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

• US 8,256,381 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MWI Veterinary Supply Incorporated
• Inventors: Pratt, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PRICE JR, RICHARD THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US13/230,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 358 Days
• Field of Search: 119 1401- 1403, 119/51.01, 119/174, 119/906, 119/51.02
• 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. Identification data and location data for animals is entered into a computer system. A data service provider may collect this data and transmit it to a data trustee. The data trustee may filter the data into official and non-official data, and send official data to an official database. When a public health issue arises, the government may use an identifier for a diseased animal or a location identifier to request a trace report. The data trustee may then use the official data to provide a report showing, for example, which animals have commingled with the diseased animal. Based on this report, other animals can be treated, quarantined, or slaughtered. The disclosed embodiments also may be used to facilitate commercial transactions by providing data that validates an animal'"'"'s health and food quality.

Claims

1. A method for tracking an animal, comprising:

receiving an animal;

entering into a computer system an animal identifier for the animal from a physical identifier for the animal, wherein the animal identifier enables the computer system to identify the animal and distinguish the animal from every other animal in a group;

entering into the computer system animal data relating to the identified animal and correlating the animal data with the animal identifier in the computer system;

entering into the computer system location data for the identified animal, wherein the location data includes a premises identifier;

correlating in the computer system the location data for the identified animal with the animal identifier;

storing data for the identified animal in a database maintained by a data trustee, wherein the data comprises the animal identifier and the premises identifier;

filtering confidential information from the data in the database maintained by the data trustee to provide filtered data for the identified animal, wherein the confidential info illation includes the premises identifier and the filtered data includes the animal identifier;

generating a trace report for the identified animal that includes a location that the identified animal has occupied without disclosing the premises identifier unless permission is granted; and

providing a user with access to the trace report.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting to a government-accessible database the filtered data and a data record address corresponding to the data stored for the identified animal in the database maintained by the data trustee.

3. The method of claim 1 where storing data for the animal in the database maintained by the data trustee further comprises:

transmitting data from the computer system to a data service provider, wherein the transmitted data comprises at least some of the animal data, the animal identifier, and the premises identifier; and

forwarding data from the data service provider to the data trustee, wherein the forwarded data comprises the animal identifier and the premises identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the premises identifier and the animal identifier, wherein verifying is performed by the data trustee.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting a report to an owner of the identified animal confirming entry of the forwarded data or reporting an error in the forwarded data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconciling the premises identifier against a premises identifier repository, reconciling the animal identifier against an animal identification repository, or both, wherein reconciling is performed by the data trustee.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a trace report for the identified animal from the data trustee, where the trace report identifies a subsequently identified animal that shared a location with the identified animal.

8. The method of claim 7 where identifying the subsequently identified animal comprises:

comparing a set of previous location identifiers for the identified animal to a set of location identifiers associated with the subsequently identified animal;

correlating a subset of data from the animal data to a subset of data associated with the subsequently identified animal; and

filtering the set of previous location identifiers and the set of location identifiers associated with the subsequently identified animal.

9. The method of claim 1, where entering into the computer system location data for the animal comprises gathering location data for locations occupied by the animal using a global positioning system (GPS) device associated with the animal.

10. The method of claim 9 where the GPS device is integrated with the physical identifier for the animal.

11. The method of claim 1 where the animal data comprises height, weight, size, age, genetic background, sex, species, color, type of feed, drug treatment history, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting a trace report from the data trustee upon discovering that the identified animal has a disease;

generating a trace report that filters confidential information; and

identifying locations of subsequently identified animals that have commingled with the diseased identified animal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising implementing a treatment strategy for subsequently identified animals that commingled with the diseased identified animal.

14. the method of claim 13 where the treatment strategy comprises treating the disease, quarantining the subsequently identified animals, slaughtering the subsequently identified animals, or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 12 where generating the trace report comprises:

performing a search on animal data stored at the data trustee for location history data, wherein the search is performed using the animal identifier of the diseased identified animal;

compiling the location history data for the diseased identified animal;

comparing the location history data of the diseased identified animal to the subsequently identified animals; and

generating a report of shared locations where the diseased identified animal commingled with the subsequently identified animals; and

filtering non-official information from the report.

16. The method of claim 15 where the report further includes present locations of the subsequently identified animals.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing filtered information to an authorized user upon request, wherein the filtered information comprises location identifiers of subsequently identified animals that have commingled with the diseased identified animal.