System for animal evaluation through image acquisition
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for evaluating changeable configuration bodies with each such body during its evaluation moving through first and second scenes, corresponding to differing first and second fields of view, in each of which changes occur in configuration of that body during such movement, said method comprising:
- acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene at a selected time during movement of a body undergoing evaluation simultaneously through said first and second scenes, there being a body image portion corresponding to that body in said first scene image and a remainder image portion in said first scene image corresponding to those portions of said first scene image remaining after excluding said body image portion therefrom;
acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene substantially at said selected time during said movement of said body, there being a body image portion corresponding to that body in said second scene image and a remainder image portion in said second scene image corresponding to those portions of said second scene image remaining after excluding said body image portion therefrom;
constructing from said first scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to at least part of said first scene image body image portion from portions thereof corresponding to said first scene image remainder image portion;
constructing from said second scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to at least part of said second scene image body image portion from portions thereof corresponding to said second scene image remainder image portion; and
ascertaining a value of at least one selected parameter from said first and second scene evaluation image segregation representations.
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Abstract
The present invention evaluates an animal to determine characteristics or traits thereof. The invention evaluates the animal as it moves through first and second scenes that correspond to different first and second fields of view.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for evaluating changeable configuration bodies with each such body during its evaluation moving through first and second scenes, corresponding to differing first and second fields of view, in each of which changes occur in configuration of that body during such movement, said method comprising:
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acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene at a selected time during movement of a body undergoing evaluation simultaneously through said first and second scenes, there being a body image portion corresponding to that body in said first scene image and a remainder image portion in said first scene image corresponding to those portions of said first scene image remaining after excluding said body image portion therefrom; acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene substantially at said selected time during said movement of said body, there being a body image portion corresponding to that body in said second scene image and a remainder image portion in said second scene image corresponding to those portions of said second scene image remaining after excluding said body image portion therefrom; constructing from said first scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to at least part of said first scene image body image portion from portions thereof corresponding to said first scene image remainder image portion; constructing from said second scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to at least part of said second scene image body image portion from portions thereof corresponding to said second scene image remainder image portion; and ascertaining a value of at least one selected parameter from said first and second scene evaluation image segregation representations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9)
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6. A changeable configuration body evaluation system for evaluating changeable configuration bodies with each such body during its evaluation moving through first and second scenes, corresponding to differing first and second fields of view, in each of which changes occur in configuration of that body during such movement, said system comprising:
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an image acquisition means for acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene at a selected time during movement of a body undergoing evaluation simultaneously through said first and second scenes, there being a body image portion corresponding to that body in said first scene image and a remainder image portion in said first scene image corresponding to those portions of said first scene image remaining after excluding said body image portion therefrom, and further for acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene substantially at said selected time during said movement of said body, there being a body image portion corresponding to that body in said second scene image and a remainder image portion in said second scene image corresponding to those portions of said second scene image remaining after excluding said body image portion therefrom; and a storage and computing means for constructing from said first scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to said first scene image body image portion and said first scene image remainder image portion, and for constructing from said second scene evaluation image representation a second scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to said second scene image body image portion and said second scene image remainder image portion, and further ascertaining a value of at least one selected parameter from said first and second scene evaluation image segregation representations.
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7. A method for evaluating animals with each such animal during its evaluation moving through first and second scenes corresponding to differing first and second fields of view, said method comprising:
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acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene at a selected time during movement of an animal undergoing evaluation simultaneously through said first and second scenes, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said first scene image and a remainder image portion in said first scene image corresponding to those portions of said first scene image remaining after excluding said animal image portion therefrom; acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene substantially at said selected time during said movement of said animal, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said second scene image and a remainder image portion in said second scene image corresponding to those portions of said second scene image remaining after excluding said animal image portion therefrom; and locating in at least one of said first and second scene evaluation image representations a separation location between at least part of said animal image portion thereof and at least part of said remainder image portion thereof.
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10. A method for evaluating animals with each such animal during its evaluation moving through a first scene in a chute corresponding to a first field of view, said chute comprising first and second spaced apart side walls with said first side wall supporting a background surface in said first field of view having a visual appearance contrasting with visual appearances of said animals, said method comprising:
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permitting an animal to be evaluated to move through said chute past said first side wall; sensing that said animal reaching a selected position in said first scene so as to be obscuring a portion of said background surface in said first field of view; and acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene in said first field of view at that time at which said animal is sensed to have reached said selected position during movement thereof through said first scene, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said first scene image and a remainder image portion in said first scene image corresponding to those portions of said first scene image remaining after excluding said animal image portion therefrom including a part thereof representing an uncovered portion of said background surface. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for evaluating animals with each such animal during its evaluation moving through first and second scenes corresponding to differing first and second fields of view, said method comprising:
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acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene at a selected time during movement of an animal undergoing evaluation simultaneously through said first and second scenes, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said first scene image and a remainder image portion in said first scene image corresponding to those portions of said first scene image remaining after excluding said animal image portion therefrom; acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene substantially at said selected time during said movement of said animal, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said second scene image and a remainder image portion in said second scene image corresponding to those portions of said second scene image remaining after excluding said animal image portion therefrom; constructing from said first scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to at least part of said first scene image animal image portion from portions thereof corresponding to said first scene image remainder image portion; constructing from said second scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to at least part of said second scene image animal image portion from portions thereof corresponding to said second scene image remainder image portion; ascertaining values of a plurality of selected parameters from said first and second scene evaluation image segregation representations; and forming selected animal indicia for said animal undergoing evaluation based on selected combinations of said plurality of selected parameters. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An animal evaluation system for evaluating animals with each such animal during its evaluation moving through first and second scenes corresponding to differing first and second fields of view, said system comprising:
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an image acquisition means for acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene at a selected time during movement of an animal undergoing evaluation simultaneously through said first and second scenes, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said first scene image and a remainder image portion in said first scene image corresponding to those portions of said first scene image remaining after excluding said animal image portion therefrom, and further for acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene substantially at said selected time during said movement of said animal, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said second scene image and a remainder image portion in said second scene image corresponding to those portions of said second scene image remaining after excluding said animal image portion therefrom; and a storage and computing means for constructing from said first scene evaluation image representation a first scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to said first scene image animal image portion and said first scene image remainder image portion, and for constructing from said second scene evaluation image representation a second scene evaluation image segregation representation segregating therein portions thereof corresponding to said second scene image animal image portion and said second scene image remainder image portion, and further for ascertaining values of a plurality of selected parameters from said first and second scene evaluation image segregation representations and forming animal indicia for said animal undergoing evaluation based on said plurality of selected parameters. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification