Method and system for tracking and managing animals and/or food products

• US 20060201432A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Beef Technologies Ltd (MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,681,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/51.20
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and system are described for tracking and managing animals and/or food products. These embodiments can include entering into a computer system identification data for animals and location data for locations occupied by the animals. This data can be collected, for example, by a data service provider and transmitted to a data trustee. The data trustee may filter the data into official data and non-official data. The official data may be sent to an official database. When a public health issue arises, such as an occurrence of mad cow disease, the government may use an identifier for a diseased animal or a location identifier to request a trace report from the data trustee. The data trustee may then use the official data to provide a report showing, for example, which animals have commingled with the diseased animal. Based on this report, other sick or potentially sick animals can be treated, quarantined, or slaughtered. As another example, the disclosed embodiments may be used to facilitate commercial transactions by providing data that validates, for example, an animal'"'"'s health and food quality.

Claims

1. A method for tracking animals destined for commercial food production, comprising:

entering into a computer system data relating to individual animals and correlating the data with an identification of the individual animals in the computer system;

entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier for the animal enabling the computer system to identify each animal and distinguish it from every other animal in a group;

entering into the computer system location data for identified individual animals for a location or locations occupied by the identified animals;

correlating in the computer system the location data for each animal with its identification; and

allowing a user to review a record for an identified animal that includes a location identifier for the present location of the animal and that the identified animal occupied a previous location without disclosing a previous location identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining from data in the computer system a location or locations occupied by an initially identified animal.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with the initially identified animal.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising enabling a user to review a record for an identified animal that includes a location of the animal, a movement destination location of the animal, and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising enabling a seller of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for the present location of the animal and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

6. The method according to claim 5 whereby the seller makes available the identification and location data for the identified animal to a buyer.

7. The method according to claim 5 whereby a seller provides information to a buyer to help the buyer make a purchase decision concerning the identified animal.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for the seller location of the animal and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for a location of the animal when owned by a seller and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier selected from the group of an RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the RFID device is recyclable.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the RFID device is an RFID ear tag, RFID implant, RFID bolus, or combinations thereof.

13. The method according to claim 10 further comprising entering into the computer system multiple identifiers for the identified animal.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the multiple identifiers include an RFID device, a visual device and a DNA profile.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the RFID device is an ear tag.

16. The method according to claim 1 further comprising entering into the computer system data for animals commingled from different locations.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with an initially identified animal.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier selected from the group of RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof.

19. The method according to claim 18 further comprising entering into the computer system multiple identifiers for the identified animal.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the multiple identifiers include an RFID ear tag, a visual device and a DNA profile.

21. The method according to claim 14 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the identifier is selected from the group of RFID devices, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof.

23. The method according to claim 21 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for the seller location of the animal and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

24. The method according to claim 1 wherein the location data comprises location data generated by a GPS device.

25. A method implemented by a computer system for tracking an animal destined for commercial food production, comprising:

entering into a computer system data relating to individual animals and correlating the data with an identification of the individual animals in the computer system;

entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier for the animal enabling the computer system to identify each animal and distinguish it from every other animal in a group;

entering into the computer system location data for identified individual animals for a location or locations occupied by the identified animals;

correlating in the computer system the location data for each animal with its identification; and

enabling confidential information to be filtered from data entered into the computer system to enable a user to review a filtered record.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the confidential information includes a previous location identified for an identified animal.

27. The method according to claim 25 further comprising determining from data in the computer system that an initially identified animal occupied a prior location or locations without disclosing a prior location identifier.

28. The method according to claim 27 and further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with the initially identified animal.

29. The method according to claim 25 further comprising enabling a user to review a record for an identified animal that includes a location of the animal, a movement destination location of the animal, and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

30. The method according to claim 25 further comprising enabling a seller of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for the present location of the animal and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

31. The method according to claim 30 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier selected from the group of RFID device retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof.

32. The method according to claim 30 whereby the seller makes available the identification and location data for the identified animal to a buyer.

33. The method according to claim 30 whereby a seller provides information to a buyer to aid the buyer to make a purchase decision concerning the identified animal.

34. The method according to claim 25 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for the seller location of the animal and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

35. The method according to claim 25 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for the seller location of the animal and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

36. The method according to claim 25 further comprising enabling a buyer of an identified animal to review a record of the identified animal that includes a location identifier for a location of the animal when owned by a seller and that the animal occupied a previous location without disclosing the previous location identifier.

37. The method according to claim 25 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier selected from the group of RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof.

38. The method according to claim 37 wherein the RFID device is recyclable.

39. The method according to claim 37 wherein the RFID device is an RFID ear tag, an RFID implant, and combinations thereof.

40. The method according to claim 37 further comprising entering into the computer system multiple identifiers for the identified animal.

41. The method according to claim 40 wherein the multiple identifiers include an RFID ear tag, a visual device and a DNA profile.

42. The method according to claim 25 further comprising entering into the computer system data for animals commingled from different locations.

43. The method according to claim 42 and further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with an initially identified animal.

44. The method according to claim 43 further comprising entering into the computer system the identification of each animal from a physical identifier selected from the group of RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, brand, and combinations thereof.

45. The method according to claim 44 further comprising entering into the computer system multiple identifiers for the identified animal.

46. The method according to claim 45 wherein the multiple identifiers include an RFID ear tag, a visual device and a DNA profile.

47. The method according to claim 25 wherein the location data comprises location data generated by a GPS device.

48. A method implemented by a computer system for tracking an animal destined for commercial food production, comprising:

transmitting data associated with the animal to the computer system comprising at least an animal identifier;

collecting transmitted animal data in the computer system, wherein the animal data is correlated according to the animal identifier;

associating a set of previous location identifiers with the animal identifier in the computer system, wherein the set of previous location identifiers is associated with a set of previous locations occupied by the animal;

associating a current location identifier with the animal identifier in the computer system, wherein the current location identifier uniquely identifies a current location of the animal; and

enabling a report to be generated to list the current location of the animal and the set of previous locations occupied by the animal, wherein the set of previous location identifiers is filtered.

49. The method according to claim 48 wherein enabling a report to be generated of the current location and previous locations occupied by the animal further comprises filtering the current location identifier.

50. The method according to claim 48 further comprising identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with an initially identified animal.

51. The method according to claim 50 wherein identifying in the computer system the subsequently identified animal comprises:

comparing the set of previous location identifiers to a set of location identifiers associated with the subsequently identified animal;

correlating a subset of data from the animal data to a subset of data associated with the subsequently identified animal; and

filtering the set of previous location identifiers and the set of location identifiers associated with the subsequently identified animal.

52. The method according to claim 51 further comprising identifying in the computer system a second subsequently identified animal that shared at least one location with the first subsequently identified animal.

53. The method according to claim 48 wherein enabling a report to be generated of the current location and the previous locations occupied by the animal comprises enabling a user to review the report.

54. The method according to claim 48 wherein transmitting individual animal data to the computer system comprises transmitting the individual animal data to the computer system from a physical identifier.

55. The method according to claim 54 wherein the physical identifier is an RFID device ear tag, a retinal scan, a DNA profiler, a visual device, a bar code device, a brand, or a combination thereof.

56. The method according to claim 55 wherein the RFID device is recyclable.

57. The method according to claim 55 wherein the RFID device is an RFID ear tag, an RFID implant, an RFID bolus, or a combination thereof.

58. The method according to claim 48 wherein enabling a report to be generated of the current location and the set of previous locations occupied by the animal comprises enabling a buyer of the animal to view the report.

59. The method according to claim 48 wherein enabling a report to be generated of the current location and the set of previous locations occupied by the animal comprises enabling a seller of an identified animal to review the report.

60. The method according to claim 59 wherein the seller discloses the animal identifier and the set of previous location identifiers to a buyer to aid the buyer in a purchase decision of the identified animal.

61. The method according to claim 55 further comprising inputting into the computer system multiple identifiers for the animal from physical identifiers.

62. The method according to claim 61 wherein the multiple identifiers are selected from the group of RFID devices, a visual device and a DNA profile.

63. The method according to claim 48, further comprising transmitting data into the computer system for a set of animals that commingled with the initial animal at one of the set of previous locations.

64. The method according to claim 48 wherein enabling a report to be generated of the current location and the set of previous locations occupied by the animal further comprises enabling a user to view a movement location of the animal.

65. A system for tracing an animal, comprising:

a physical identifier to transmit animal data, wherein at least a portion of the animal data comprises an animal identifier;

a data reader to read transmitted animal data from the physical identifier;

a data service provider to store received data from the data reader, wherein the data service provider adds to the animal data a premises identifier that corresponds to a location, wherein the data service provider correlates the animal data according to the animal identification value; and

a data trustee to receive at least a portion of the animal data from the data service provider and to filter confidential information from the received data, wherein the data trustee generates a trace report based on the received animal data and wherein the data trustee applies a filter to the received animal data to screen the confidential information.

66. The system according to claim 65, wherein the physical identifier device is an RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, band, and combinations thereof.

67. The system according to claim 66 wherein the RFID physical identifier is selected from the group consisting of RFID ear tag, RFID implant, RFID bolus, RFID recyclable device, and combinations thereof.

68. The system according to claim 65 wherein the trace report lists locations that an animal has occupied without disclosing the premises identifier.

69. The system according to claim 65 wherein the trace report lists official data.

70. The system according to claim 69 wherein the trace report is accessible to be reviewed by users.

71. The system according to claim 70 wherein the user is a buyer.

72. The system according to claim 70 wherein the user is a seller.

73. The system according to claim 70 wherein the trace report is correctable.

75. The system according to claim 65 further comprising a public-accessible storage center to which the data trustee sends official data.

76. The system according to claim 65 wherein the data trustee reconciles the premises identifier against a premises identifier repository.

77. The system according to claim 65 wherein the data trustee reconciles the animal identifier against an animal identification repository.

78. The system according to claim 65 wherein the data trustee maintains a database.

79. The system according to claim 78 wherein the database is a secured database.

80. The system according to claim 65 wherein the premises identifier is allocated by a premises allocator.

81. The system according to claim 65 wherein the data trustee generates a report identifying in the computer system a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with an initially identified animal.

82. The system according to claim 65 wherein the data trustee further generates a confirmation report upon receipt of the received data.

83. The system according to claim 65 further comprising a GPS device for transmitting location data for an identified animal.

74. The system claim according to 73 further comprising a web-based interface for correcting the trace report.

84. A method implemented by a computer system for tracing the location of animals that have commingled with a diseased animal, comprising:

requesting a trace report from a data trustee upon discovering the diseased animal;

generating a trace report that filters confidential information; and

identifying location of animals that have commingled with the diseased animal.

85. The method according to claim 84 further comprises implementing a treatment strategy for animals that have commingled with the diseased animal.

86. The method according to claim 85 wherein the treatment strategy comprises treating the disease, quarantining the animals, slaughtering the animals, or a combination thereof.

87. The method according to 86 wherein the diseased animal is affected by a foreign animal disease.

88. The method according to 87 wherein the animal disease is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease).

89. The method according to 84 wherein requesting a trace report from a data trustee comprises:

determining an animal identifier for the diseased animal;

performing a data look-up in a public sector database to retrieve a data record address that stores diseased animal data; and

retrieving the diseased animal data from the data trustee using the data record address.

90. The method according to claim 89 wherein generating the trace report comprises:

performing a search on official and non-official data stored at the data trustee for location history data, wherein the search is performed using the animal identifier of the diseased animal;

compiling the location history data for the diseased animal;

comparing the location history data of the diseased animal to the other animals;

generating a report of shared locations wherein the diseased animal commingled with others; and

filtering non-official information from the report.

91. A method for creating a buffer between commercial animal information systems and government sponsored animal systems comprising:

collecting animal data;

distinguishing the animal data into official and non-official data;

storing non-official data in a secure environment; and

implementing security procedures to protect the non-official data.

92. A method for tracking animals destined for commercial food production, comprising:

gathering location data for locations occupied by individual animals using RF triangulation or trilateration devices associated with the individual animals;

entering or transmitting the location data into a computer system; and

correlating the location data with identifiers for the individual animal.

93. The method according to claim 92 further comprising using the location data to determine whether an initially identified animal was intimately associated with a subsequently identified animal that was at least temporarily commingled with the initially identified animal.

94. The method according to claim 92 wherein the RF triangulation or trilateration devices are GPS devices.

95. The method according to claim 92 wherein the RF triangulation or trilateration devices are integrated with physical identification devices associated with the individual animals.