DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT ANIMALS WHEN WALKING THROUGH AN ANIMAL PASSAGE

• US 20100246970A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GEA Farm Technologies GmbH (GEA Group AG)
• Original Assignee: GEA Westfaliasurge GmbH
• Inventors: Springer, Andreas, Nieswand, Elmar, Francke, Heinz, Pohlkamp, Manfred, Schönrock, Karsten
• Granted Patent: US 8,488,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/195
• 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 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and method for providing information about animals walking through an animal passage (I), the information comprising at least the number of animals walking through the animal passage, using a detection device having a sensor device connected to a processor for capturing animal data about animals walking through the animal passage, and an analysis device for recognizing animals in the data/signals captured by the sensor device for the purpose of outputting counter impulses when animals are detected in said signals, the sensor device being designed for producing 3D images, and the analysis device being designed for detecting animals in the 3D data of the 3D images and for counting the animals using said detection.

Claims

1. A device for providing information about a plurality of animals as they move through an animal passage, the device comprising:

a sensor device that senses three-dimensional image data about an animal in the animal passage; and

a processor for receiving the three-dimensional image data from the sensor device, and having an evaluation device for processing the three-dimensional image data from the sensor device to recognize an animal corresponding to the three-dimensional image data.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises at least one camera.

27. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises:

an illumination device that obtains the three-dimensional image data; and

a two-dimensional camera using a time of flight measurement.

28. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises:

a stereograph detector.

30. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor device comprises:

a laser triangulation device.

31. The device according to claim 1, and further comprising:

an identification device for identifying an animal in the animal passage.

32. The device according to claim 31, wherein the identification device comprises:

a data reader for reading data from an identification tag connected to an animal in the animal passage.

33. The device according to claim 31, wherein the identification device comprises:

a radio frequency data reader.

34. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

a direct identification device for comparing three-dimensional images produced using the three-dimensional image data from the sensor device to stored historical data.

35. The device according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device evaluates animal-specific data from the three-dimensional image data.

36. The device according to claim 1, wherein evaluation device determines nutrition data from the three-dimensional image data.

37. The device according to claim 36, wherein the processor processes and stores state of nutrition data for animals that move through the animal passage.

38. The device according to claim 36, wherein the processor generates data signals to be used for automatic feed optimization for animals using the determined nutrition state data.

39. The device according to claim 36, wherein the processor generates a tabulated output of nutrition data for at least one animal.

40. The device according to claim 36, wherein the processor generates an alarm when nutrition data deviates from a predetermined nutritional state.

41. The device according to claim 36, wherein nutrition data are determined, processed, and stored according to an evaluation scheme of a body condition score for a corresponding animal.

42. The device according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises:

controls for moveable devices on a milking robot.

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29. The device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor device comprises:

a plurality of cameras spaced apart from one another to generate stereographic images.

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43. A dairy animal milking installation having an animal passage through which animals move, the dairy animal milking installation including a device for providing information about an animal as it moves through the animal passage, the device comprising:

a sensor device that senses three-dimensional image data about an animal in the animal passage;

a processor for receiving the three-dimensional image data from the sensor device; and

an evaluation device for processing the three-dimensional data from the sensor device to identify the animal and to output counter pulses upon recognition of the animal.

44. A method for providing information about dairy animals as they move through an animal passage, the method comprising:

detecting an animal;

sensing data corresponding to the animal;

producing a three-dimensional image from the data corresponding to the animal; and

evaluating the three-dimensional images to determine a physical characteristic of the animal.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the step of producing a three-dimensional image comprises the step of:

producing a three-dimensional image of at least part of the animal; and

the method further comprising the steps of;

evaluating the three-dimensional image; and

producing counter pulses corresponding to the evaluation of the three-dimensional image.

46. The method according to claim 44, and further comprising the step of:

identifying the animal with an identification device.

47. The method according to claim 44, and further comprising the step of:

identifying the animal from the three-dimensional image.

48. The method according to claim 44, and further comprising the step of:

determining a plurality of animal parameters from the three-dimensional image.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein one of the animal parameters is a parameter corresponding to the state of health of the animals.

50. The method according to claim 48, and further comprising the step of:

storing at least one of the animal parameters in a database during a milking process.