Cattle and other veterinary monitoring
First Claim
1. A veterinary monitoring system for monitoring livestock animals and early detection of animal illness, comprising:
- a plurality of tag units attached to the livestock animals for collecting data relating to one or more livestock behavioral patterns;
each tag unit further having at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, and at least one contactless notable indication, anda bunk mounted unit attached to a livestock feeding bunk that is part of a livestock feeding pen, the bunk mounted unit having at least one receiver and at least one transmitter;
wherein, the bunk unit is configured to receive the data from the tag units and transmit the data to the tag units;
each tag unit is preprogrammed for time elapsed transmissions, whereby the tag units do not transmit data at the same time to overcome data loss due to tag data from multiple tag units being transmitted at the same time; and
the tag unit provides indication radio frequency transmission independent of livestock location in the livestock feeding pen.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are a system, device and process for monitoring physical and physiological features of livestock through a unique monitoring system method and device. Basic and Smart tags are placed on livestock to monitor, among other things, temperature, movement, location, posture, pulse rate, and other physical and physiological features. Information is relayed from Basic tags, in one embodiment, to Smart tags that requests the information and receives the information from the basic tags. Smart tags send information to a mobile unit controller and/or home base so that requested information is sent to an end user that monitors the livestock for signs of illness. Potentially ill animals are segregated from the herd for further evaluation and minimization of exposure risk to the rest of the herd. This early detection system saves livestock and ensures a healthier herd for livestock farmers.
65 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A veterinary monitoring system for monitoring livestock animals and early detection of animal illness, comprising:
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a plurality of tag units attached to the livestock animals for collecting data relating to one or more livestock behavioral patterns; each tag unit further having at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, and at least one contactless notable indication, and a bunk mounted unit attached to a livestock feeding bunk that is part of a livestock feeding pen, the bunk mounted unit having at least one receiver and at least one transmitter; wherein, the bunk unit is configured to receive the data from the tag units and transmit the data to the tag units; each tag unit is preprogrammed for time elapsed transmissions, whereby the tag units do not transmit data at the same time to overcome data loss due to tag data from multiple tag units being transmitted at the same time; and the tag unit provides indication radio frequency transmission independent of livestock location in the livestock feeding pen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for identifying an ill livestock member of a group of livestock, comprising the steps of:
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mounting a tag onto a livestock member of the group of livestock; actuating a notable indication within the tag, and the tag is preprogrammed for time elapsed transmissions whereby the tag does not transmit data at the same time as another tag mounted to the same or different member of the group of livestock to overcome data loss due to data from multiple tags being transmitted at the same time, and the tag provides radio frequency transmission independent of livestock location; receiving the radio frequency transmission with a bunk mounted unit attached to a livestock feeding bunk; relaying the radio frequency transmission from a bunk mounted unit to a mobile unit; using the mobile device for identifying the tag; and wherein the mobile device identifies the notable indication of the tag. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 15)
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13. A method of identifying an ill livestock member, comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a plurality of livestock tags, each tag includes a sensor selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor movement sensor, acceleration sensor, light sensor, sound sensor, a magnetometer, and any combination thereof;
said sensor enclosed in the tag that is attached to the livestock;obtaining a bunk mounted unit attached to a livestock feeding bunk that is part of a livestock feeding pen, the bunk mounted unit having at least one receiver and at least one transmitter, the bunk mounted unit includes at least one of;
an acoustic transmitter component;
a speaker;
an acoustic receiver component;
a microphone;
a light emitting diode (LED), and a photo diode;
wherein said receiver and transmitter components are used for data exchange with the livestock tags;actuating a notable indication within at least one tag, and the tag is preprogrammed for time elapsed transmissions whereby the tag does not transmit data at the same time as another one of the tags to overcome data loss due to data from multiple tags being transmitted at the same time, and the tag provides a radio frequency transmission independent of livestock location; receiving the radio frequency transmission with the bunk mounted unit attached to a livestock feeding bunk; relaying the radio frequency transmission from a bunk mounted unit to a mobile unit; logging data selected from a group consisting of the tags, the bunk mounted unit, the mobile unit, and any combination thereof; and forwarding said data from the mobile device to a stationary site. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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16. A device for identifying livestock, comprising
a tag comprising a magnetometer, wherein the tag is placed on a livestock animal to identify, track and record information indicative of head movements and location of the livestock animal'"'"'s proximity to a livestock feeding bunk in a livestock feeding pen; -
the tag having a transmitter to transmit information and a receiver to receive information from another device; the tag further including an alert system to identify a certain livestock animal among a herd of livestock animals and alert farmers for improved health management of the livestock animal; wherein, the tag unit is preprogrammed for time elapsed transmissions whereby the tag does not transmit data at the same time as other tags mounted to the livestock to overcome data loss due to data from the other livestock tags being transmitted at the same time; and the tag unit provides an indication independent of livestock location in the livestock feeding pen. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification