SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF MANAGING A GROUP OF ANIMALS

• US 20100154722A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Maasland N.V.
• Original Assignee: Maasland N.V.
• Inventors: Van Den Berg, Karel, Voogd, Lucien Eliza Niels
• Application Number:
  US12/713,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20100154722A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/720
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/008 incorporating GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

A system for and method of managing a group of animals include a control system, a camera operatively connected to it for forming a depth-image of at least one animal, and an animal management or actuator mechanism operatively connected to the control system. The control system compares information regarding the depth-image formed by the camera with reference information regarding the animal, generates control information on this basis, and sends the control information to the animal management or actuator mechanism. The camera includes an emitting source of electromagnetic radiation, a matrix with a plurality of rows and columns of receivers for receiving radiation reflected from the animal, a lens for displaying the reflected radiation on the receivers, and a sensor controller operatively connected to the source of radiation in order to modulate the radiation and determine for each of the receivers a phase difference between the emitted and the reflected radiation.

Claims

1. A system arranged to manage a group of animals, comprising:

a control system,

a camera, operatively connected to the control system, for forming a depth-image of at least one of the animals, and

an animal management or actuator mechanism operatively connected to the control system, wherein the control system;

compares information regarding the depth-image formed by the camera with reference information regarding the animal,

generates control information on the basis of this comparison, and

sends the control information to the animal management or actuator mechanism, and

wherein the camera comprises;

a source of radiation for emitting electromagnetic radiation,

a matrix with a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of receivers for receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected from the dairy animal,

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

a sensor controller operatively connected to the source of radiation in order to modulate the electromagnetic radiation and for determining for each of the receivers a phase difference between the emitted and the reflected electromagnetic radiation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the animals comprises dairy animals.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises light.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the animal management or actuator mechanism comprises actuators.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the actuators are operatively connected to an animal guiding mechanism.

6. A method of managing a group of animals, comprising:

emitting modulated electromagnetic radiation in the direction of at least one of the animals,

receiving, by a matrix with a plurality of rows and columns of receivers, electromagnetic radiation which has been reflected by at least one part of at least one animal from the group of animals,

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

calculating a depth-image of the at least one part of the at least one animal,

comparing information regarding the observed depth-image with reference information regarding the animal,

generating control information on the basis of this comparison.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises light.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the group of animals comprises dairy animals.

9. The method according to claim 6, followed by a step of generating meta-information regarding a plurality of animals, by analysing the control information of the animal.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the meta-information comprises a list of animals which should be treated separately from other animals in the group of animals.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the control information comprises information regarding the separation of at least one animal from the group of animals.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the control information relates to information regarding the layout of an accommodation for the at least one animal.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein the control information relates to information regarding the feeding of one or a plurality of animals.

14. The method according claim 6, wherein the control information relates to information regarding an indication of the health of the at least one animal.

15. The method according claim 6, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is emitted to, and received from, a plurality of animals.

16. A system comprising a computer and the matrix according to claim 6, wherein the computer is programmed to perform the steps of determining the phase difference, calculating the depth-image, comparing the information regarding the observed depth-image with reference information regarding the animal, and generating the control information on the basis of this comparison.

17. Computer readable medium comprising program instructions for programming the computer according to claim 16.