Remote contactless stereoscopic mass estimation system
First Claim
1. A system for estimating the volume, mass or weight of an individual animal comprising:
- a representation of an individual animal, generated from an image-capturing machine and comprising a plurality of spatially distributed points, stored on a computer readable medium;
a virtual spatial model of a reference object comprising a plurality of spatially distributed points; and
a computer particularly programmed with the capability of reshaping the virtual spatial model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, into an approximate fit with each other and with the capability of matching individual points in the representation of the individual animal with individual points in the virtual spatial model; and
a camera for capturing the representation of a visible or spatial characteristic of the individual animal, such that the camera and the computer are included in a hand-held unit,wherein the computer is particularly programmed to estimate the mass, weight, or volume of the individual animal as a function of an amount that the virtual spatial model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, were reshaped.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A contactless system and method for estimating the volume, mass or weight of a target animal is provided. First, the target animal is imaged, preferably with a stereoscopic camera. A spatial representation of the target animal is derived from the stereoscopic images. Next, a virtual three-dimensional spatial model is provided, preferably having a shape resembling that of a characteristic of the animal to which the target animal belongs. A software module is provided to reshape the virtual spatial model, using a finite set of independently configurable shape variables, to approximately fit the spatial representation of the individual animal. Finally, the volume, mass or weight of the target animal is estimated as a function of shape variables characterizing the reshaped virtual model.
61 Citations
93 Claims
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1. A system for estimating the volume, mass or weight of an individual animal comprising:
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a representation of an individual animal, generated from an image-capturing machine and comprising a plurality of spatially distributed points, stored on a computer readable medium; a virtual spatial model of a reference object comprising a plurality of spatially distributed points; and
a computer particularly programmed with the capability of reshaping the virtual spatial model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, into an approximate fit with each other and with the capability of matching individual points in the representation of the individual animal with individual points in the virtual spatial model; anda camera for capturing the representation of a visible or spatial characteristic of the individual animal, such that the camera and the computer are included in a hand-held unit, wherein the computer is particularly programmed to estimate the mass, weight, or volume of the individual animal as a function of an amount that the virtual spatial model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, were reshaped. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for estimating the volume, mass or weight of an individual animal comprising:
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a representation of a visible or spatial characteristic of the individual animal stored on a computer readable medium; a spatially multi-dimensional virtual model that is shape-configurable through a set of at least two independent shape transformation variables, stored on a computer readable medium, of an object; and a computer particularly programmed with the capability of transforming the virtual model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, into an optimal fit with each other, using at least two independent transformation parameters; selecting values for the shape transformation variables to reshape the virtual model into an optimal fit with the representation of the individual animal; estimating the volume, mass or weight of the individual animal as a function of the selected values for the shape transformation variables used to reshape the virtual model; and estimating the mass or weight of the individual animal as a function of a plurality of independent relational parameters that relate pre- and post-transformed versions of the virtual model or the representation of the individual animal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method for estimating the volume, mass or weight of an individual animal comprising:
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machine generating a representation of a visible or spatial characteristic of the individual animal comprising a point cloud having spatial coordinates such that points at the center of the point cloud, hereinafter referred to as blob origin points, are presumed to represent a portion of the target animal; automatically identifying points in the cloud that are spatially proximate to the blob origin points and all other points in the cloud that are connected to the blob origin points through intermediate spatially proximate points; obtaining a virtual model, stored on a computer readable medium, of a spatially multidimensional object; transforming, with the aid of a computer, the virtual model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, into an optimal fit with each other, using at least two independent transformation parameters; and estimating, with the aid of a computer, the volume, mass or weight of the individual animal as a function of a plurality of independent relational parameters that relate pre- and post-transformed versions of the virtual model or the representation of the individual animal. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A system for estimating the volume, mass or weight of an individual animal comprising:
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a machine that generates a representation of a visible or spatial characteristic of the individual animal; a computer communicatively coupled to the machine; and a spatially multi-dimensional virtual model, stored on a computer readable medium, of an object; wherein the computer is particularly programmed with the capability of transforming the virtual model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, into an optimal fit with each other, using at least two independent transformation parameters; wherein the computer is particularly programmed to estimate the mass or weight of the individual animal as a function of a plurality of independent relational parameters that relate pre- and post-transformed versions of the virtual model or the representation of the individual animal; and wherein the computer is particularly programmed with the capability of automatically identifying suitable values for variables of a volume-estimating, mass-estimating, or weight-estimating function, wherein the variables of the function are the same as or derived from the relational parameters that relate the pre- and post-transformed versions of the representation of the individual animal or the virtual model. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92)
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93. A system for estimating the volume, mass or weight of an individual animal comprising:
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a machine that generates a representation of a visible or spatial characteristic of the individual animal; a computer communicatively coupled to the machine; and a spatially multi-dimensional virtual model, stored on a computer readable medium, of an object such that the virtual model of the reference animal is shape-configurable through a set of at least two independent shape transformation variables; the computer is particularly programmed with the capability of selecting values for the shape transformation variables to reshape the virtual model into an optimal fit with the representation of the individual animal; the computer is particularly programmed to estimate the volume, mass or weight of the individual animal as a function of the selected values for the shape transformation variables used to reshape the virtual model the computer is particularly programmed with the capability of transforming the virtual model, the representation of the individual animal, or both, into an optimal fit with each other, using at least two independent transformation parameters; and the computer is particularly programmed to estimate the mass or weight of the individual animal as a function of a plurality of independent relational parameters that relate pre- and post-transformed versions of the virtual model or the representation of the individual animal.
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Specification