ANIMAL MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100107985A1
• Filed: 03/18/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faire Limited
• Original Assignee: Fairelimited
• Inventors: O'Hare, Brendan
• Granted Patent: US 9,198,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/174
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating

Abstract

An animal monitoring system, comprising a real time location system (RTLS) for individually identifying and tracking the movements of tagged animals in three dimensions within a monitoring zone, and means for discriminating between different activities of at least one animal based upon the location of the animal'"'"'s tag within the zone.

Claims

1. An animal monitoring system, comprising a real time location system (RTLS) for individually identifying and tracking the movements of tagged animals in three dimensions within a monitoring zone, and means for discriminating between different activities of at least one animal based upon the location of the animal'"'"'s tag within the zone.

2. An animal monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discriminating means discriminates between different activities of at least one animal by comparing the location of the animal'"'"'s tag within the zone with a datum in a computer model of the zone.

3. An animal monitoring system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the discriminating means discriminates between different activities of at least one animal by comparing the location of the animal'"'"'s tag within the zone with the location of a second animal'"'"'s tag within the zone.

4. An animal monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the location of the tag of each animal in three-dimensions within the monitoring zone is established using mulitlateration techniques, such as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) or Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) techniques.

5. An animal monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system further includes at least one video camera for welfare surveillance of animals passing individually through a further zone.

6. An animal monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system further includes means for individually identifying each animal.

7. An animal monitoring system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each animal is identified by a unique identifier code associated with the animal'"'"'s tag.

8. An animal monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the monitoring zone comprises a dairy shed.

9. An animal monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the RTLS uses ultra-wideband technology, said animal tags comprising ultra-wide band tags and said RTLS comprising a plurality of ultra-wide band readers.

10. An animal monitoring system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the results of the animal monitoring system are displayed on a graphical user interface.

11. A method of monitoring animals comprising individually identifying and tracking the movements of tagged animals in three dimensions within a monitoring zone, and discriminating between different activities of at least one animal based upon the location of the animal'"'"'s tag within the zone.