SYSTEM FOR DEMARCATING AN AREA

• US 20100077960A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maasland N.V.
• Original Assignee: Maasland N.V.
• Inventors: Van Den Berg, Karel, Vlaar, Iwan Yves, Van Kuilenburg, Jan Marinus
• Granted Patent: US 7,997,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/14.170
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/105 Movable feed barriers, slides or fences
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 3/001 Portable, temporary, and collapsible fencing for pastures
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 3/005 Electrified fencing for pastures

Abstract

A system for demarcating an area comprises a movable demarcating element, and a control system for determining the magnitude and/or the moment of a next move of the movable demarcating element. The system furthermore comprises one or more observation devices for observing an entity near the movable demarcating element, such as a position of a dairy animal or an amount of grass in the area. The observation devices are operatively connected to the control system for transmitting a signal from the observation means to the control system. The control system is designed to receive and process the signal from the observation means to determine the magnitude and/or the moment of the next move of the movable demarcating element.

Claims

1. A system for demarcating an area, the system comprising:

a movable demarcating element;

a control system for determining the magnitude and/or the moment of a next move of the movable demarcating element; and

one or more observation devices for observing an entity near the movable demarcating element,

wherein the one or more observation devices are operatively connected to the control system for transmitting a signal from the one or more observation devices to the control system, and

wherein the control system is for receiving and processing the signal from the one or more observation devices to determine the magnitude and/or the moment of the next move of the movable demarcating element.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more observation devices comprise at least one of the following:

a light sensor, a climate sensor, a milk sensor, a sound sensor, a feed-dispensing sensor, and a position sensor connected to an animal.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the milk sensor is for measuring an amount of milk produced by at least one dairy animal.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the milk sensor is for measuring the composition of the milk produced by at least one dairy animal.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more observation devices comprise a camera for forming an image of the surroundings of the movable demarcating element.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the camera comprises:

a source of radiation for emitting electromagnetic radiation;

a matrix having several rows and several columns of receivers for receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected by an object;

a lens for displaying the reflected electromagnetic radiation on the receivers; and

a sensor control unit operatively connected to the source of radiation for modulating the electromagnetic radiation, for determining a phase difference for each of the receivers between the emitted and the reflected electromagnetic radiation.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first vehicle and wherein the control system is for transmitting a control signal to the first vehicle for moving the demarcating element.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more observation devices are for observing a position of a dairy animal or an amount of grass in the area.

9. A method for demarcating an area, the method comprising:

providing a movable demarcating element, a control system, and one or more observation devices operatively connected to the control system;

observing via the one or more observation devices, an entity near the movable demarcating element;

transmitting a signal from the one or more observation devices to the control system;

receiving in the control system the signal from the one or more observation devices; and

processing the signal to determine the magnitude and/or the moment of the next move of the movable demarcating element.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of observing via the one or more observation devices comprises observing using at least one of the following:

a light sensor, a climate sensor, a milk sensor, a sound sensor, a feed-dispensing sensor, and a position sensor connected to an animal.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of observing via the one or more observation devices comprises measuring an amount of milk produced by at least one dairy animal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the step of observing via the one or more observation devices comprises measuring the composition of the milk produced by at least one dairy animal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of observing via the one or more observation devices comprises forming an image of the surroundings of the movable demarcating element.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the camera comprises a source of radiation for emitting electromagnetic radiation, a matrix having a plurality of rows and columns of receivers, a lens, and a sensor control unit operatively connected to the source of radiation, and wherein the method further comprises:

emitting electromagnetic radiation from the source of radiation;

receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected by an object using the receivers;

displaying the reflected electromagnetic radiation using the lens;

modulating the electromagnetic radiation using the sensor control unit; and

determining a phase difference between the emitted and the reflected electromagnetic radiation for each of the receivers.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising providing a first vehicle and transmitting a control signal to the first vehicle for moving the demarcating element.

16. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of observing via the one or more observation devices comprises observing a position of a dairy animal or an amount of grass in the area.