Method of monitoring the physical condition and/or suitability of animal feed of ruminant animals

• US 10,098,328 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: N.V. Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek "Nedap"
• Original Assignee: N.V. Nederlandsche Apparatenfabriek Nedap
• Inventors: van Dijk, Jeroen Martin, Lammers, Rudie Jan Hendrik, Kuipers, Jan Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US15/342,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20170231199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method of monitoring the physiological condition, and/or suitability of animal feed, of ruminant animals, comprising:

• • a. sensing the occurrence of at least a first predetermined type of activity of the animal;
  • b. determining a length of a time period of a first type during which in step a. a sensed first predetermined type of activity has taken place;
  • c. transmitting information about the length of a time period of the first type determined in step b. wherein preferably the transmission starts on a moment in time which depends on the moment in time on which the time period of the first type has ended;
  • d. repeating steps a.-c. for next sensed occurrences of activities of the first predetermined type.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring the physiological condition of ruminant animals, or monitoring suitability of animal feed for ruminant animals, the method comprising:

a. sensing the occurrence of at least one predetermined type of activity of the animal;

b. determining information about a time period of the first type which corresponds with the duration of the at least one predetermined type of activity which is detected in step a.;

c. repeating steps a. and b. for a next sensed occurrence of activities of the at least one predetermined type;

d. transmitting the information determined in steps b.;

characterized in that,

the information transmitted in step d is in the format of information blocks of a fixed bit length, each information block comprising a first predetermined number of bits indicating which predetermined type of activity has been detected in step a. and a second predetermined number of bits indicating the information about a time period of the first type as determined in step b. and associated with the sensed occurrence in step a. wherein the second predetermined number of bits cover a time period which is smaller than or equal to a predetermined maximum length in time, wherein the method comprises further a step e. wherein the information transmitted in step d. is received and a step f. wherein based on the received information in a step e. a time period of the second type associated with the at least one predetermined activity is determined which ends on the moment in time on which the time period of the first type associated with the latest sensed occurrence of the at least one predetermined type of activity has ended and which starts on the moment in time on which the previous time period of the first type associated with the previous sensed occurrence of the at least one predetermined type of activity has ended and wherein the method comprises further a step g. wherein based on the received information in step f. processed information Yf(t) about the length of a time period of the first type associated with the at least one predetermined type of activity is determined as Yf(t)=at.Xf(t)+(1−

at).Yf(t−

1) wherein Xf(t) is the length of a time period of the first type associated with the latest sensed at least one predetermined type of activity (f) divided by the length of the latest determined time period of the second type associated with the at least one predetermined type of activity (1) wherein Yf(t−

1) is the processed information about a previous determined length of a time period of the first type associated with the at least one predetermined type of activity (f) and wherein at is a predetermined factor wherein 0<

at≤

1 and wherein f stands for the at least one predetermined type of activity.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein in case that a length of a time period of the first type is smaller than or equal to the predetermined maximum length in time than the information of a determined length of a time period of the first type wherein the associated detected predetermined type of activity has taken place is recorded in one information block wherein in case that a length of a time period of the first type is larger than the predetermined maximum length in time than:

the information of a length of a time period of the first type wherein the associated detected predetermined type of activity has taken place is recorded in a plurality of information blocks or the information of a length of a time period of the first type wherein the associated detected predetermined type of activity has taken place, is recorded in one extended information block wherein the extended information block comprises a sufficient number of additional bits to store the information about the length of a time period of the first type.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein step a. and step b. are carried out for a plurality of predetermined type of activities respectively.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein in step d. transmission is repeated on random or predetermined moments in time.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein in step d. a predetermined number of the latest determined information blocks is transmitted.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein at is fixed or at is the length of the latest determined time period of the second type divided by a constant factor C.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the constant factor C is the length of a predetermined time interval such as one day.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one predetermined type of activity (f) is ruminating (f=H), eating (f=E) or resting (f=S).

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the method is carried out for each sensed activity in step a which is ruminating, eating or resting.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method is carried out by means of a system comprising at least one sensor for carrying out at least a part of step a., a first processing means for carrying out at least a part of step b. and transmitter for carrying out at least step d.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein in step a. movements of the animal are detected by means of the at least one sensor and the occurrence of the at least one predetermined type of activity of the animal is detected based on the detected movements by means of a second processing means.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the second processing means comprises a neural network or a microprocessor.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the first and second processing means are combined into one processing means.

14. The method according to claim 10 wherein a tag is attached to the animal and wherein the tag comprises the sensor, the first processing means, and the transmitter.

27. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method is carried out for each sensed activity in step a which is for a rest group of activities (f=R) which differ from ruminating, resting and eating.

28. The method according to claim 14, wherein the tag further comprises a second processing means.

15. A system for monitoring the physiological condition of ruminant animals, or suitability of animal feed for ruminant animals, the system comprising at least one sensor for carrying out at least a part of a step a., a first processing means arranged for carrying out at least a part of a step b., a transmitter for carrying out at least a step d. and wherein the system is arranged for repeating in a step c. steps a. and, b. for a next sensed occurrence of activities of the at least one predetermined type, wherein step a. comprises sensing the occurrence of the at least one predetermined type of activity of the animal, step b comprises determining by means of the first processing means information about a time period of the first type which corresponds with the duration of the at least one predetermined type of activity which is detected in step a., step d. comprises transmitting the information determined in steps b., wherein,

the information transmitted in step d. is in the format of information blocks of a fixed bit length, each information block comprising a first predetermined number of bits indicating which predetermined type of activity has been detected in step a. and a second predetermined number of bits indicating the information about a time period of the first type as determined in step b. and associated with the sensed occurrence in step a. wherein the second predetermined number of bits cover a time period which is smaller than or equal to a predetermined maximum length in time, wherein the system is further provided with a receiver and a central computer communicatively connected with the receiver wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, a step e. and a step f. are carried out wherein in step e. by means of the receiver the information transmitted in step d. is received and wherein in step f. based on the received information in a step e. by means of the central computer a time period of the second type associated with the at least one predetermined type of activity is determined which ends on the moment in time on which the time period of the first type associated with the latest sensed occurrence of the at least one predetermined type of activity has ended and which starts on the moment in time on which the previous time period of the first type associated with the previous sensed occurrence of the at least one predetermined type of activity has ended and wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, further a. step g. is carried out by means of the central computer, wherein based on the received information in step g. processed information Yf(t) about the length of a time period of the first type associated with the at least one predetermined type of activity (f) is determined as Yf(t)=at.Xf(t)+(1−

at).Yf(t−

1) wherein Xf(t) is the length of a time period of the first type associated with the latest sensed at least one predetermined type of activity (f) divided by the length of the latest determined time period of the second type associated with the at least one predetermined type of activity (f) wherein Yf(t−

1) is the process information about previous determined information about a length of a time period of the first type associated with the at least one predetermined type of activity (f) and wherein at is a predetermined factor wherein 0<

at≤

1 and wherein f stands for the at least one predetermined type of activity.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, that in case that a length of a time period of the first type is smaller than or equal to the predetermined maximum length in time than the information of a determined length of a time period of the first type wherein the associated detected predetermined type of activity has taken place is recorded in one information block wherein, in case that a length of a time period of the first type is larger than the predetermined maximum length in time than:

the information of a length of a time period of the first type wherein the associated detected predetermined type of activity has taken place is recorded in a plurality of information blocks or the information of a length of a time period of the first type wherein the associated detected predetermined type of activity has taken place is recorded in one extended information block wherein the extended information block comprises a sufficient number of additional bits to store the information about the length of a time period of the first type.

17. The system according to claim 15 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, step a. and step b. are carried for a plurality of predetermined type of activities respectively.

18. The system according to claim 15 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, in step d. transmission is repeated on random or predetermined moments in time.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, in step d. transmission of a predetermined number of the latest determined information blocks is transmitted.

20. The system according to claim 15 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, at is fixed or at is the length of the latest determined time period of the second type divided by a constant factor C.

21. The system according to claim 20 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, the constant factor C is the length of a predetermined time interval such as one day.

22. The system according to claim 15 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, the at least one predetermined type of activity (f) is ruminating (f=H), eating (f=E) or resting (f=S).

23. The system according to claim 22 wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, the steps are also carried out for each sensed activity in step a. which is ruminating, eating or resting respectively.

24. The system according to claim 15 wherein the system is further provided with second processing means which is arranged such that, in use, in step a. movements of the animal are detected by means of the at least one sensor and the occurrence of the at least one predetermined type of activity of the animal is detected based on the detected movements by means of the second processing means.

25. The system according to claim 23 wherein the second processing means comprises a neural network or a microprocessor.

26. The system according to claim 24 wherein the first and second processing means are combined into one processing means.

29. The system according to claim 23, wherein the system is also arranged such that, in use, the steps are also carried out for each sensed activity in step a. which is for a rest group of activities (f=R) which differ from rumination, resting and eating.