Animal Management System Including Radio Animal Tag and Additional Transceiver(s)
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A facility management system for managing animals within a facility, the facility management system comprising:
- a beacon disposed at an area of interest located within the facility, the area of interest being smaller than the facility;
the beacon comprising a beacon transceiver;
the beacon transceiver being configured to broadcast a beacon signal over a beacon range encompassing at least a first portion of the area of interest;
the beacon signal comprising beacon information comprising an identifier of the area of interest;
an animal tag disposed on an animal, the animal being confined to a region of the facility including at least a second portion of the area of interest;
the animal tag comprising a tag transceiver and memory storing tag information;
the tag transceiver configured to receive the beacon signal when within the beacon range of the beacon and to transmit a tag signal comprising the tag information;
the tag information comprising indicia identifying the animal and, after the tag has been within the beacon range of the beacon, further comprising the beacon information, information generated upon receiving the beacon signal, or a combination thereof, anda reader disposed in or proximal to the region in which the animal is confined;
the reader comprising a reader transceiver;
the reader transceiver being configured to receive the tag signal and to transmit the tag information, information generated upon receiving the tag information, or a combination thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An animal management system includes a beacon, a radio animal tag configured to monitor the proximity of the animal tag to the beacon, and a reader configured to read information from the animal tag.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. A facility management system for managing animals within a facility, the facility management system comprising:
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a beacon disposed at an area of interest located within the facility, the area of interest being smaller than the facility;
the beacon comprising a beacon transceiver;
the beacon transceiver being configured to broadcast a beacon signal over a beacon range encompassing at least a first portion of the area of interest;
the beacon signal comprising beacon information comprising an identifier of the area of interest;an animal tag disposed on an animal, the animal being confined to a region of the facility including at least a second portion of the area of interest;
the animal tag comprising a tag transceiver and memory storing tag information;
the tag transceiver configured to receive the beacon signal when within the beacon range of the beacon and to transmit a tag signal comprising the tag information;
the tag information comprising indicia identifying the animal and, after the tag has been within the beacon range of the beacon, further comprising the beacon information, information generated upon receiving the beacon signal, or a combination thereof, anda reader disposed in or proximal to the region in which the animal is confined;
the reader comprising a reader transceiver;
the reader transceiver being configured to receive the tag signal and to transmit the tag information, information generated upon receiving the tag information, or a combination thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An animal management system comprising:
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a beacon, the beacon comprising a beacon transceiver;
the beacon transceiver being configured to broadcast a beacon signal over a beacon range;
the beacon signal comprising beacon information comprising an identifier of an area of interest;
the beacon range encompassing the area of interest;an animal tag, the animal tag comprising memory and a tag transceiver;
the memory being configured to store tag information;
the tag transceiver configured to receive the beacon signal and to transmit a tag signal comprising the tag information;
the tag information comprising indicia identifying the animal tag, the beacon information, information generated upon receiving the beacon signal, or a combination thereof, and a reader, the reader comprising a reader transceiver;
the reader transceiver being configured to receive the tag signal and to transmit the tag information, information generated upon receiving the tag information, or a combination thereof. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of monitoring animal behavior comprising:
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providing an animal and an animal tag coupled to the animal;
the animal tag comprising a tag transceiver and memory storing tag information comprising indicia identifying the animal;
the animal being enclosed in a region of a facility including at least a portion of an area of interest;
the area of interest being within and smaller than the facility;broadcasting from a beacon a beacon signal encompassing the area of interest;
the beacon signal comprising beacon information comprising an identifier of the area of interest;receiving the beacon signal at the tag transceiver when the animal is in or adjacent to the area of interest, the memory of the animal tag storing tag information comprising the beacon information, information generated at the animal tag when the beacon signal is received, or a combination thereof; transmitting from the tag to the reader a tag signal comprising tag information; receiving at the reader transceiver the tag signal from the animal tag; transmitting reader information from the reader transceiver to a data manager, the reader information including the tag information, information generated when the tag information is received at the reader, or a combination thereof; processing the reader information received by the data manager to determine a status of the animal; and presenting an alert if the status of the animal is outside predefined parameters. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method of monitoring animal feeding and drinking behavior, the method comprising:
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providing an animal and an animal tag coupled to the animal;
the animal tag comprising a tag transceiver and memory storing tag information comprising indicia identifying the animal;
the animal being in a region of a facility;
the animal being able to access a feed trough and a water trough from the region;broadcasting a water trough beacon signal over a first beacon range that encompasses the water trough;
the water trough beacon signal comprising water trough beacon information comprising an identifier of the water trough;broadcasting a feed trough beacon signal over a second beacon range that encompasses the feed trough;
the feed trough beacon signal comprising feed trough beacon information comprising an identifier of the feed trough;receiving the water trough beacon signal at the tag transceiver when the animal is located at the water trough; receiving the feed trough beacon signal at the tag transceiver when the animal is located at the feed trough; storing tag information in the memory of the tag, the tag information comprising an indication the animal has been proximate the water trough, an indication the animal has been proximate the feed trough, or a combination thereof; transmitting from the tag to a reader a tag signal comprising the tag information; receiving the tag signal at the reader; transmitting reader information to a data manager, the reader information comprising the tag information, information generated when the tag signal is received at the reader, or a combination thereof, processing the reader information at the data manager to determine an animal nourishment status indicating whether the animal has been proximate the feed trough, the water trough, or a combination thereof, displaying the animal nourishment status to a user; and displaying an alert if the animal nourishment status indicates the animal has not been proximate the feed trough, the water trough, or a combination thereof for a predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of monitoring processing of an animal comprising:
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providing an animal and an animal tag coupled to the animal;
the animal tag comprising a tag transceiver and memory storing tag information comprising indicia identifying the animal;
the animal moving through a chute;broadcasting a chute entrance beacon signal over a first beacon range that encompasses an entrance to the chute;
the chute entrance beacon signal comprising first beacon information comprising an identifier of the entrance to the chute;receiving at the tag transceiver the chute entrance beacon signal when the animal enters the chute; processing the animal while the animal is located within the chute; broadcasting a chute exit beacon signal over a second beacon range that encompasses an exit from the chute;
the chute exit beacon signal comprising second beacon information comprising an identifier of the exit from the chute;receiving the chute exit beacon signal at the tag transceiver when the animal has been processed and is exiting the chute; storing tag information in the memory of the tag, the tag information comprising a type of processing and indicia indicating completion of the processing; transmitting from the tag to a reader a tag signal comprising the tag information; receiving the tag signal at the reader; transmitting reader information from the reader to a data manager, the reader information comprising the tag information, information generated when the tag information is received at the reader, or a combination thereof; processing the information received by the data manager to determine whether the animal has been adequately processed; and presenting an alert indicating a status of the animal if the animal has not been adequately processed. - View Dependent Claims (59)
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Specification