Method and an apparatus for monitoring an animal

• US 6,418,876 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2000
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfa Laval Agri Ab (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Alfa Laval Agri Ab (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert Christopher, Street, Michael J., Spencer, Diane S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nelson, Judith A.
• Application Number:
  US09/446,997
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 119/14.08, 119/14.01, 119/14.02, 119/14.03, 119/417, 119/416, 119/421
• US Class Current: 119/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/12 Milking stations
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1105 of laboratory animals, e.g. activity

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided for monitoring an animal and having a controller. According to a first aspect of the apparatus and method, the controller has a sensor adapted to sense a movement rate of the animal and to establish a value of the movement rate regarding the animal. According to a second aspect of the apparatus and method, the controller includes a sensor provided to allow establishment of the existence of the breath of the animal, and a heart rate calculation device for establishing a value of the breathing rate regarding the animal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring an animal comprising:

control means for establishing a movement rate, said control means having sensor means adapted to sense the movement rate of the animal and to establish a value of the movement rate regarding said animal, said control means being adapted to provide a first output signal; and

an animal related apparatus adapted to perform an animal related operation to the animal, said control means being associated with said animal related apparatus, wherein said animal related apparatus is adapted to perform an action in response to said first output signal, said control means is adapted to at least suspend said animal related operation in case already started and not to initiate said animal related operation in case not started, said sensor means includes a camera associated with said control means for allowing image processing of a received image.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the value of the movement rate is stored at a plurality of occasions regarding said animal.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means is adapted to establish an average of the movement rate regarding said animal, outgoing from the stored values.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means is adapted to provide a value of the velocity or acceleration of said movement rate.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means includes time calculating means for establishment of time elapsed during the movement rate of the animal.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor means is adapted to sense the amplitude or the frequency of said movement rate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensor means is further adapted for allowing establishment of the existence of the animal'"'"'s breathing, said control means being adapted to provide a second output signal, the apparatus further comprising an automatic milking apparatus having a robot arm for performing said animal related operation and said control means being associated with said robot arm.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that said control means is adapted to at least suspend said animal related operation in case already started and not to initiate said animal related operation in case not started.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that said sensor means includes a laser sensor.

10. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that said sensor means includes an ultrasonic sensor.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that said sensor means comprises at least one ultrasonic distance meter, provided in the vicinity of the animal'"'"'s belly.

12. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that said animal related operation is at least one of inspecting the teats, spraying the teats, cleaning the teats and attaching teat cups to the teats of the animal.

13. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein identification means is provided, for allowing values of movement rates regarding an identified individual animal to be evaluated.

14. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said sensor means is adapted to provide a value of the velocity or acceleration of said movement rate;

said sensor means includes time calculating means for establishment of time elapsed during the movement rate of the animal; and

said sensor means is adapted to sense the amplitude or the frequency of said movement rate.

15. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said sensor means includes at least one of a laser sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and an ultrasonic distance meter, provided in the vicinity of the animal'"'"'s belly;

said animal related operation is at least one of inspecting the teats, spraying the teats, cleaning the teats and attaching teat cups to the teats of the animal; and

identification means is provided, for allowing values of rates regarding an identified individual animal to be evaluated.