increase the accuracy of the 30 information gathered.

WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 25 Alternative milking cluster positioning methods may be used. For example, it may be possible to detect an angle adopted by the long milk tube with respect to the central milk line. Analysis of this angle, or of all the angles of the different long milk tubes, may allow the position of each milking cluster to be determined. Alternatively, two or 5 more methods may be used, with a final position determination being based on a combination of the two or more methods. Another alternative is a local triangulation system, in which each cluster is equipped with a transmitter or receiver and a number of receivers or transmitters are arranged 10 around the milking platform. A suitable acoustic positioning system could include a plurality of fixed speakers (or microphones) operating as reference components. Each marker could include a microphone (or speaker). By analysis of the sound volume received by each marker, 15 the distance between reference and marker could be determined, in a similar manner to the RF system of Figures 8 and 9. By analysis of the distances between a single marker and two or more reference components, the marker position could be determined. An acoustic system could operate outside of the normal human hearing range. 20 Although the system has been described above as using antenna arrays for spatial discrimination between different cows, any system capable of providing spatial distribution information could be used. For example, a single antenna which moves along the line of cows could be used. However, such moving parts are generally 25 undesirable. Where antenna arrays are used, a single antenna may be activated at any one time. Alternatively, groups of spaced antennas (e.g. every tenth antenna, or the nth antenna on each stacked antenna panel) may be activated together. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 26 Although principally described with reference to milking clusters, the Applicant's systems and methods may be applied to other equipment within the milking platform environment. Essentially the position of anything that can be marked with a marker can be monitored by the Applicant's system. 5 For example, keypads or devices used for administration of medicines could be marked, allowing automatic association with a particular cow of medicine delivery or information input to the keypad. 10 In such applications, where the cluster position is not necessarily needed, the cluster position may nevertheless be used. For example, the cluster positions may allow more reliable identification of the cow or cow position by using the position of the cluster attached to the cow's teats as a proxy for the location of the cow when viewed from the pit. 15 Workers could also wear a marker, so that worker activity and efficiency could be monitored. The Applicant's systems and methods provide for reliable determination of cow 20 position, including in a herringbone milking platform as typically found in New Zealand, or any platform without demarcated stalls. In addition, the Applicant's systems and methods provide for reliable determination of positions of equipment in the milking platform environment. These two sets of information can then be used for reliable and accurate association of particular cows with particular equipment. 25 The Applicant's methods and systems can be extended for use outside of a milking shed environment, for example in pens, yards and other areas where animals are gathered for medicine administration. 30 The systems described above may form part of a larger farm administration system, such as the systems described in the Applicant's PCT application WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 27 PCT/NZ2007/000258, published as W02008/030116, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. Although some aspects of the Applicant's system have been described with respect 5 to animal RFID tags, the skilled reader will understand that the invention relates more broadly to electronic ID (EID) tags that may rely on RFID technology or other wireless ID technology. Further, the cluster or equipment positioning systems may rely on any suitable 10 technology by selection of appropriate reference and marker components. The system may be optical, acoustic or electromagnetic (including RF). Each marker component may be associated with a particular milking cluster, or other mobile equipment, during installation of the system. A determination of marker 15 position can then be processed to provide the milking cluster or equipment position. In a herringbone shed, measurements of animal and equipment position may be made substantially continuously, or periodically, on both sides of the shed. In the case of milking cluster position, in a swing-over herringbone shed , each cluster is 20 expected to be found on one side of the shed only at any one time, and this may be a further input to the model. The skilled reader will understand that where a known position is required (for example in the reference components discussed above), in many applications a 25 known position relative to other components may be sufficient. While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the 30 invention to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 28 limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of the Applicant's general inventive concept.

Claims (53)

1. A milking system, including: i. a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster including a number of teatcups 5 configured for placement on a milking animal's teats; ii. a plurality of markers, each marker mounted on or near one of the plurality of milking clusters; and iii. a positioning arrangement configured to determine the position of each marker, and thereby the position of each milking cluster. 10

2. A milking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the markers are radio frequency markers.

3. A milking system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the positioning arrangement 15 includes one or more radio frequency antennas each with a known position, wherein each radio frequency marker receives signals from, or transmits signals to, one or more of the one or more radio frequency antennas.

4. A milking system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the positioning arrangement is 20 configured to determine a plurality of marker vectors.

5. A milking system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency antennas and is configured to determine at least two, preferably three or more, marker vectors for each radio frequency 25 marker.

6. A milking system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the positioning arrangement is configured to determine the positions of the markers based on the marker vectors. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 30

7. A milking system as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein each radio frequency marker includes at least two detectors arranged at an angle to each other. 5

8. A milking system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the detectors are detector coils.

9. A milking system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the at least two detector coils are orthogonal to each other.

10 10. A milking system as claimed in claim 8 or 9 wherein the detector coils are arranged to lie in substantially vertical planes when the respective milking cluster is in a milking position.

11. A milking system as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the positioning 15 arrangement is configured to determine the marker vector for a particular marker using a comparison between the signals received by the different detectors.

12. A milking system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the radio frequency antennas are also configured as animal ID reader antennas. 20

13. A milking system as claimed in claim 12 wherein signals transmitted by the radio frequency antennas are received simultaneously by one or more of the radio frequency markers and by one or more RFID tags attached to animals. 25

14. A milking system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency antennas and is configured to receive or determine, for each radio frequency marker, a plurality of signal strength indicators, each signal strength indicator being indicative of the strength of a received signal transmitted between that radio frequency marker and one of the 30 radio frequency antennas. WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 31

15. A milking system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the positioning arrangement is configured to determine the positions of the markers based on the signal strength indicators. 5

16. A milking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each marker is an optical marker and the positioning arrangement includes one or more cameras configured to determine the positions of the markers based on one or more images captured by the one or more cameras. 10

17. A milking system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the markers are luminescent or reflective or retroreflective markers.

18. A milking system as claimed in claim 16 or 17 wherein the markers are active in the infrared. 15

19. A milking system as claimed in claim 18 further including an infrared source arranged to illuminate the markers.

20. A milking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each marker is an acoustic 20 marker and the positioning arrangement includes one or more acoustic components configured to determine the positions of the markers.

21. A method for determining a position of a milking cluster in a milking system, including: 25 i. arranging a plurality of markers such that each marker is mounted on or near one of a plurality of milking clusters, each cluster including a number of teatcups configured for placement on a milking animal's teats; and ii. using a positioning arrangement, determining the position of each marker, and thereby the position of each milking cluster. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 32

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the markers are radio frequency markers.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the positioning arrangement includes 5 one or more radio frequency antennas each with a known position, wherein each radio frequency marker receives signals from, or transmits signals to, one or more of the one or more radio frequency antennas.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, the positioning arrangement determining a 10 plurality of marker vectors.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24 wherein the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency antennas, the positioning arrangement determining at least two, preferably three or more, marker vectors for each radio frequency 15 marker.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25, the positioning arrangement determining the positions of the markers based on the marker vectors. 20

27. A method as claimed in any one of claims 22 to 26 wherein each radio frequency marker includes at least two detectors arranged at an angle to each other, the positioning arrangement determining the marker vector using a comparison between the signals received by the different detectors. 25

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 wherein the detectors are detector coils.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein the at least two detector coils are orthogonal to each other. WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 33

30. A method as claimed in any one of claims 27 to 29 wherein the detector coils are arranged to lie in substantially vertical planes when the respective milking cluster is in a milking position. 5

31. A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the positioning arrangement includes a plurality of radio frequency antennas and determines, for each radio frequency marker, a plurality of signal strength indicators, each signal strength indicator being indicative of the strength of a received signal transmitted between that radio frequency marker and one of the radio frequency antennas. 10

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, the positioning arrangement determining the positions of the markers based on the signal strength indicators.

33. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein each marker is an optical marker and 15 the positioning arrangement includes one or more cameras and determines the positions of the markers based on one or more images captured by the one or more cameras.

34. A method as claimed in claim 33 wherein the markers are luminescent or 20 reflective or retroreflective markers.

35. A method as claimed in claim 33 or 34 wherein the markers are active in the infrared. 25

36. A method as claimed in claim 35 further including illuminating the markers using an infrared source.

37. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein each marker is an acoustic marker and the positioning arrangement includes one or more acoustic components 30 configured to determine the positions of the markers. WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 34

38. A system for determining a position of an animal tagged with an electronic ID tag, including: i. a plurality of ID reader antennas configured to collect animal ID reads from animal ID tags, 5 ii. a processor configured to: a. identify an individual animal from the collected ID reads, and b. based on a spatial distribution of animal ID reads, identify a position of the identified animal. 10

39. A system as claimed in claim 38 wherein the ID reader antennas are distributed along a milking area.

40. A system as claimed in claim 38 or 39 wherein the plurality of ID reader antennas are provided in one or more antenna arrays. 15

41. A system as claimed in any one of claims 38 to 40 including one or more controllers configured to switch between the ID reader antennas.

42. A system as claimed in any one of claims 38 to 41 wherein the spatial distribution 20 of animal ID reads is built up over a period within which the animal ID tags are within range of the ID reader antennas.

43. A method of determining a position of an animal tagged with an electronic ID tag, including: 25 i. receiving electronic ID reads from animal ID tags using a plurality of ID reader antennas; ii. identifying an individual animal from the collected ID reads; and iii. based on a spatial distribution of animal ID reads, identifying a most likely position of the identified animal. 30 WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 35

44. A method as claimed in claim 43 wherein the ID reader antennas are distributed along a milking area.

45. A method as claimed in claim 43 or 44 wherein the plurality of ID reader 5 antennas are provided in one or more antenna arrays.

46. A method as claimed in any one of claims 43 to 45 including switching between the ID reader antennas. 10

47. A method for determining a position of mobile equipment in a farm environment, including: . arranging a marker on or near the equipment; and ii. using a positioning arrangement, determining the position of the marker, and thereby the position of the equipment. 15

48. A method for associating individual animals with equipment including the steps of: i. collecting a plurality of animal ID reads from animal ID tags using one or more ID reader antennas; 20 ii. identifying individual animals from the collected ID reads; iii. determining the positions of the identified animals from the collected ID reads; iv. collecting position information for the equipment; and v. using the equipment position information and the determined positions of 25 the identified milking animals, associating the equipment with an identified milking animal.

49. A system including a milking system as claimed in claim 1 and an animal positioning system as claimed in claim 38, the system configured to associate 30 the identified milking animal with a particular milking cluster based on the milking animal position and the positions of the milking clusters. WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 36

50. A system as claimed in claim 49 wherein the plurality of ID reader antennas form part of the positioning arrangement. 5

51. A method for associating individual milking animals with milking clusters including the steps of: i. collecting a plurality of milking animal ID reads from milking animal ID tags using one or more ID reader antennas; ii. identifying an individual milking animal from the collected ID reads; 10 iii. determining the position of the identified milking animal from the collected ID reads; iv. collecting position information for a plurality of milking clusters; and v. using the milking cluster position information and the determined position of the identified milking animal, associating a particular milking cluster 15 with the identified milking animal.

52. A method as claimed in claim 51 wherein the step of collecting position information for a plurality of milking clusters is performed by the method of claim 21. 20

53. A system for associating individual milking animals with milking clusters including: i. a milking animal positioning arrangement including a plurality of ID reader antennas configured to collect milking animal ID reads from milking 25 animal ID tags, and to identify an individual milking animal from the collected ID reads, the ID reader antennas being distributed in space so as to provide a spatial distribution of milking animal ID reads; ii. a milking cluster positioning arrangement configured to determine milking cluster positions; and 30 iii. a processor configured to determine a milking animal position based on the spatial distribution of milking animal ID reads and to associate an WO 2015/009167 PCT/NZ2014/000145 37 identified milking animal with a particular milking cluster based on a milking animal position and a milking cluster position.