Method and system for managing and operating a plurality of farm houses

• US 20050010333A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CTB Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CTB Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lorton, Brad W., Niemeyer, Douglas J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,317,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/275
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/00 Marking of animals marking poultry or other birds A01K35/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 31/18 Chicken coops or houses for baby chicks; Brooders including auxiliary features, e.g. feeding, watering, demanuring, heating, ventilation battery breeding cages A01K31/005
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 31/22 Poultry runs ; Poultry houses, including auxiliary features, e.g. feeding, watering, demanuring air-conditioning of poultry runs or houses A01K1/0047
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis

Abstract

A system for monitoring, managing, and/or operating a plurality of farm houses on a plurality of farms. The system includes a controller and/or a monitor box in the farm house and a computer in communication with the controller for controlling and adjusting various parameters of the farm house or with the monitor box for monitoring the farm house. The system also includes a computer at an integrator'"'"'s office that is operable to monitor and/or control various parameters from the farm house remotely. These parameters enable the integrator to coordinate operations with processing plants, feed mills, field service and hatcheries. It also enables the integrator to prepare various data reports for use by the integrator or others.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring a sensor in a farm house, comprising:

an user input mechanism operable to allow a first user to input an instruction;

a data input mechanism operable to receive a signal from a source positioned in a farm house;

a processor operable to process at least one of the instruction or the signal; and

a transmission portion operable to transmit a data to a second user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second user data storage system;

wherein said transmission portion is operable to transmit the data to said second user data storage system;

wherein said second user is operable to process the data substantially remote from said data input mechanism.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said source includes a sensor operable to sense a condition and produce a signal based upon the condition;

wherein said data input mechanism is operable to receive the signal and said processor operable to determine a data based upon said signal regarding the condition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transmission portion is operable to transmit the data to the second user in a substantially secure format.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said source includes a sensor operable to sense a condition including at least one of a temperature, a humidity, a weight sensor, an air speed, a water meter, a feed flow rate meter, or combinations thereof;

wherein said source is operably interconnected with said data input mechanism to allow said processor to process the signal from said source.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said sensor includes a plurality of sensors wherein each of said plurality of sensors is operable to sense a selected state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is operable to receive the signal from said source and produce a data set based upon said signal from said source.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transmission system includes a wireless transmission system, a wire transmission system, a radiation transmission system, and combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a modem operable to allow said transmission system to transmit a data set formed from the signal from said sensor to a selected user.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said source is operable to be positioned in a farm house to monitor at least a selected state within the farm house;

wherein said data input system is operable to receive the signal from said sensor to monitor a state of the farm house.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said transmission system transmits data regarding the monitored signal to a user remote from the farm house.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said transmission may be substantially encrypted as the data set is transmitted from the farm house.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the transmission system transmits data to an integrator remote from the farm house.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the integrator may do at least one of provide a signal, provide a web page, provide an alert, provide a schedule or combinations thereof based upon the data set transmitted to the integrator from the farm house.

15. A farm house monitoring system, comprising:

a sensor operable to sense a condition of a farm house and produce a signal based upon a state of the condition;

an input portion operable to receive the signal from said sensor;

a processor operable to process the signal from said sensor;

an output portion operable to output the signal processed by said processor; and

a transmitter operable to transmit the processed signal to a user.

16. The farm house monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said sensor includes a temperature sensor, a feed rate sensor, a water rate sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, or combinations thereof.

17. The farm house monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said sensor includes a plurality of sensors wherein each of said sensors is operable to monitor a unique condition of said farm house.

18. The farm house monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said processor is operable to produce a data set based upon said signal from said sensor wherein the condition of the farm house is substantially transformed by said processor to a digital dataset.

19. The farm house monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said output portion is operable to output the dataset produced by said processor to the user.

20. The farm house monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said transmitter is operable to produce a substantially digital dataset produced by said processor based upon the signal from said sensor;

wherein the user is operable to manipulate the dataset transmitted by said transmitter.

21. The farm house monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit a dataset processed by said processor in a substantially secure manner.

22. The farm house monitoring system of claim 15, wherein said transmitter is operable to transmit the processed signal in at least one of a substantially wireless or a wired manner.

23. A method of monitoring data regarding conditions relative to a farm house, comprising:

sensing a condition regarding the farm house with a sensor;

monitoring the sensed condition of the farm house;

transmitting the sensed condition to a user; and

determining an operation of the farm house based at least upon the transmitted sensed condition.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

positioning a sensor within the farm house to sense the condition within the farm house and produce a signal regarding the sensed condition.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein monitoring the sensed condition includes:

processing a signal from the sensor regarding the sensed condition; and

producing a data regarding the sensed condition.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

securing the transmission of the sensed condition to the user.

27. The method of claim 23, determining an operation includes producing at least one of an alert, a report, an accessible database, or combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein determining an operation of the farm house includes transmitting the sent condition to a user substantially remote from the farm house;

wherein the user is operable to determine an operation of the farm house based upon the sent condition of the farm house.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing a user system operable to receive the transmission of the sensed condition, wherein the user system is operable to determine an operation of the farm house based upon the transmitted sensed condition; and

providing an operational instruction from the user for the farm house.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing a farm house operator substantially separate from the user;

wherein the user provides the instruction to the farm house operator in a substantially real time manner.