System for animal evaluation through image acquisition
First Claim
1. 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 in a manner so as to partially cover first and second background surfaces provided in each of said first and said scenes, respectively, as viewed in said first and second fields of view, respectively, said first and second background surfaces each having a visual appearance which contrast with a visual appearance of that animal, said method comprising:
- acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene during movement of an animal undergoing evaluation through said first and second scenes, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said first scene evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said first scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said first background surface;
acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene during said movement of said animal, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said second scene evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said second scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said second background surface;
transforming at least in part one of said first and second scene evaluation image representations by decomposing same into at least a partial spectrum based on selected spectral functions;
locating in that scene evaluation image representation so decomposed a separation location between at least a part of said animal image portion thereof and at least a part of said background image portion thereof; and
forming selected animal indicia for said animal undergoing evaluation based on said locating of said separation location.
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Accused Products
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.
64 Citations
40 Claims
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1. 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 in a manner so as to partially cover first and second background surfaces provided in each of said first and said scenes, respectively, as viewed in said first and second fields of view, respectively, said first and second background surfaces each having a visual appearance which contrast with a visual appearance of that animal, said method comprising:
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acquiring a first scene evaluation image representation of an image of said first scene during movement of an animal undergoing evaluation through said first and second scenes, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said first scene evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said first scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said first background surface; acquiring a second scene evaluation image representation of an image of said second scene during said movement of said animal, there being an animal image portion corresponding to that animal in said second scene evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said second scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said second background surface; transforming at least in part one of said first and second scene evaluation image representations by decomposing same into at least a partial spectrum based on selected spectral functions; locating in that scene evaluation image representation so decomposed a separation location between at least a part of said animal image portion thereof and at least a part of said background image portion thereof; and forming selected animal indicia for said animal undergoing evaluation based on said locating of said separation location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. 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 in a manner so as to partially cover first and second background surfaces provided in each of said first and second scenes, respectively, as viewed in said first and second fields of view, respectively, said first and second background surfaces each having a visual appearance which contrasts with a visual appearance of that animal, 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 evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said first scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said first background surface; 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 evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said second scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said second background surface; locating in said first scene evaluation image representation a first boundary portion between at least part of said first scene image animal image portion and at least part of said first scene image background image portion; locating in said second scene evaluation image representation a first boundary portion between at least part of said first scene image animal image portion and at least part of said first scene image background image portion; ascertaining values of a plurality of selected parameters based on said first scene image first boundary portion and said second scene image first boundary portion; and forming selected animal indicia for said animal undergoing evaluation based on said plurality of selected parameters. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. 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 in a maimer so as to partially cover first and second background surfaces provided in each of said first and second scenes, respectively, as viewed in said first and second fields of view, respectively, said first and second background surfaces each having a visual appearance which contrast with a visual appearance of that animal, 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 evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said first scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said first background surface, and 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 evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said second scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said second background surface; and a storage and computing means for locating in said first scene evaluation image representation a first boundary portion between at least part of said first scene image animal image portion and at least part of said first scene image background image portion, and of locating in said second scene evaluation image representation a first boundary portion between at least part of said first scene image animal image portion and at least part of said first scene image background image portion, and for ascertaining values of a plurality of selected parameters based on said first scene image first boundary portion and said second scene image first boundary portion and forming animal indicia for said animal undergoing evaluation based on said plurality of selected parameters. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. 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 in a manner so as to partially cover first and second background surfaces provided in each of said first and second scenes, respectively, as viewed in said first and second fields of view, respectively, said first and second background surfaces each having a visual appearance which contrast with a visual appearance of that animal, 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 evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said first scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said first background surface; 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 evaluation image representation and a background image portion in said second scene evaluation image representation corresponding to uncovered portions of said second background surface; 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 background image portion thereof. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification