Apparatus and method for uniformly delivering feed rations along a feedbunk using global positioning system

• US 6,216,053 B1
• Filed: 03/19/1998
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Animal Health International Incorporated (Patterson Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lextron, Inc.
• Inventors: Cureton, J. Sam, Ackerman, Michael A., Pavlak, Thomas, Anderson, Arlen, Carisch, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US09/044,648
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 705/28, 119/51.01, 119/55, 119/51.02, 700/2, 700/9, 700/83, 700/90, 700/231, 700/232, 700/239, 700/240, 700/241, 700/243, 701/50
• US Class Current: 700/104
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 5/02 Automatic devices automatic identification devices for stock A01K11/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes

Abstract

An animal feedlot management system for uniformly delivering assigned feed rations to feedbunks associated with animal pens in a feedlot, in which discretion and direct control over the various suboperations of the feed ration assignment and delivery process are distributed among the individual operators in the system while the feedlot manager is capable of indirectly monitoring the performance of the various suboperations through use of a satellite based global positioning system.

Claims

1. An animal feedlot management system for installation in an animal feedlot, comprising:

a plurality of feedlot vehicles;

a database for maintaining information representative of a model of said feedlot and objects contained therein; and

a plurality of computer systems installed on-board said plurality of feedlot vehicles, each said computer system including a subsystem for viewing an aspect of said model maintained in said database, vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information regarding (i) the position of said feedlot vehicle relative to a first prespecified coordinate reference frame, and/or (ii) the state of operation of said feedlot vehicle, and information transmission means for transmitting said vehicle information to said database to specify in the position and/or the state of operation of said feedlot vehicle represented within said model of said feedlot.

2. The animal feedlot management system of claim 1, wherein said vehicle information acquisition means comprises a satellite-based global positioning system, and said database is periodically updated using said vehicle information obtained from said satellite-based global positioning system.

3. The animal feedlot management system of claim 2, which further comprises animal information acquisition means for acquiring animal information regarding the position of animals in said feedlot relative to second prespecified coordinate reference frame, and/or the body-temperature of said animals so that said feedlot model reflects the position and/or body-temperature of said animals.

4. The animal feedlot management system of claim 3, wherein said subsystem can be used to ascertain both vehicle and animal information reflected in said model of the feedlot.

5. The animal feedlot management system of claim 1, wherein said subsystem aboard each said feedlot vehicle comprises

a stereoscopic display subsystem which permits the driver to stereoscopically view any aspect of said model, including the driver'"'"'s vehicle as it is being navigated through the feedlot during feedlot operations.

6. The animal feedlot management system of claim 5, wherein each said feedlot vehicle is remotely controlled through the feedlot by an operator using a remotely situated workstation.

7. The animal feedlot management system of claim 6, wherein each said feedlot vehicle is equipped with stereoscopic vision subsystem having a field of view along the navigational course of said feedlot vehicle.

8. The animal feedlot management system of claim 7 wherein said database is maintained aboard an Internet server operably associated with an Internet-based digital communications network, with which each said subsystem is in communication.

9. The animal feedlot management system of claim 7, wherein a replica of said database is maintained aboard each said feedlot vehicle.

10. The animal feedlot management system of claim 1, which further comprises at least one workstation for viewing said model of said feedlot during feedlot operations.

11. The animal feedlot management system of claim 1, which further comprises at least one workstation for viewing said model of a feedlot vehicle in said feedlot and remotely navigating said feedlot vehicle along a course in said feedlot.

12. An animal feedlot management system, which comprises:

a plurality of feedlot vehicles, each employing an on-board computer system which includes;

a feedlot modelling subsystem for maintaining a geometrical database containing a geometrical model of the feedlot and objects contained therein,

a coordinate acquisition subsystem for acquiring coordinate information specifying the position of the feedlot vehicle relative to a coordinate reference system symbolically embedded within the feedlot, and

geometrical database processor for processing information in said geometrical database using said coordinate information in order to update said geometrical model.

13. A method of animal feedlot management system for installation in an animal feedlot, comprising:

(a) providing a feedlot vehicle with an on-board computer system which uses real-time VR modelling and coordinate acquisition techniques in order to maintain a 3-D geometrical model of said feedlot and objects therein including said feedlot vehicle; and

(b) navigating said feedlot vehicle while viewing an aspect of said feedlot model from within said feedlot vehicle.

14. An animal feedlot management system for installation in an animal feedlot having a plurality of feedlot vehicles and animals therein, comprising:

a virtual reality (VR) modelling subsystem for maintaining information representative of a VR model of said animal feedlot,

wherein said VR model accurately reflects the position of said feedlot vehicles as they are navigated through the feedlot, and the position and body-temperature of each said animal in the feedlot.

15. An animal feedlot management system for installation in an animal feedlot, comprising:

a feedlot vehicle;

a virtual reality (VR) database for maintaining information representative of a VR model of said feedlot and objects contained therein including said feedlot vehicle and animals contained within said feedlot; and

a computer system installed on-board said feedlot vehicle, and including

a VR subsystem for viewing an aspect of said VR model maintained in said VR database.

16. The animal feedlot management system of claim 15 wherein said computer system further comprises:

vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle information regarding the position of said feedlot vehicle relative to a prespecified coordinate reference frame and/or the state of operation of said feedlot vehicle; and

information transmission means for transmitting said vehicle information to said VR database so as to specify the position and/or the state of said feedlot vehicle represented within said VR model of said feedlot.

17. The animal feedlot management system of claim 16, wherein as said feedlot vehicle is navigated alongside a feedbunk in the feedlot, said VR subsystem permits a driver of said feedlot vehicle to view from a display panel within said feedlot vehicle, a selected portion of said VR model showing said feedlot vehicle and said feedbunk along which said feedlot vehicle is navigated during a feedlot operation.

18. The animal feedlot management system of claim 15, wherein said feedlot vehicle further includes a uniform feed dispensing subsystem for uniformly dispensing assigned feed rations along the length of a feedbunk;

and wherein said VR subsystem permits a driver of said feedlot vehicle to view from said display panel, a portion of said VR model showing said feedlot vehicle and said feedbunk along which said feedlot vehicle is navigated during uniform feed dispensing operations.