Milking robot with robotic arm, vision system, and vision system cleaning device

• US 9,648,840 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corporation (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corporation (Teleflex Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hofman, Henk, de Ruijter, Cor, Koekoek, Menno, van der Sluis, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fabula, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US15/137,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20160235029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 119 1401, 119 1408, 119 1418, 119651, 119670
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/00 Milking machines or devices A01J1/00, A01J3/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/007 Monitoring milking processes; Control or regulation of milking machines
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 5/0175 Attaching of clusters
• CPC Class Codes: A01J 7/02 for cleaning or sanitising milking machines or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/12 Milking stations
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils

Abstract

A milking robot comprises a robotic arm, a camera coupled to the robotic arm, a camera-facing nozzle coupled to the robotic arm, and a controller. The robotic arm extends in a longitudinal direction between the hind legs and from the rear of a dairy livestock located in a milking stall. The camera-facing nozzle sprays a protective layer of the camera with a cleanser. The controller communicates a signal instructing the camera-facing nozzle to spray the camera with cleanser.

Claims

1. A milking robot, comprising:

a robotic arm that extends in a longitudinal direction between the hind legs and from the rear of a dairy livestock located in a milking stall;

a camera coupled to a robotic arm;

a camera-facing nozzle coupled to the robotic arm and operable to spray the camera with a cleanser;

wherein the camera comprises a protective layer in front of a lens of the camera and the camera-facing nozzle sprays the cleanser on the protective layer; and

a controller that is programmed to communicate a signal instructing the camera-facing nozzle to spray the camera with cleanser.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a two-dimensional camera coupled to a gripping portion of the robotic arm.

3. The robot of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a three-dimensional camera coupled to a gripping portion of the robotic arm.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to communicate the signal in response to determining that a milking cycle has been completed.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the cleanser is water.

6. A milking robot, comprising:

a main arm suspended vertically;

a supplemental arm coupled to the main arm and extending along a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the main arm, wherein the supplemental arm is operable to extend between the hind legs and from the rear of a dairy livestock located in a milking stall;

a camera coupled to the supplemental arm;

a camera-facing nozzle coupled to the supplemental arm and operable to spray the camera with a cleanser.

7. The robot of claim 6, wherein the camera comprises a protective layer in front of a lens of the camera and the camera-facing nozzle sprays the cleanser on the protective layer.

8. The robot of claim 6, further comprising a controller that is programmed to communicate a signal instructing the camera-facing nozzle to spray the camera with cleanser.

9. The robot of claim 8, wherein the controller is programmed to communicate the signal in response to determining that a milking cycle has been completed.

10. The robot of claim 6, further comprising a gripping portion coupled to the supplemental arm, wherein the camera comprises a two-dimensional camera coupled to the gripping portion.

11. The robot of claim 6, further comprising a gripping portion coupled to the supplemental arm, wherein the camera comprises a three-dimensional camera coupled to the gripping portion.

12. The robot of claim 6, wherein the cleanser is water.

13. A milking robot, comprising:

a main arm suspended vertically;

a supplemental arm coupled to the main arm and extending along a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the main arm, wherein the supplemental arm is operable to extend between the hind legs and from the rear of a dairy livestock located in a milking stall;

a gripping portion extending from the supplemental arm;

a camera coupled to the gripping portion;

a camera-facing nozzle coupled to the gripping portion and operable to spray the camera with a cleanser;

wherein the camera comprises a protective layer in front of a lens of the camera and the camera-facing nozzle sprays the cleanser on the protective layer.

14. The robot of claim 13, further comprising a controller that is programmed to communicate a signal instructing the camera-facing nozzle to spray the camera with cleanser.

15. The robot of claim 14, wherein the controller is programmed to communicate the signal in response to determining that a milking cycle has been completed.

16. The robot of claim 13, wherein the cleanser is water.