Agricultural drone for use in livestock feeding

• US 10,231,441 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digi-Star LLC (Topcon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Digi-Star LLC (Topcon Corporation)
• Inventors: Horton, Christopher V., Vorpahl, Samuel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Jr., Richard T
• Application Number:
  US14/864,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 119 5102
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/10 Feed racks
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/01 Feed troughs; Feed pails A01K1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/02 Automatic devices automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/02 for measuring temperature of moving fluids or granular materials capable of flow

Abstract

A method and system utilizing one or more agricultural drones for real-time monitoring, delivery and dispensing of feed in feed bunks associated with feed lots.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a feedlot, the method comprising:

collecting information specific to at least one feed bunk of a plurality of feed bunks from a first agricultural drone flying over the plurality of feed bunks; and

transmitting the collected information specific to the at least one feed bunk in real-time from the first agricultural drone for monitoring the at least one feed bunk of the plurality of feed bunks.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a feed level of the at least one feed bunk based on the collected information specific to the at least one feed bunk; and

determining a feed ration for the at least one feed bunk of the plurality of feed bunks using the feed level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the feed ration is determined by a field management control center associated with the feedlot.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting information specific to at least one other feed bunk of the plurality of feed bunks from a second agricultural drone, the second agricultural drone flying substantially contemporaneously with the first agricultural drone; and

transmitting the collected information specific to the at least one other feed bunk in real-time from the second agricultural drone for monitoring the at least one other feed bunk.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

transmitting the collected information specific to the at least one other bunk in real-time from the second agricultural drone to at least one feed truck traversing the feedlot.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the collected information specific to the at least one feed bunk includes image data of a volume of feed associated with the at least one feed bunk.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

collecting and transmitting information specific to the at least one feed truck from the second agricultural drone.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one feed truck, the collected information specific to the at least one other feed bunk from the second agricultural drone in real-time; and

adjusting in real-time, by the at least one feed truck, a feed ration for the at least one other feed bunk using the collected information specific to the at least one other feed bunk received from the second agricultural drone, and

wherein the flying of the second agricultural drone and the traversing of the feedlot by the at least one feed truck occur substantially contemporaneously.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the feed level and the feed ration are determined by the first agricultural drone.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

adjusting, by the at least one feed truck, a particular feed ration for delivery to the at least one other feed bunk based on the collected information specific to the at least one feed truck.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the adjusting by the at least one feed truck includes an adjustment to a rate of dispensing feed from the at least one feed truck.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

determining a feed level of the at least one other feed bunk based on the collected information specific to the at least one other feed bunk transmitted from the second agricultural drone; and

determining a feed ration for the at least one other feed bunk using at least the feed level.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying, by the first agricultural drone, a particular one pen of a plurality of pens, the particular one pen being associated with the at least one feed bunk.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein the collected information specific to the at least one feed bunk includes a temperature of the at least one feed bunk.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein further comprising:

routing at least one feed truck of a plurality of feed trucks through the feedlot based on the collected information specific to the at least one feed bunk.