SE9904669A0 - A method and a system for monitoring animals - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a monitoring system (1) comprising at least one unit (2.1-2.5), carried by a domestic animal (7-9), and at least one station arranged to monitor the units being within a limited transferring range (5), the monitoring concerns collecting of presence and identity carried in the unit (2.1-2.4). According to the invention said at least one station is movably arranged for monitoring said units (2.1-2A) located within the transferring range (5) and comprises means for deter- mining a geographic location at a moment when receiving said presence and identity signal from the unit. It also relates to a method for the operation thereof (Fig 1)

Description

:. • • 4• • BILAGOR x Beskrivning, patentkrav och sammandrag i x ritningar 12 exemplar x overlatelsehandling x Fulhnakt x Utrandsk text, engelsk Prioritetsbevis Ev, sekvenslista i maskinlasbar form 2 exemplar (avser Fig.1) Stockholm den 20 december 1999 ALBIHNS PATENTBYRA STOCKHOLM AB AVG1FT x Gnmdavgift 3 800:- • x Tillaggsavgift 900:- fiir patentkrav Over 10 x Grundavgift 5 510:- fik ITS-granskning ALBIHNS PATENTBYRA STOCKHOLM AS Box 5581 • Linntgatan 26S-114 85 STOCKHOLM • SWEDEN • Tel +461olx-i4 R R 7') (111 r 441.A.IMIT 4n 29 ^Pa tra.• Handlaggare: GR Ref nr.: 55807 Sakande: Alfa Laval Agri • •• " " • • • • • • :•■ :•• 0:••...0.• a 1 A method and a system for monitoring animals TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and a moth- toring system according to the preamble of claim 6.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Such a system and method is often used in identification systems for domestic animals, in particular in installations for automatic husbandry. Automatic animal hus- bandry, in particular concerning milking, is being stepwise more and more auto- matic. In this pursuit an important step has been to provide milking animals with readable movable units, in particular transponders, which are activated at important points, like the entry of the installation for automatic milking. The system comprises Am vm roc)c_ at least one such unit and is well known from for instance US 5,857, 434. An animal carries the unit for identification. The system described in US 5,857,434 is of a spe- cific design having specific technical solutions. It includes and also refers to further documents having different solutions for the transfer of other data than data relating to identification of the device / animal, for instance relating to movements and number of movements. The services titese units can perform can also be other, such as detecting the number of occasions the animal / unit visits a specific place. The types of services the unit can handle is determined by the capacity of the carried processor, which type of sensors and transmitters / receivers it comprises and the ability to provide the parts with needed power.

. - • . There has been no corresponding progress as to animal husbandry with animals, which are free to walk around over sometimes very large areas. In some countries herds are still handled by shepherds or cowboys, which obviously needs much labour per unit. Keeping track of individuals in a heard by electronic means would - -certainly be theoretically possible, in such a way as cars and lorries in transport • — .. • systems are kept track of, by installing stations which periodically signal their lout- .". ....6 a... .•:•••:•• •••■• 2 tions. Such systems are often complicated and the cost is not economically defendable.

Preferably the number of services needed for such units is low and the manufactur- ing cost is reasonable. Therefore some of the known devices are designed without batteries to decrease the number of services during the life span of the animal / device. This affects the ability to provide the parts with needed power and therefore a transferring range is often relatively short. 10 OBJECT OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to obtain an efficient method and system for collecting data, in particular concerning identification, and for keeping track of animals in a heard. More particularly, the object is to sense the geographic location of domestic animals at economically defendable costs.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The object of the invention is obtained by a method as initially defined, characterised by performing the monitoring using a movable station provided with means for determining a geographic location at a moment when receiving said presence and identity signal from the unit, receiving the presence and identity from the unit when within the transferring range. Hereby a method having a station mainly nearby the units/animals a substantial part of the time is achieved. This allows the station to almost continuos gather data considering the units and the animals. It is also possible to follow movements within the heard.

Suitably it establishes a precise geographic location of the unit within the transferring range. Hereby a more precise monitoring is achieved. It is hereby also possible to, create a survey of the monitored animals / units, for instance a dot and a number representing each animal is shown on a map displayed on a video monitor.

• • • .• • Or••••■••■• *41 • 3 Preferably the geographic location is memorised in the movable station, together with combinations for transferring to a control station. At a suitable time thereafter a communicating occurs between the movably arranged station and the control station when the control station is located within a transferring range of the movably ar- ranged station. Thereafter said data regarding the units, which has passed within the transferring range of the movably arranged station, is transferred to the control station.

Suitably the movably arranged station is carried by an animal in the heard. Hereby monitoring from a close distance is achieved. The animal in the heard is preferably the leader. Thus the weak signal from a unit, a transponder is strengthened and can be transmitted over a long distance. It is thereby possible to send a signal from the fixedly arranged station to a station with orders to the station to search for a particular unit/animal, allowing a user to know exactly where an animal is.

Suitably a plurality of movably arranged stations is arranged for co-operating and communicating with each other and to the control station. Hereby monitoring of a plurality of animals in herds with their leaders carrying the movable station is achieved. A survey of these can for instance be shown on a map displayed on a video monitor.

It is also possible to arrange a plurality of control stations for co-operating and communicating with at least one movably arranged station. Hereby data can be transmitted at several occasions to control stations, when the movable station is within a downloading range therefrom.

It is also obtained by system as initially defined which is characterised in that at least one station is movably arranged for monitoring said units located within the transferring range and comprises means for determining a geographic location at a • moment when receiving said presence and identity signal from the unit. Hereby ". ring range could be used, and at the same time a large area can be monitored. Only the movable station needs to be maintained frequently, since only the movable station comprises batteries for producing power to a transmitter having long range transmission capabilities.

Suitably comprising a control station arranged to communicate with the movable station and download data, as the fixed station is within a downloading range. The used transmitter can be dimensioned for different required ranges. The movably arranged station is preferably arranged with a transmitter for sending data over a long download range, in relation to the short transferring range of the data of the units, to the control station.

Suitably the movable station is arranged to be carried by an animal. For instance in a collar worn by the animal, with an antenna (not shown) pointed upwards from the upper side of the collar.

The control station is preferably arranged in association with a water station. Hereby a suitable location for downloading data from the movable station is achieved. When downloading data from such a movable station which has a short distance transmitter, this location is in particular suitable, since the animal carrying the movable station must visit a water station regularly.

Alternatively the control station is arranged in association with an installation for automatic milking. Hereby monitoring of animals integrated with the control of the .installation for automatic milking is achieved. More precisely it is possible to collect A.data concerning a plurality of animals at each visit of the movably arranged station and for instance conclusions concerning future milking quantities can be made. For example the leader animal carrying the movable station often doesn't stand in line to •get milked, it passes the queue of animals of lower status waiting to get milked. a • Thereby the station can read units carried by the animals in the queue and download ••• :•■• :• •:•• this information to a fixedly arranged station at the entrance gate of the installation.

It is also possible to arrange the control station in association with a vehicle. For instance a snow mobile carrying the movable station herding reindeer can control the identity of the animals and send an alarm to the fixedly arranged control station if some animals are missing, or determine which animal or heard the scooter passes. The data, which is downloaded to the control station, is analysed and for instance the position of the animals can be determined. 10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig 1 is a schematic top view of a preferred embodiment of the system according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is a schematic drawing of a movable station according to the present inven- tion.

Fig. 4 is flow chart of the process of operating the system, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A system according to the present invention is often provided for monitoring animals strolling and entering installations for automatic milking or when monitoring animals strolling over wider areas. Here a station receives presence and identity signals from units carried by animals. Possibly other data regarding the animal can be received. An installation for automatic milking is often capable of performing sev- •• 6 schematic drawing of a system 1 according to the invention is shown in a view from the above. Each part of the system 1 is represented as a rectangular. Units 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 are shown placed above and around a first movable station 3. Below the station 3 is a second fixed station 4 shown. A transferring range 5 is shown as a cir- de with its centre in the movable station 3 and surrounds the units 2.1- 2.4. The fixed station 4 is just outside the transferring range 5. The transferring range is the range of the possible transfer of data between the units 2.1 - 2.4, in particular transponders, to the movable station (3). Arrows between the units 2.1-2.4 and the movable station 3 indicate this transfer. A downloading range (6) is shown as an arrow between the movable station 3 and the fixed station 4 placed outside the transferring range (5). The arrow indicates that a transfer between the two stations is possible, and is further explained below in reference to fig. 2.

In fig. 2 the system 1 is shown applied with animals, in fig. 2 cows. A leader 7 of the heard carries the movable station 3, and behind on the left of the leader is a cow 8 and on the right side a further cow 9. Together with the leader the cows 8 and 9 of lower status represent the heard. The cow 8 carries the unit 2.1 being a transponder unit and the cow 9 carries the unit 2.2 also being a transponder unit. The animals stroll in an area 10 behind a fence 11. The fence is only partially shown. At the fence 11 is the fixedly arranged station 4 placed. The station comprises a receiver /transmitter means 12 located at the top of the fence 11 and is connected via a connecting means 13, a cable, to a control means 14.

The leader of the heard is located near the transmitter / receiver 12. The station 3 read the units 2.1 - 2.4, when the animals 8, 9 is passing within the transferring range (5) as shown in fig. 1, where the units represent their identity and further data. Thereafter this data is transferred from the first station (3) to the second station 4, as shown by the arrow. This is possible because the stations have a longer transferring range, as shown by the arrow in fig. I. The operation is described in more detail in reference to fig. 3 and 4. 7 In fig. 3 a movable station 3 according to the present invention is shown schematically. The station 3 is represented by a rectangle and within the rectangle are the parts represented as 6 smaller rectangles. In the preferred embodiment a station comprises a transmitter 30 for transmitting data and orders and a receiver 31 for re- ceiving. This allows a communication with units around the station 3 (as shown in fig. 2) and data can be transferred. Further is a positioning system 32 comprised in the station for establishing the position, thus when data is transferred to the fixed station analysis of the movements of the animals in the herd can be made. A storing means 33 for storing the received data until its transferred to the fixedly arranged station 4 is also comprised in the station 3. Further comprised in the movable station 3 is a second transmitter 34 for transmitting the data to the fixed station 4. This transmitter is more powerful than the transmitter 30 and allows transmitting data to the fixed station (4) at the same time as communicating with other transponders. The movable station further comprises a control means 35 for controlling the opera- tion. The movable station comprises a movable power source (not shown), a electric battery, which supplies electric power to the station. The battery is preferably easily exchangeable, to be recharged.

The transmitter 30 can also work as a transponder for representing identification of the animal (7) to the station (4), for instance when the animal carrying the station is to approach an identification means (not shown) determining whether to admit the animal entrance to the installation for automatic milking. The operation of the transfer is described in more detail in reference to fig. 4.

In fig. 4 a flow chart is shown, where an example of the process of operating the preferred embodiment as shown in fig 1-3 is described. In the first stage 40, station 3 sends connection signals to the units 2.1 - 2.4. At stage 41 an answer signal is received from a unit, for example 2.1, hereby the control means 35 can determine that it is within transmitting range 5. En stage 42 orders are sent from the first station 3 to the unit 2.1, for instance asking for identification or data concerning resent move- 33. Further in stage 44 an attempt is made to contact the second station 4 for transferring the data . In stage 45 a option is made, either Yes + or No -. On the first hand if no (No -) response is received from the second station 4, within a predetermined time, timed by the control means 45, the process is repeated from step 40 and further units 2.2 - 2.4 is monitored. On the other hand If an answer from the station 4 is received (Yes +) then the process continues with stage 46, where the data, concerning the monitored units, is sent from the first station 3 to the second station 4. The next stage 47 is receiving an answer from 4. The process is then repeated from stage 40.

It is of course possible to change these operation steps, since they are only shown to illuminate the present invention, for instance all of the steps can have a Yes + No function for repeating the current or the previous steps.

If several answers are received from a plurality of units 2.1-2.4 at the same time the receivers and control means will be jammed. There are several ways to solve such a problem according to methods known in the art. For instance in document No. US 5,966,083 such a method is described, where in short it is determined whether a correct answer from the units is received, and if not the units can be made to repeat their signal.. This is preferably made at different time intervals, for instance deter- mined by pseudo random numbers. It may also be possible when the jam is identified to have a receiver of the station (3) search a different area. It may also wait a while and repeating the previously mentioned steps later.

It is of course possible to have several movable stations communicating with one or more fixed stations.

It is also possible in a further embodiment to have one transmitter, arranged to transmit to the units 2.1 - 2.4, to the second station 4 and to work as an identifica- : tion means. It is also possible to have a further transmitter for the identification, a 9 In a further embodiment the second transmitting means 34 is excluded, resulting in a first movable station 3 having a short transmission range 5 as shown in fig. 1 where the transmission to the second fixed station is made using transmitting means 30, with a short transferring range 5.

It is also possible for the unit to have other types of services than for identification, where the positioning system such is adapted to locate the other transponders to determine a position of specific animals. ••■••• • • • • • 4 0 •• • 13 ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a monitoring system (1) comprising at least one unit (2.1-2.5), carried by a domestic animal (7-9), and at least one station arranged to monitor the units being within a limited transferring range (5), the monitoring concerns collecting of presence and identity carried in the unit (2.1-2.4). According to the invention said at least one station is movably arranged for monitoring said units (2.1-2A) located within the transferring range (5) and comprises means for deter- mining a geographic location at a moment when receiving said presence and identity signal from the unit. It also relates to a method for the operation thereof (Fig 1) (1/3) •••• 0 • 0 ■■••• • • • • • * do • • ••■•••r.

Fig. 1 (2/3) Fig. 2 ••.• • * 0 Ow 0 (3/3) /3 • 31 32 33 34 44 43 •• 41 42 46 47 • • P•IP • a • ••• 47.• ••• ••■• • • •••• a • MAP • • • Fig. 3 Fig. 4

Claims (19)

1. A method for monitoring at least one presence and identity signalling unit (2.12.4), carried by a domestic animal (7-9), having a limited transferring range, characterized by the monitoring being performed by a movable station provided with means for determining a geographic location at a moment when receiving said presence and identity signal from the unit, receiving the presence and identity from the unit (2.1-2.4) when within the transferring range.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein further establishing a precise geo- graphic location of the unit within the transferring range.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein further memorising the geographic location in the movable station, together with combinations for transferring to a control station.

4. A method according to any of the claims 1-3, wherein further comprising the steps of: - communicating between the movably arranged station (3) and the control sta- tion (4) when control station (4) is located within a transferring range of the movably arranged station (3). - transferring said data regarding the unit, which has passed within the transferring range of the movably arranged station (3), to the control station (4).

5. A method according to claim 4, the control station (4) is a fixedly arranged con- trol station.

6. A method according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the movably arranged station (3) is carried by an animal in the heard. .. ••• 7. •• 11

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the animal in the heard is the leader.

8. A method according to any of the claims 5 to 7, wherein the animal also carries a movable unit.

9. A method according to any of the claims 2-8, wherein a plurality of movably arranged stations (3) is arranged for co-operating and communicating with each other and to the control station.

10. A method according to any of the claims 2-9, wherein a plurality of control sta- tions is arranged for co-operating and communicating with at least one movably arranged station (3).

11. A monitoring system (I) comprising at least one unit (2.1-2.5), carried by a do- mestic animal (7-9), and at least one station arranged to monitor the units being within a limited transferring range (5), the monitoring concerns collecting of presence and identity carried in the unit (2.1-2.4), characterised in that said at least one station is movably arranged for monitoring said units (2.1-2.4) located within the transferring range (5) and comprises means for determining a geo- graphic location at a moment when receiving said presence and identity signal from the unit. An 2 1. 2. • 3. - •

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein further comprising a control station (4) arranged to communicate with the movable station (3) and download data, as the fixed station is within a downloading range (6).

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the control station (4) is fixedly arranged.

14. A system according to any of the claims 11 to 13, wherein the movably arranged 12 station (3)) is arranged with means for determining the geographic location of at least one unit (2.1-2.4).

15. A system according to any of the claims 12 to 14, wherein the movably ar- ranged station (3) is arranged with a transmitter (34) for sending data over a long download range, in relation to the short transferring range (5) of the data of the units, to the control station.

16. A system according to any of the claims 12 to 15, wherein the movable station is arranged to be carried by an animal.

17. A system according to any of the claims 12 to 16, wherein the control station (4) is arranged in association with a water station.

18. A system according to any of the claims 12 to 17, wherein the control station is arranged in association with an installation for automatic milking.

19. A system according to any of the claims 12 to 18, wherein the control station is arranged in association with a vehicle. 13 ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a monitoring system (1) comprising at least one unit (2.1-2.5), carried by a domestic animal (7-9), and at least one station arranged to monitor the units being within a limited transferring range (5), the monitoring concerns collecting of presence and identity carried in the unit (2.1-2.4). According to the invention said at least one station is movably arranged for monitoring said units (2.1-2A) located within the transferring range (5) and comprises means for deter- mining a geographic location at a moment when receiving said presence and identity signal from the unit. It also relates to a method for the operation thereof