Method and system for tracking and managing animals and/or food products

• US 7,810,451 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Beef Technologies Ltd (MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US12/403,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20090229530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 119 1401- 1403, 119/51.02, 119/51.01, 119/174, 119/906
• US Class Current: 119/174
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/02 Agriculture; Fishing; Forestry; Mining
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and system are described for tracking and managing animals and/or food products. These embodiments can include entering into a computer system identification data for animals and location data for locations occupied by the animals. This data can be collected, for example, by a data service provider and transmitted to a data trustee. The data trustee may filter the data into official data and non-official data. The official data may be sent to an official database. When a public health issue arises, such as an occurrence of mad cow disease, the government may use an identifier for a diseased animal or a location identifier to request a trace report from the data trustee. The data trustee may then use the official data to provide a report showing, for example, which animals have comingled with the diseased animal. Based on this report, other sick or potentially sick animals can be treated, quarantined, or slaughtered. As another example, the disclosed embodiments may be used to facilitate commercial transactions by providing data that validates, for example, an animal'"'"'s health and food quality.

Claims

1. A system for tracing an animal, comprising:

a physical identifier to transmit animal data, wherein at least a portion of the animal data comprises an animal identifier;

a data reader to read transmitted animal data from the physical identifier;

a data service provider to store received data from the data reader, wherein the data service provider adds to the animal data a premises identifier that corresponds to a location, wherein the data service provider correlates the animal data according to an animal identification value; and

a data trustee to receive at least a portion of the animal data from the data service provider and to filter confidential information from received animal data, wherein the data trustee generates a trace report based on the received animal data and wherein the data trustee applies a filter to the received animal data to screen the confidential information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the physical identifier is an RFID device, retinal scan, DNA profile, visual device, bar code device, band, and combinations thereof.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the RFID device is selected from the group consisting of RFID ear tag, RFID implant, RFID bolus, RFID recyclable device, and combinations thereof.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the trace report lists locations that an animal has occupied without disclosing the premises identifier.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the trace report lists official data.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the trace report is accessible to be reviewed by a user.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein the user is a buyer.

8. The system according to claim 6 wherein the user is a seller.

9. The system according to claim 6 wherein the trace report is correctable.

10. The system according to claim 9 further comprising a web-based interface for correcting the trace report.

11. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a public-accessible storage center to which the data trustee sends official data.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the data trustee reconciles the premises identifier against a premises identifier repository.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein the data trustee reconciles the animal identifier against an animal identification repository.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein the data trustee maintains a database.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the database is a secured database.

16. The system according to claim 1 wherein the premises identifier is allocated by a premises allocator.

17. The system according to claim 1 wherein the data trustee generates a report identifying a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with an initially identified animal.

18. The system according to claim 1 wherein the data trustee further generates a confirmation report upon receipt of the received data.

19. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a GPS device for transmitting location data for an identified animal.