TECHNOLOGIES FOR MANAGING THE HEALTH OF LIVESTOCK

• US 20170280687A1
• Filed: 04/02/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Vrabete, Bradut, Kelly, Mark, Nolan, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 10,912,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/004 with electronic identification means, e.g. transponders
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Technologies for managing the health of livestock include one or more livestock health sensor systems configured to determine livestock health data of livestock animals. The livestock health data includes livestock health characteristic data indicative of a health characteristic of the corresponding livestock animal associated livestock identification data that uniquely identifies each livestock animal. The livestock identification data is received by each livestock health sensor system from a livestock identification tag coupled to the corresponding livestock animal. Each livestock health sensor system transmits the determined livestock health data to a livestock health monitoring server, which aggregates the livestock health data for each livestock animal and analyzes the health data to determine whether any abnormalities are present. If so, the livestock health monitoring server may control a livestock treatment device to provide treatment to the corresponding livestock animal on a per-animal basis.

Claims

1. A livestock health sensor system comprising:

a communication circuit to receive livestock identification data from a livestock identification tag coupled to a livestock animal, wherein the livestock identification data uniquely identifies the livestock animal from other livestock animals of a herd;

a livestock health sensor to produce sensor data indicative of a health characteristic of the livestock animal; and

a controller to (i) determine livestock health characteristic data indicative of the health characteristic of the livestock animal based on the sensor data, (ii) associate the livestock health characteristic data and the livestock identification data, and (iii) control the communication circuit to transmit the livestock characteristic data and the livestock identification data to a livestock health monitoring server.

2. The livestock health sensor system of claim 1, further comprising a presence sensor to generate presence sensor data indicative of a presence of the livestock animal relative to the livestock health sensor system,

wherein the controller is further to determine whether the livestock animal is present relative to the livestock health sensor system based on the presence sensor data, and

wherein to receive the livestock identification data comprises to receive, in response to detection of the presence of the livestock animal, the livestock identification data.

3. The livestock health sensor system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further to analyze the livestock health characteristic data to determine whether an alert condition exists.

4. The livestock health sensor system of claim 3, wherein the controller is further to control the communication circuit to transmit an alert notification to the livestock health monitoring server in response to a determination that the alert condition exists, wherein the alert notification provides an indication that the livestock health characteristic data is abnormal.

5. A livestock identification tag comprising:

a communication circuit;

a memory having stored therein livestock identification data that uniquely identifies a livestock animal to which the livestock identification tag is to be coupled; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the controller is to retrieve the livestock identification tag from the memory and control the communication circuit to transmit the livestock identification tag to a compute device.

6. The livestock identification tag of claim 5, wherein to retrieve the livestock identification data comprises to retrieve the livestock identification data from the memory in response to an interrogation signal received from the compute device.

7. The livestock identification tag of claim 5, wherein the communication circuit is further to receive, from the compute device, an alert notification that includes livestock health characteristic data indicative of a health characteristic of the livestock animal, and

wherein the controller is further to store the livestock health characteristic data in the memory.

8. The livestock identification tag of claim 5, further comprising an indicator to provide an indication, and

wherein the communication circuit is further to receive, from the compute device, an alert notification that includes an instruction to activate the indicator of the livestock identification tag and the controller is further to active the indicator in response to the instruction.

9. A livestock treatment device to provide treatment to a livestock animal, the livestock treatment device comprising:

an actuator controllable to provide a treatment to the livestock animal;

a communication circuit to receive livestock identification data from a livestock identification tag coupled to the livestock animal, wherein the livestock identification data uniquely identifies the livestock animal from other livestock animals of a herd; and

a controller to (i) determine whether the livestock animal is to be treated based on the livestock identification data and (ii) control the actuator to provide the treatment to the livestock animal in response to a determination that the livestock animal is to be treated.

10. The livestock treatment device of claim 9, further comprising a presence sensor to generate presence sensor data indicative of a presence of the livestock animal relative to the livestock treatment device,

wherein the controller is to determine whether the livestock animal is present relative to the livestock treatment device based on the presence sensor data, and

wherein to receive the livestock identification data comprises to receive the livestock identification data in response to a determination that the livestock animal is present.

11. The livestock treatment device of claim 9, further comprising a memory having stored therein a livestock treatment list that identifies livestock identification data of livestock animals that are to be treated, and

wherein to determine whether the livestock animal is to be treated comprises to compare the livestock identification data to the livestock treatment list.

12. The livestock treatment device of claim 11, wherein:

the communication circuit is further to receive update data from a livestock health monitoring server, wherein the update data comprises livestock identification data that identifies livestock animals to be treated, and

the controller is further to update the livestock treatment list with the update data.

13. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a livestock health sensor system, cause the livestock health sensor system to:

receive livestock identification data from a livestock identification tag coupled to a livestock animal, wherein the livestock identification data uniquely identifies the livestock animal from other livestock animals of a herd;

determine livestock health characteristic data indicative of a health characteristic of the livestock animal based on sensor data produced by a livestock health sensor of the livestock health sensor system;

associate the livestock health characteristic data and the livestock identification data; and

transmit the livestock characteristic data and the livestock identification data to a livestock health monitoring server.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the livestock health sensor system, further cause the livestock health sensor system to:

generate presence sensor data indicative of a presence of the livestock animal relative to the livestock health sensor system; and

determine whether the livestock animal is present relative to the livestock health sensor system based on the presence sensor data,

wherein to receive the livestock identification data comprises to receive the livestock identification data in response to a determination that the livestock animal is present.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the livestock health sensor system, further cause the livestock health sensor system to analyze the livestock health characteristic data to determine whether an alert condition exists.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the livestock health sensor system, further cause the livestock health sensor system to transmit an alert notification to the livestock health monitoring server in response to a determination that the alert condition exists, wherein the alert notification provides an indication that the livestock health characteristic data is abnormal.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a livestock identification tag, cause the livestock identification tag to:

retrieve a livestock identification data from a memory of the livestock identification tag, wherein the livestock identification data uniquely identifies the livestock animal; and

transmitting, by a communication circuit of the livestock identification tag, the livestock identification data to a compute device.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the livestock identification tag, further cause the livestock identification tag to:

receive, from the compute device, an alert notification that includes livestock health characteristic data indicative of a health characteristic of the livestock animal, and

store the livestock health characteristic data in the memory.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the livestock identification tag, further cause the livestock identification tag to:

receive, from the compute device, an alert notification that an instruction to activate an indicator of the livestock identification tag; and

activate, in response to the instruction, the indicator of the livestock identification tag.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a livestock treatment device, cause the livestock treatment device to:

receive livestock identification data from a livestock identification tag coupled to a livestock animal, wherein the livestock identification data uniquely identifies the livestock animal from other livestock animals of a herd;

determine whether the livestock animal is to be treated based on the livestock identification data; and

actuate an actuator of the livestock treatment device to provide the treatment to the livestock animal in response to a determination that the livestock animal is to be treated.

21. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the livestock treatment device, further cause the livestock treatment device to:

generate presence sensor data indicative of a presence of the livestock animal relative to the livestock treatment device; and

determine whether the livestock animal is present relative to the livestock treatment device based on the presence sensor data,

wherein to receive the livestock identification data comprises to receive the livestock identification data in response to a determination that the livestock animal is present.

22. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein to determine whether the livestock animal is to be treated comprises to compare the livestock identification data to a livestock treatment list stored in a memory of the livestock treatment device, wherein the livestock treatment list identifies livestock identification data of livestock animals that are to be treated.

23. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 22, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the livestock treatment device, further cause the livestock treatment device to:

receive update data from a livestock health monitoring server, wherein the update data comprises livestock identification data identifying livestock animals to be treated, and

update the livestock treatment list with the update data.