Tag system

• US 20070103296A1
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SNIF Labs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SNIF Labs Incorporated
• Inventors: Gips, Jonathan, Liang, Philip, Paessel, Noah
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,124 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.220
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/006 Automatic identification systems for animals, e.g. electronic devices, transponders for animals identification systems for access to feeding pens A01K1/0209; ear tags with electronic identification means A01K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 27/009 with electric-shock, sound, magnetic- or radio-waves emitting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 2001/085 Partner search devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A monitoring device is configured to be attached to an agent to be monitored. The device includes sensor circuitry that detects or measures conditions relating to the environment, the agent or the agent'"'"'s behavior. A microcontroller processes the conditions to produce event data, and a wireless transmitter transmits the event data to a remote host system. The conditions can include temperature, acceleration, the presence of another tag, or other conditions relating to the agent. The event data may relate to movement of the agent, an encounter with another tag, or other behavior of the agent, and may be stored to an internal memory. The monitoring device may also include a transmitter that transmits a signal, or tag identifier, that identifies the device. The event data may be reported as information relating to the behavior of the agent.

Claims

1. A monitoring device comprising:

an enclosure that attaches to an agent to be monitored, the enclosure housing;

sensor circuitry that detects at least one state condition relative to the enclosure;

a microcontroller that processes the detected conditions to produce event data; and

a wireless transmitter that transmits the event data to a remote host system.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one state condition includes at least one of temperature, acceleration of the device, and a tag identifier from another device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the event data relates to at least one of movement of the device and an encounter with another device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the event data is stored to a memory internal to the enclosure.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the event data corresponds to behavioral states of the agent, the behavioral states including states corresponding to movement of the agent.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the agent is an animal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits a signal identifying the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuitry includes a receiver that receives tag identifiers from other devices.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator that indicates information relating to the agent.

10. A system for remote monitoring of an agent, the system comprising:

a remote monitoring device for attaching to an agent, the device detecting an event and transmitting event data related to the event;

a base station that receives the event data from the remote monitoring device; and

a computer system connected to the base station, the computer system processing the event data to report information related to the behavior of the agent.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second remote monitoring device for attaching to a second agent, the second remote monitoring device detecting a second event and transmitting data related to the second event.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second base station that receives the data relating to the second event.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the event includes receiving a signal from the second device identifying the second device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the event data includes information relating to distance between the first and second devices.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer system sends the reported information to a network computer operating a network service.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network service provides access to the reported information through an internet website.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the network service provides access to information relating to the behavior of a second agent, a second remote monitoring device attached to the second agent.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second agents are animals and the first and second remote monitoring devices are tags attached to the respective first and second agents.

19. A method for monitoring the behavior of an agent, the method comprising:

detecting at least one state condition external to a monitoring device attached to an agent to be monitored;

processing the detected conditions to produce event data; and

transmitting the event data to a remote host system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one state condition includes at least one of temperature, acceleration of the device, and a tag identifier from another device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the event data includes at least one of movement of the device and information corresponding to an encounter with a second device.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing the event data to a memory internal to the monitoring device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the event data corresponds to behavioral states of the agent, the behavioral states including states corresponding to movement of the agent.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the agent is an animal.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting a signal identifying the device.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a tag identifier from a second device.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising visually indicating information relating to the agent.

28. A monitoring device comprising:

means for detecting at least one state condition external to a monitoring device;

means for processing the detected conditions to produce event data; and

means for transmitting the event data to a remote host system.