Animal weight monitoring system

• US 9,226,481 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Praveen Paripati
• Original Assignee: Praveen Paripati
• Inventors: Paripati, Praveen
• Primary Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US14/211,159
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/00 Other apparatus for animal husbandry
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/08 for weighing livestock
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection

Abstract

A method and system for the remote determination of an animal weight, and other animal variables, using a piezoelectric sensor.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring animal weight comprising calculating the weight of one or more animals on a piezoelectric sheet;

wherein if the reported weight is greater or lesser than a weight threshold, a photograph of the location is taken and automatically analyzed to identify if one or more animals are present; and

if it is determined that a single animal is present and the animal has reached a weight threshold weight, a notification is sent to a farm administrator, along with the photograph and any additional identification tags.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the animal has not reached the weight threshold, the method updates the weight of the animal to the newly acquired value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power generated by the piezoelectric generators is stored.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if the animal is below a weight threshold, the animal is identified as underweight.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of piezoelectric sheet are arranged on the floor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises monitoring the environmental conditions, animal composition, odors, gait analysis, animal behavior, or animal vocalizations.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said animal is a mammal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said mammal is an alpaca, banteng, bison, camel, cow, deer, donkey, gayal, goat, guinea pig, horse, llama, mule, pig, rabbit, reindeer, sheep, water buffalo, or yak.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said animal is a bird.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said bird is chicken, duck, emu, goose, India peafowl, mute swan, ostrich, pigeon, turkey, Guinea fowl, Common Pheasant, Golden Pheasant, or rhea.

11. A method for monitoring animal weight comprising calculating the weight of one or more animals on a piezoelectric sheet;

wherein if the reported weight is greater or lesser than a weight threshold, an image of the location is taken and automatically analyzed to identify if one or more animals are present; and

if it is determined that a single animal is present and the animal has reached a weight threshold weight, a notification is sent to an administrator, along with the image and any additional identification tags.