System for recognizing animals

• US 8,830,063 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nedap AGRI BV
• Original Assignee: Nedap AGRI BV
• Inventors: Roosenboom, Derk Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US12/664,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20100156612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: 340/10.42, 340/572.1, 340/572.2, 340/572.7, 370/334, 455/278.1, 455/296, 455/63.1, 455/454, 455/450
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10336 the antenna being of the near field type, inductive coil
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

A system for recognizing animals in a detection zone (4) wherein the animals are provided with a label (6.i) that responds by transmitting a return signal with information when the label is (6.i) introduced into an electromagnetic interrogation field, provided with at least a transmitting and receiving system (2) for transmitting the electromagnetic interrogation field in the detection zone (4) and for receiving a return signal from a label (6.i) located in the detection zone (4), whereby the transmitting and receiving system (2) is provided with a plurality of antennas (8.i) for receiving a return signal from at least one label (6.i) present in the detection zone (4) wherein the antennas (8.i) are designed and arranged to discretely receive electromagnetic signals which come from mutually different subzones (4.i) wherein the subzones (4.i) in combination from the detection (4) zone.

Claims

1. A system for recognizing animals in a detection zone wherein the animals are provided with labels that respond by transmitting return signals with information when introduced into an electromagnetic interrogation field, the system comprising:

a transmitting and receiving system configured to create the electromagnetic interrogation field throughout the detection zone and receive a return signal from a label present in the detection zone, the transmitting and receiving system comprising;

a single transmitter at only one location and a transmitting antenna connected to the single transmitter, the single transmitter and the transmitting antenna being configured to generate the electromagnetic interrogation field throughout the detection zone,

a plurality of receiving antennas, distinct from the transmitting antenna, configured to receive the return signal from the label present in the detection zone, the plurality of receiving antennas being designed and arranged to discretely receive electromagnetic signals, generated by labels, respectively coming from mutually different subzones, the mutually different subzones, in combination, forming the detection zone,

a multiplexer signally connected with each of the plurality of receiving antennas, and

a signal processing unit,

wherein the transmitting and receiving system generates a receiving signal per receiving antenna or per group of receiving antennas of the plurality of receiving antennas,

wherein the processing unit is configured to process, in combination, multiple ones of the receiving signal to render information from the return signal from the label, received by at least one of the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas, present in the detection zone,

wherein the multiplexer is configured to time select the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas from the plurality of receiving antennas, to successively obtain the receiving signal from a time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas,

wherein the receiving signals signal from the time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas is supplied to the signal processing unit to be processed further, and

wherein the multiplexer, for each time selection, connects the time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas with a receiver for obtaining the receiving signal that is stripped of a carrier wave.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein each antenna of the plurality of receiving antennas covers one subzone of the mutually different subzones.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving antennas further comprises mutually different groups of receiving antennas.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein a group of the mutually different groups of receiving antennas covers one group of subzones of the mutually different subzones.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein a group of the mutually different groups of receiving antennas covers one subzone of the mutually different subzones.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each subzone of the mutually different subzones is covered by only one receiving antenna.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mutually different subzones adjoin each other and partly overlap each other.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of receiving antennas comprises mutually different groups of receiving antennas, and wherein the transmitting and receiving system generates one receiving signal per group of receiving antennas.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein each subzone of the mutually different subzones is covered by one receiving antenna, and the transmitting and receiving system generates one receiving signal per receiving antenna.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving system further comprises an analog to digital convertor for obtaining digitalized receiving signals.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving system further comprises a plurality of receivers wherein each of the plurality of receivers is connected with one receiving antenna or with one group of receiving antennas for generating one receiving signal per receiving antenna or per group of receiving antennas.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein each receiving antenna is connected with, at any given time, only one of the plurality of receivers.

13. The system according to claim 11 wherein each subzone is covered by one receiving antenna and each of the plurality of receivers is connected with, at any given time, one of the plurality of receiving antennas.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of receivers is connected with, at any given time, only one of the groups of receiving antennas.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein each subzone is covered by one receiving antenna and the multiplexer, at any given time, selects only one receiving antenna.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises mutually different groups of receiving antennas, and the multiplexer, at any given time, selects only one group of receiving antennas.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving signal comprises a received electromagnetic signal, wherein the transmitting and receiving system further comprises an analog to digital convertor for obtaining digitalized receiving signals, and wherein the multiplexer, at any given time, connects the time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas with an A/D convertor for obtaining a digitalized receiving signal that has been stripped of the carrier wave and which is supplied to the signal processing unit for further processing.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple ones of the receiving signal, processed by the processing unit, are a set of receiving signals received by the at least one of the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the receiving antennas are further designed as a walk-through, walk-along or walk-over antenna.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit, in use, correlates different ones of the receiving signal with each other.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a plurality of transmitting antennas connected with the single transmitter.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving system is further adapted to generate the interrogation field in the form of a rotating field.

23. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving system is further adapted to determine in which subzone the label is present.

24. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting and receiving system is further adapted to determine in which direction the label moves through the detection zone.

25. The system according to claim 1, further comprising multiple labels, wherein the labels are l&

R labels.

26. The system according to claim 1, wherein the label is an l&

R label.

27. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of the receiving antennas are included in a housing.

28. The system according to claim 1, wherein said discrete electromagnetic signals, generated by labels, are received separately from each other.

29. A system for recognizing animals in a detection zone wherein the animals are provided with labels that respond by transmitting return signals with information when the labels are introduced into an electromagnetic interrogation field, the system comprising:

a transmitting and receiving system configured to create the electromagnetic interrogation field throughout the detection zone and receive a return signal from a label present in the detection zone, the transmitting and receiving system comprising;

at least one transmitter and a transmitting antenna connected to the single transmitter, the single transmitter and the transmitting antenna being configured to generate the electromagnetic interrogation field throughout the detection zone,

a plurality of receiving antennas, distinct from the transmitting antenna, configured to receive the return signal from the label present in the detection zone, the plurality of receiving antennas being designed and arranged to discretely receive electromagnetic signals, generated by labels, respectively coming from mutually different subzones, the mutually different subzones, in combination, forming the detection zone,

a multiplexer signally connected with each of the plurality of receiving antennas, and

a signal processing unit,

wherein the transmitting and receiving system generates a receiving signal per receiving antenna or per group of receiving antennas of the plurality of receiving antennas,

wherein the processing unit is configured to process, in combination, multiple ones of the receiving signal to render information from the return signal from the label, received by at least one of the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas, antennas, present in the detection zone,

wherein the multiplexer is configured to time select the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas from the plurality of receiving antennas, to successively obtain the receiving signal from a time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas,

wherein the receiving signal from the time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas is supplied to the signal processing unit to be processed further, and

wherein the multiplexer, for each time selection, connects the time selected receiving antenna or group of receiving antennas with a receiver for obtaining the receiving signal that is stripped of a carrier wave.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the multiple ones of the receiving signal, processed by the processing unit, are a set of receiving signals received by the at least one of the receiving antenna or the group of receiving antennas.