Activity measurement
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring the motion intensity of a domestic animal, the animal being provided with sensor means for different motion states including a first, normal state and a second, particular state, and a transmitter operatively connected to the sensor means, comprising the steps of:
- determining by the sensor means, at periodically repeated times having time intervals therebetween of a first predetermined length, whether the animal during a next time interval has adopted the second, particular state and upon determining that the animal has adopted the second, particular state, counting the number of the first times; and
transmitting from the transmitter, at periodically repeated times occurring less frequent than the first time and having time intervals therebetween of a second predetermined length that is greater than the first predetermined length, information to an evaluation station, the transmitted information including the counted number of the first times corresponding to how many times after at least one previous transmission that the second, particular state has been adopted.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A motion sensor unit (11) is intended to be carried by a domestic animal. The motion sensor unit (11) operates in parallel to and independently of a conventional transponder unit (1). The motion sensor unit (11) contains a motion detector (14) for measuring the activity of the animal by providing electrical pulses when the animal moves. Each hour is subdivided in a number of intervals in each one of which it is determined if the activity has exceeded a certain threshold. If it is the case, a count value is incremented. The count value is then transmitted once each hour and in addition also the count values of all the 23 previous hours. By transmitting repeatedly such information a good safety is obtained in the reception of the information signal, and this information can be used for complicated evaluation processing in a processor (7) or a supplementary personal computer (9).
70 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring the motion intensity of a domestic animal, the animal being provided with sensor means for different motion states including a first, normal state and a second, particular state, and a transmitter operatively connected to the sensor means, comprising the steps of:
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determining by the sensor means, at periodically repeated times having time intervals therebetween of a first predetermined length, whether the animal during a next time interval has adopted the second, particular state and upon determining that the animal has adopted the second, particular state, counting the number of the first times; and transmitting from the transmitter, at periodically repeated times occurring less frequent than the first time and having time intervals therebetween of a second predetermined length that is greater than the first predetermined length, information to an evaluation station, the transmitted information including the counted number of the first times corresponding to how many times after at least one previous transmission that the second, particular state has been adopted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A device for monitoring the motion intensity of a domestic animal, comprising:
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sensor means attached to the animal for sensing different motion states of the animal, the motion states including at least a first, normal state and a second, particular state; transmission means for transmitting information to an evaluation station and operatively connected to the sensor means; timer means for providing first clock pulses of a first predetermined rate, the first clock pulses having first time intervals therebetween of a first predetermined length; memory means for storing at least one counted number; determining means coupled to the sensor means and the timer means for receiving the first clock pulses and for determining, at the reception of each first clock pulse, whether the animal during the first time interval from the next previous time when a first clock pulse was received, has adopted the second, particular state, the determining means also being operatively coupled to the memory for storing therein the number of such first times, when the second, particular state has been adopted; and control means coupled to the memory means, the timer means and the transmission means for transmitting, at periodically repeated times less frequent than the first times and having second time intervals therebetween of a second predetermined length larger than the first predetermined length, information to the evaluation station including the counted number stored in the memory means. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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Specification