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IMPLEMENT FOR AUTOMATICALLY MILKING A DAIRY ANIMAL

  • US 20100186675A1
  • Filed: 08/28/2007
  • Published: 07/29/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An implement for automatically milking a dairy animal, comprising:

  • a milking parlour;

    a sensor for observing a teat of the dairy animal; and

    a milking robot for automatically attaching a teat cup to the teat, the milking robot comprising a robot control unit operatively connected to the sensor,wherein the sensor comprises;

    a radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation;

    a receiver for receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected from the dairy animal;

    a lens for imaging the reflected electromagnetic radiation onto the receiver;

    a sensor control unit; and

    a matrix with a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of receivers,wherein the sensor control unit is operatively connected to the radiation source to modulate the electromagnetic radiation, andwherein the sensor control unit determines for each of the receivers a phase difference between the emitted and the reflected electromagnetic radiation to calculate distances from the sensor to a plurality of points on the dairy animal.

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