Animal tracking system

• US 20090066569A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University Technologies International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: University Technologies International, Inc.
• Inventors: Hunter, Andrew James Simpson, Stenhouse, Gordon B., El-Sheimy, Naser, Wright, David Bruce
• Application Number:
  US11/900,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.640
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1656 with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing effective animal tracking is disclosed. For one embodiment, an animal tracking system includes one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, a storage device coupled to the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices for storing measurements made by the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, and a digital processing system coupled to the storage device for processing the stored measurements.

Claims

1. An animal tracking apparatus comprising:

one or more dead reckoning measurement devices;

a storage coupled to the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices for storing measurements made by the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices; and

a digital processing system coupled to the storage for processing the stored measurements.

2. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a receiver for a satellite-based positioning system coupled to the digital processing system.

3. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 2 wherein the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices includes one or more measurement devices selected from the group consisting of accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, and barometer.

4. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 3 wherein the accelerometer is a tri-axial accelerometer, the magnetometer is a tri-axial magnetometer, and the gyroscope comprises three orthogonal gyroscopes.

5. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an attachment mechanism for attaching the animal tracking apparatus to an animal.

6. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 5 wherein the animal is a type of animal selected from the group consisting of wild animals, domestic animals, and commercial animals.

7. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 5 wherein the attachment mechanism is selected from the group consisting of collar, shoulder harness, back strap, and leg strap.

8. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an imaging and audio functionality.

9. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a real time clock.

10. The animal tracking apparatus of claim 1 wherein the digital processing system is communicatively coupled to a remote digital processing system.

11. A method comprising:

obtaining an animal for tracking;

determining a manner for attaching an animal tracking system to the animal, the animal tracking system including one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, a storage coupled to the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices for storing measurements made by the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, and a digital processing system coupled to the storage for processing the stored measurements;

attaching the animal tracking system to the animal as determined;

releasing the animal into the tracking environment; and

obtaining the tracking data from the animal tracking system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the animal is a wild animal and obtaining includes capturing the animal.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the manner of attaching the animal tracking system to the animal is based upon a context of the animal tracking.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the animal tracking system includes a receiver for a satellite-based positioning system coupled to the digital processing system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices includes one or more measurement devices selected from the group consisting of accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, and barometer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the accelerometer is a tri-axial accelerometer, the magnetometer is a tri-axial magnetometer, and the gyroscope comprises three orthogonal gyroscopes.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the animal tracking system includes an imaging and audio functionality.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the animal tracking system includes a real time clock.

19. A method comprising:

retrieving animal tracking data from an animal tracking system, the animal tracking system including one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, a storage coupled to the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices for storing measurements made by the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, and a digital processing system coupled to the storage for processing the stored measurements;

analyzing the animal tracking data; and

determining animal behaviour based upon the analysis of the animal tracking data.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the animal tracking system includes a receiver for a satellite-based positioning system coupled to the digital processing system.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices includes one or more measurement devices selected from the group consisting of accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, and barometer.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the accelerometer is a tri-axial accelerometer, the magnetometer is a tri-axial magnetometer, and the gyroscope comprises three orthogonal gyroscopes.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the animal tracking system includes an imaging and audio functionality.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the animal tracking system includes a real time clock.

25. A machine-readable medium that provides executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

retrieving animal tracking data from an animal tracking system, the animal tracking system including one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, a storage coupled to the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices for storing measurements made by the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices, and a digital processing system coupled to the storage for processing the stored measurements;

analyzing the animal tracking data; and

determining animal behaviour based upon the analysis of the animal tracking data.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the animal tracking system includes a receiver for a satellite-based positioning system coupled to the digital processing system.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 26 wherein the one or more dead reckoning measurement devices includes one or more measurement devices selected from the group consisting of accelerometer, magnetometer, gyroscope, and barometer.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27 wherein the accelerometer is a tri-axial accelerometer, the magnetometer is a tri-axial magnetometer, and the gyroscope comprises three orthogonal gyroscopes.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the animal tracking system includes an imaging and audio functionality.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the animal tracking system includes a real time clock.