System for demarcating an area

• US 8,355,835 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2007
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maasland N.V.
• Original Assignee: Maasland N.V.
• Inventors: Vlaar, Iwan Yves, Van Den Berg, Karel, Van Kuilenburg, Jan Martinus
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US12/444,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/105 Movable feed barriers, slides or fences

Abstract

A system for demarcating an area comprises a first vehicle, an attachment point, a demarcating element, a motor and a vehicle control unit. The demarcating element extends from the first vehicle to the attachment point. The system furthermore comprises a camera, which camera is operatively connected to the vehicle control unit.

Claims

1. A system for demarcating an area, the system comprising:

a first vehicle;

a motor for driving the first vehicle;

a vehicle control unit for controlling the first vehicle;

an attachment point; and

a demarcating element;

wherein the demarcating element extends from the first vehicle to the attachment point, and

wherein the system furthermore comprises a camera operatively connected to the vehicle control unit for transmitting a signal from the camera to the vehicle control unit;

wherein the camera is designed for producing a three-dimensional image.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera comprises:

a source of radiation for emitting electromagnetic radiation;

a matrix having a plurality of rows and columns of receivers for receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected by an object;

a lens for displaying the reflected electromagnetic radiation; and

a sensor control unit operatively connected to the source of radiation for modulating the electromagnetic radiation, for determining a phase difference between the emitted and the reflected electromagnetic radiation for each of the receivers.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit is for navigating the first vehicle along a boundary of the area on the basis of the image from the camera.

4. The system as claimed claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit is for extracting information about the availability of feed in the area from at least one image from the camera and determining a movement speed and/or movement frequency of the first vehicle based at least in part on the information.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit is for collecting information about the presence of animals in the area from at least one image from the camera and determining a movement speed and/or movement frequency of the first vehicle based at least in part on the information.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle control unit is for collecting information about a present contour of the demarcating element from at least one image from the camera and determining, based at least in part on the information, a movement speed of the first vehicle and/or to drive tensioning means for tensioning the demarcating element.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera is physically connected to the first vehicle.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment point is provided on a second vehicle.

9. A method for demarcating an area, the method comprising:

providing a first vehicle, a motor for driving the first vehicle, a vehicle control unit for controlling the first vehicle, an attachment point, a demarcating element, and a camera operatively connected to the vehicle control unit;

extending the demarcating element from the first vehicle to the attachment point;

transmitting a signal from the camera to the vehicle control unit; and

producing a three-dimensional image using the camera.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the camera comprises a source of radiation for emitting electromagnetic radiation, a matrix having a plurality of rows and columns of receivers, a lens, and a sensor control unit operatively connected to the source of radiation, and wherein the method further comprises:

emitting electromagnetic radiation from the source of radiation;

receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected by an object using the receivers;

displaying the reflected electromagnetic radiation using the lens;

modulating the electromagnetic radiation using the sensor control unit; and

determining a phase difference between the emitted and the reflected electromagnetic radiation for each of the receivers.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising navigating the first vehicle along a boundary of the area on the basis of the image from the camera.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising extracting information about the availability of feed in the area from at least one image from the camera and determining a movement speed and/or movement frequency of the first vehicle based at least in part on the information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising collecting information about the presence of animals in the area from at least one image from the camera and determining a movement speed and/or movement frequency of the first vehicle based at least in part on the information.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising collecting information about a present contour of the demarcating element from at least one image from the camera and determining, based at least in part on the information, a movement speed of the first vehicle and/or to drive tensioning means for tensioning the demarcating element.